William McRaven Books in Order
William McRaven has written 10 books, published between 2009 and 2026. The first book is Spec Ops (2009) and the newest is Duty, Honor, Country, and Life (2026). Publication order is the reading order below.
- Books
- 10
- Published
- 2009–2026
William McRaven writes on special operations, leadership and service. Spec Ops (2009) and Operation KINGPIN (2016) are military history; Make Your Bed (2017), The Hero Code (2021) and The Wisdom of the Bullfrog (2023) set out lessons for a general readership, and Sea Stories (2019) is memoir. Two picture books, Make Your Bed with Skipper the Seal (2021) and Be a Hero with Skipper the Seal (2025), carry the same material to children. Ten titles reach Duty, Honor, Country, and Life (2026).
McRaven is a retired Navy four-star admiral who oversaw the raid that killed Osama bin Laden. Make Your Bed grew out of a commencement speech he gave about how small daily disciplines build toward larger accomplishments.
How many William McRaven books are there?
William McRaven has 10 books, released between 2009 and 2026.
William McRaven Books in Publication Order
The table lists all 10 William McRaven books in the order they were published, with the release year and how many independent book listings confirm each title. Catalogue data as of September 2026.
- 1Spec Ops2009 · confirmed 1/42009–1/4
- 2Operation KINGPIN2016 · confirmed 1/42016–1/4
- 3Make Your Bed2017 · confirmed 1/42017–1/4
- 4Sea Stories2019 · confirmed 1/42019–1/4
- 5The Hero Code2021 · confirmed 1/42021–1/4
- 6Make Your Bed with Skipper the Seal2021 · confirmed 1/42021–1/4
- 7The Wisdom of the Bullfrog2023 · confirmed 1/42023–1/4
- 8Be a Hero with Skipper the Seal2025 · confirmed 1/42025–1/4
- 9Conquering Crisis2025 · confirmed 1/42025–1/4
- 10Duty, Honor, Country, and Life2026 · confirmed 1/42026–1/4
William McRaven books grouped by series
Each title below is a row in the publication-order table above. None of these groups has a reading-order page of its own on this site.
Standalone books
10 books10 William McRaven titles here are not listed as part of any series.
Do you have to read William McRaven books in order?
No. No source lists any of the 10 William McRaven books here as part of a series. The numbered table above gives them by publication date.
Where to start with William McRaven
Start with Spec Ops (2009), the earliest published title.
What is the newest William McRaven book?
Duty, Honor, Country, and Life (2026) is the newest William McRaven book released so far.
Is there a new William McRaven book coming?
No next William McRaven book is announced in the catalogue, which is a gap in the listings it merges rather than a sign that the run has ended.
William McRaven at a glance
- Still publishing
- William McRaven published a book as recently as 2026.
- Release pace
- William McRaven books have appeared about one every 2 years on average.
- Busiest decade
- Most William McRaven books, 6 of 10, were published in the 2020s.