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Summary: What it must really be like
Review: This is an incredible story and I can't add much to the reviews preceding. I've never been in combat, and this book confirms that I don't want to be. As others have noted, this is not the 3,000 meter tank shot, but being lost in a city of converging hostile people who seem willing to die by the hundreds for the small chance of killing a US soldier. Two aspects of the story stuck with me. First, how the peacekeeping force slowly became a 'law enforcement' force. This shift seemed to result in the loss of what little support the US forces had to begin with, and lead directly to the later disaster. (If the description is accurate, the US TOW missle surprise attack which killed scores of the Somali Clan leadership in an ambush was cold-blooded murder by any measure.) Reap as ye sow? Also, the general level of firepower and the seeming indescriminate use of it is gut-wrenching. I've never read so many accounts of women and chilren being killed by our forces. Yes, I know, no once could tell who was friend and who was foe. Just the same, I don't believe the average American would classify this as the the ideal image we have of the US soldier. These points just make the book that much more interesting and valuable. Bowden himself deserves and A+ for his work. Truly a classic.
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Summary: Exceptional Journalistic View
Review: This book provides an in-depth look at the conflict that raged within the ragged walls of Mogadishu in 1993. From the time the siege began, through the horrors of the battle, to the concluding pages, this book gives the reader many actual accounts of the action. In addition to the book, be sure to check out the webpage! http://www.philly.com/packages/somalia/nov16/default16.asp It is a great compliment to the reporting in te book, and lets you view some actual footage from the conflict, hear accounts from individuals in the action, see the pictures from Mogadishu, and see maps that illustrate the battle as it unfolded. Awesome book and nice website to go with it!
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Summary: The best book I've ever read!!
Review: I never knew we were in such heavy action in Somalia. I've read this book three times and each time I'm amazed at how the US forces were involved in this 48 hours of hell. I'm equally shocked at the reality of life in Somalia, what most people thought we were doing there and the reality of what was happening.
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Summary: A must read for any military or special forces fans
Review: This book will be one of your best reads. Its just the book for any military personnal or fans to read. It looks at lessons that were learned after this mighty battle which lasted 18 hours. The book is a true in every fact , from the US militarys most elite fighting force the US Army 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-DELTA or Delta Force taking down the house of the enemy there going into capture to the Army Rangers fighting on the streets trying to get back in one peace .Mark Bowden tells this peace of military history in such a way you'll be on the edge of your seat from cover to cover. ITS A MUST GET
Rating:
Summary: The Right Stuff for modern warfare accounting
Review: I can't say enough about this book. To anyone looking for another book of this caliber seek out: We Were Soldiers Once and Young. Same type of true accounting and no holds barred honesty. Both books should be read by any young adult considering a stint in the Armed Forces. Then give them to to your parents. I hope Hollywood doesn't screw up the movie. NSNQ. (Night Stalkers Never Quit)
Rating:
Summary: Great Book
Review: This is one of the best books I have ever read. Once you start reading it,you can't put it down. It is a real shame what happened in Mogadishu and the lack of concern and knowledge the American people have about it. This book will keep us from "foretting" about the incident!
Rating:
Summary: Gritty, realistic depiction of the horrors of combat
Review: I had a great opportunity to attend a lecture series at the Pentagon and hear author Mark Bowden discuss the challenges he underwent in writing this book. Through extensive research, thousands of interviews, including a trip to Somalia to talk with some of the Somali clan warriors who actually fought against the Americans, Bowden wove all of this into a great reading work. Here is a man who has absolutely no military experience, but masterfully captured the harrowing experiences of the brave Rangers and Delta Force team members in a desperate situation in Somalia. This book was gripping! You will feel the despair, anguish and will to survive. I highly recommend this book to any with an interest in this genre. It is absolutely historically accurate, and reads like a great work of fiction.
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Summary: Amazing Book!
Review: This won my personal "Best Non-Fiction Award". It reminds you that war is brutal and unbelievably unpredictable. It makes you appreciate the dangerous reality associated with ANY military operation. You just don't know what will happen, even in seemingly "safe" operations. I will never look at a war movie or read a war novel in the same way after reading this account. It is well written and reads like fiction. You have to keep reminding yourself that the terror is real.
Rating:
Summary: Brilliant work of pure journalism
Review: Although given overwhelmingly favorable reviews, some note that the narrative lacks the sense of "black irony" present in many other war stories. I disagree. This book hides its subtlety and nuance behind chillingly stoic prose. By freeing himself from the somewhat egotistical need to analyze the battle from a modern, cynical foreign policy perspective, Bowden allows the events to speak for themselves. Black irony abounds, but it is never underlined. Bowden allows the reader to place blame; understanding, I think, that the current gap in modern journalism isn't a lack of sage analysis, but a lack of unbiased, unflinching reportage. The fact that Bowden was the first and only reporter to give serious coverage to this event bears out this unfortunate fact.
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Summary: Black Hawk Down Delivers a Glimpse of Modern Urban Warfare
Review: Black Hawk Down delivers the look and feel of the intensity of modern combat in an urban environment. Through hundreds of interviews from both the Somali and U.S. soldier perspectives, Mark Bowden recreates the action as it happened in Mogadishu. Experience the thoughts and fears of the pilots, the Rangers on the ground, the Delta Force commandos inside the target building, the Somalis roaming the alleys to get a taste of battle. Move down the streets and back alleys with a squad trying desperately to secure a fallen comrade. Drive through the maze of avenues in an armored Humvee. Feel the panic of soldiers trapped in a gauntlet of chaos trying to support each other from becoming overwhelmed by rioting crowds of Somalis. Fly over the buildings with pilots that possess nerves of steel, skillfully maneuvering their aircraft past anti-tank rockets and sniper fire. Reading this book provides the same vicarious experience that the pages of We Were Soldiers Once and Young lay bare for the Vietnam conflict. Read the following excerpt and judge for yourself. "Mo'alim's group first encountered Rangers at an intersection in a Humvee just south of the hotel on Hawlwadig Road. As they crept up and fired on the Americans, a helicopter appeared and opened fire, killing the eldest of Mo'alim's squad, a portly middle-aged man they called "Alcohol." Mo'alim dragged Alcohol's limp body off the street, and his squad regrouped a block further south, behind the Bar Bakin Hotel. It was there they saw the first helicopter go down. The men cheered wildly. They continued moving and shooting, staying about two blocks away from the Rangers. They were still south of the target building when one of Mo'alim's group knelt in the road, took aim at another Black Hawk, and fired. The grenade hit the rear rotor and big chunks flew off in the explosion. And then, for an instant, nothing happened....... Now everyone around him was racing south. He ran with them, back through his own neighborhood of Hawlwadigli, a goateed veteran soldier waving his weapon and shouting, "Turn back! Stop! There are still men inside who can shoot!" Some listened to him and fell behind Mo'alim and his men. Others ran on ahead. Ali Hussein, who managed a pharmacy near where the helicopter crashed, saw many of his neighbors grab guns and run toward it. He caught hold of the arm of his friend Ali Mohamed Cawale, who owned the Black Sea restaurant. Cawale had a rifle. Hussein grabbed him by both shoulders. "It's dangerous. Don't go!" he shouted at him. But the smell of blood was in the air. Cawale wrestled away from Hussein and joined the running crowd." As you can tell from the above passage, Bowden provides a balanced account of the conflict from both sides. Thus, this book is useful for getting into the minds of the Somalis to understand a third world view of the impact of U.S intervention, in addition to feeling the thoughts and emotions of soldiers engaged in a struggle for survival. As a result, many readers can benefit from perusing the pages of Black Hawk Down. Young soldiers can learn about the intensity of a first battle. Junior leaders can learn about leadership under the most extreme conditions. Senior policy makers gain an insight into the will and desire of another people that may not welcome American influence into their country. War story buffs just get the entertainment value of reading a gripping account of modern urban warfare. Bowden's extensive research and interviewing creates the multi-faceted benefits of this volume. Read it to further your own professional development. Understand the enemy; understand your soldiers; learn about the cultures in elite units like the Rangers and Delta Force. I highly recommend it.
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