Rating: 
Summary: Good book. Makes you think.
Review: A very good book. The bravery of the QRF, Rangers and "D-boys" is incredible. Human weaknesses are also shown. The book makes you question the political rationale for their being there. Is it worth sending American troops to a place like that, for those reasons? Your answer may change after reading this book. Bowden does a great job of describing the human emotions and pain of the battle. However, it might have been better to focus on a fewer number of individuals, and give more details of what it was like for that person. This book had so many stories going on that it was virtually impossible to keep them straight. Get this book and read it. You will not be sorry.
Rating: 
Summary: "Listening in anger, helplesness and disbelieve"
Review: As one of a few specially trained soldiers from Norway that was assigned to a special team from C.I.D. protecting the U.S. Commanding General in Somalia at the time of the Battle of the Mog. I was on duty that night at the U.S. Embassy and heard first hand the radio coms. from the battle. Mr. Bowden hits it head on, I can virtualy taste the dust and smell the "fume" of that city on every page I turned in this book.
Rating:
Summary: A Classic on Battle History and Do-Gooder Intervention
Review: I read this powerful book over the 4th of July and could not put it down. It reads like a true-life Saving Private Ryan and brought tears to my eyes. All of the extremeness of war is here-horror, bravery, honor, confusion, sacrifice, camaraderie and even humor. The coffee clerk becomes a fighting machine! It is meticulously researched and reminds the reader what our men and women in the armed services do for us with too often little appreciation. I would make this book required reading for political do-gooders who are eager to have American soldiers lead third world countries into democratic prosperity.There are few books that go into the actual workings of the Delta Force and this book can now be added to their mystique. Delta Force by Charlie Beckwith and The Commandos: The Inside Story of America's Secret Soldiers by Douglas C. Waller are other books that readers might enjoy. The "D-boys" come across as everything we would hope and expect from our elite soldiers-cocky, able, and willing to do whatever it takes to get the mission accomplished while taking care of every man on the field. The fact that one of the wifes' of a dead "operator" believed that her husband was in telecommunications demonstrates the level of integrity (and yes, even humility in civilian life) of these men. Since the ending is probably known to most readers who follow world events, I would suggest that they start with the epilogue first to get the political history and background. The book sadly shows that President Clinton does not know the meaning of the word "honor" and had no concept of what the soldiers died for in Somalia when he immediately cancelled their mission after this battle. The book reiterates that the objective of the mission was successfully accomplished. President Clinton dishonored the men who fought and died in this battle by removing all forces soon afterwards and returning all prisoners within several months making their victory and deaths sadly in vain. (The father of a dead soldier tells Clinton that he is not fit to be Commander in Chief, long before Monica). The Somalia of today is due to Clinton withdrawing after the first touch of heat. My only criticism-the pictures and maps are in different places in the book. When this is printed in paperback I would hope that all the maps are in the front and all the pictures in the middle.
Rating:
Summary: Great Book. Read it.
Review: The most compelling thing about this book is that Bowden tells the stories of the men who were there on both sides, so the book reads like a novel rather than a collection of facts. Gripping Reading.
Rating:
Summary: Gave my recollection a 3D quality
Review: Great book. All I remember from the news media back then was how Amercian soldiers encircled their falling comrades until rescue could be affected. This account gives names and faces to those who fought and died there. It shows what combat is all about. How even among the best, mistakes can be made and how despite these failings they fight on. I'd like to thank Mark Bowden for risking his life to get this story told; to honor the men there and to share their story with America. The only "flaw" is that you will probaly have to read the book twice to fully understand the combat sequences as a whole, but this is due mainly to the confusion of combat itself then with the writing.
Rating:
Summary: Best book I've read in a while....
Review: Must have for any military buff. Bowden tells a riveting story, but also allows you to make you own judgements about what happended.
Rating:
Summary: Gripping, fascinating and detailed account of the battle
Review: Bowden combines a strong narrative style with the remarkable and dreadful facts. This creates an account of the incident which overall is as gripping as any fiction. While reading the account, the reader cannot but imagine the individuals involved on the ground as fully-grown, grizzy, modern day warriors. But after finishing the book, the reader will gaze at the pictures, matching some of the faces to those in the account who died or were badly injured. It hits the reader then: they were just boys.
Rating:
Summary: A harrowing account of combat
Review: Only "The Triumph and the Glory" can rival "Blackhawk Down" for emotional impact and intensity. This brilliant account of our misguided peacekeeping mission in Mogadishu, Somalia is must-reading for anyone who is concerned about the developing role of our military as global peacekeepers.
Rating:
Summary: Truly becomes all-consuming!
Review: As an avid reader of military history, I was taken aback by this incredibly riviting book. This single book kept me reading through two days of travel through a number of airports. I really could not put it down. I found myself feeling for and praying for those soldiers.
Rating:
Summary: One of the best military books I"ve read in a long time
Review: Full of action and detail, this book is honestly one that you can't put down. I know that sounds cliche, but I do not read many books for pleasure, and this one had me from start to finish. Perfect for the person who enjoys military novels that read like fiction, but are non-fiction. Excellent book!
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