Code Over Country - by Matthew Cole (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

A searing exposé of SEAL Team 6, the US military's most legendary and best-known brand

"A meticulously crafted corrective aimed at dismantling the dishonest mythology that dominates the public understanding of the most elite fighting force in US history." ―Jeremy Scahill, New York Times-bestselling author of Blackwater

The Navy's SEAL Team 6, in the eyes of many Americans, are the ultimate heroes. Former SEALs rake in cash as leadership consultants, and young military-bound men dream of serving in their ranks. But the SEALs have lost their bearings.

Code Over Country reveals a troubling pattern of war crimes and deep moral rot, enabled, encouraged, and covered up by Navy leadership. From their World War II beginnings, the SEALs trained to be specialized killers, but as the War on Terror progressed, their violence spiraled out of control, turned in every direction: against military enemies, innocent civilians, and even fellow American servicemen.

Code Over Country is an urgent and incisive exposé, investigating the unchecked power of the military--and the dangers of prioritizing brutal performance over American values.

Review Quotes

"Cole wrote a thorough and, frankly, brave book."--Spencer Ackerman, Forever Wars

"Journalist Cole debuts with a searing investigation. Backed by meticulous research and lucid insights into SEAL culture, this is an impassioned and persuasive call for reforming one of the world's most elite fighting forces."--Publishers Weekly

"Matthew Cole has produced a searing and unvarnished history of a state-sponsored organized crime syndicate that operates globally with impunity bestowed upon it by the United States government. Since 9/11, Navy SEAL Team 6 has been elevated to legendary status in the media, and its members showered with medals and accolades from presidents, especially in the aftermath of the raid that killed Osama bin Laden. Through an even-handed accounting of the failures and successes of SEAL Team 6, from its Cold War origins to the present, Cole has masterfully documented the bloody, dark underbelly of these 'quiet warriors.' He exposes the sociopaths and murderers who operate on the tip of the spear of the covert US war machine, along with the military and political leaders who have shielded them from accountability. Code Over Country is a meticulously crafted corrective aimed at dismantling the dishonest mythology that dominates the public understanding of the most elite fighting force in US history."--Jeremy Scahill, New York Times-bestselling author of Blackwater and Dirty Wars

"Matthew Cole is telling us what we, in America, need to know about some of those men celebrated in movies and media as heroes in SEAL Team 6. The real issue, as Cole makes clear, is the leadership and command structure that shields and protects criminal behavior. This is not a book about heroism, although there is much, but tolerated wrongdoing."--Seymour Hersh, Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter, author of Chain of Command

"Matthew Cole's Code Over Country is a remarkable achievement. Cole has flanked the hagiography that has for so long protected the image of SEAL Team 6, and has cut deep behind the lines to tell the brutal truth. After reading this book, I realized that there is the Hollywood version of SEAL Team 6, and then there is the truth, laid bare by Matthew Cole."--James Risen, Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter, author of The Last Honest Man

"The strongest rebuke Special Operations, specifically, the SEAL community has yet faced during the War on Terror. Code Over Country is issuing the real report card, the one that Special Operations Command and Naval Special Warfare have been desperate to hide for decades. While outstanding journalistic works have been produced about the SEALs, Code Over Country examines the entire Navy SEAL enterprise, and where it came off the rails."--Connecting Vets

About the Author

Matthew Cole is an investigative journalist. He has covered national security for more than two decades, much of it focused on America's clandestine wars and covert programs. He was previously an investigative producer for ABC and NBC News, and a longtime national security reporter for The Intercept. His other work has appeared in The New York Times, GQ, New York magazine, Salon, and ESPN. He has reported from more than 20 countries, across five continents. A Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism graduate, Cole lives in New York City.