William H. McRaven
Born: November 06, 1955 – Pinehurst, North Carolina, United States
William H. McRaven is a retired U.S. Navy four-star admiral and leadership author whose work centers on discipline, resilience, and service. Best known for Make Your Bed, a #1 New York Times bestseller adapted from his widely viewed commencement speech, he also wrote Sea Stories, drawing on decades in special operations leadership.
Biography & Author's Journey
William H. McRaven was born on November 6, 1955, in Pinehurst, North Carolina, and moved to San Antonio while still in elementary school, growing up in a military family shaped by his father, a career Air Force officer, and by a mother who encouraged poetry, reading, and writing. An athlete as well as a strong student, he attended Theodore Roosevelt High School, excelled in track, then entered the University of Texas at Austin on a track scholarship, joined Navy ROTC, and earned a journalism degree in 1977. He later completed graduate study at the Naval Postgraduate School, where he helped build the Special Operations/Low Intensity Conflict curriculum and sharpened the analytical ideas that would become his first major work. ((https://achievement.org/achiever/admiral-william-h-mcraven/?utm_source=openai))
Quotes
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Community Voices
"William H. McRaven is a nationally and internationally respected leader and a true American hero"
— Paul Foster
"William H. McRaven's lessons extend far beyond his bed-making"
— The Washington Post
"Admiral William H. McRaven turns simple sayings into powerful leadership guidance"
— Jocko Willink
"William H. McRaven's war stories deliver remarkable insight into the life of a wartime leader"
— Publishers Weekly
"William H. McRaven has turned nearly four decades in Navy Special Operations into a thin, powerful book"
— USA Today
"Admiral William H. McRaven is the consummate military leader of our age"
— Stanley McChrystal
"William H. McRaven not only shares daring adventures; he also shares practical everyday wisdom"
— Booklist
"William H. McRaven offers leaders a wealth of lessons learned and common-sense approaches"
— Robert Gates
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"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
From Columbia University alumni built in San Francisco
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
