Rating: 
Summary: What They Do, Why They Do It
Review: From the dozen Hellfires launched on a mud house where the clan elders are gathered for a meeting to the terrible violence unleashed on the angry citizens of an abused city by a panicking group of US soldiers, this book doesn't paint a rosy picture of the US military machine.Maybe the quesion posed by the last reviewer of What They Do, Why They Do It is best answered by the book itself:
1. kill people,
2. They don't even know.
Rating: 
Summary: This is the best book I've ever read!
Review: This book had me laughing on one page than crying on the next. It had me stand up salute the flag and cry "God Bless America" and than a few pages later wonder what in the world we were doing there in the first place. This book is quite possibly my favorite book of all time. For the true story of the Battle of Mogadishu (The Day of the Rangers) and Operation Restore Hope this is it. I think Mark Bowden does a good job of stating the facts and not placing the blame on former president Bill Clinton. (Hey I might hate the guy but Somalia really wasn't his fault.) I've recommended this book to all my friends and two of them also think it to be a great book. One thing that stands out is the difference in training, attitude, and ability between the Mountain Division troops, the Rangers, and Delta Force and other Commandoes. The vastly superior quality of Commando units, such as the D-boys, SEALs, and Paramedics was clearly evident. Still the rangers did very well considering they were made up of a lot of 19-21 year olds.
Rating:
Summary: Great storytelling of chaotic and desperate situations
Review: Mark Bowden deserves lots of praise for writing this book because if he hadn't, this would be another untold chapter of American heroism. Never mind the objectives of the American government or the means they used to find Aidid, these Delta and Ranger soldiers risked their lives for America. Bowden jumps from the situation of one soldier to another constantly while never leaving the big picture throughout the story. Reading this book was like watching an action movie - the intensity really came across. I would have liked to learn more from Bowden about the question of U.S.'s presence in Somalia, but that belongs in another book discussing their international role.
Rating:
Summary: Black Hawk Down: A story of Modern War
Review: Do you like REAL MILITARY books that tell the truth about what really happened? Then you should read BLACK HAWK DOWN. There is so much information and it's all accurate. The book is so graphic and loaded with details. ... Mark Bowden recognizes the Battle of the Black Sea which is the most forgotten battle by most Americans. He honors the American soldiers who lost their lives on that tragic Octyober day in Somalia. About 100 American soldiers were dropped in to the heart of Mogadishu, Somalia in order to take out two top Lieutenants of a Somali warlord, Mohamed Adid and to return to base on a Sunday afternoon while driving on the beach. The mission was supposed to take a hour. Instead they were pinned down into the city fighting thousands of heavily armed Somalis all day and night. On the following morning, 18 American soliders were dead, with four Black Hawk Helicopters down. This is a once in a life time book that is truly extraorgdinary and amazing !...
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Summary: The Greatest War Documentary Published
Review: I am fascinated with the events of Black Hawk Down in 1993 and studying them. This book gives all the information needed! At only 14, I am not a huge fan of war novels, but this one is special. Unlike most war novels, which tend to be too "technical", this novel actually lets you feel a sense of compassion for the characters. Other war books commonly can't do that. The book, I think, is very interesting. Not only does it give you complete analysis, but I feel like I am a person there, even more so than I did when watching the film. Mark Bowden keeps the premise simple to understand, which makes it easier and more engaging for people to read and follow. The descriptions are insightful and vivid, and the feelings of the characters are comprehensively described in the book. I would recommend this to anyone who has an interest in the Black Hawk Down incident.
Rating:
Summary: What They Do, Why They Do It
Review: Great job by a non-military guy, Mark Bowden. Blackhawk Down follows our good and noble volunteer armed forces putting their lives on the line in a hellhole called Mogadishu, Somalia. America was nobly trying to help starving people and weed out terrorist factions that were quietly and cunningly supplied by Saddam Hussein, the tyrant of Baghdad. I think every American should read Mark Bowden's Blackhawk Down, a true story of soldiers that tells you what they do. When I finished reading Blackhawk Down, I wanted to find out about our young men and women and why they become and remain soldiers. To understand why they do it, I went on to read Norman Thomas Remick's West Point: Character Leadership Education... which explains the philosophical foundations of what those young men and women feel, why they do it.
Rating:
Summary: Incredible, intense, a fantastic read!!!
Review: I avoided reading this book for a while, because I thought it would be a depressing account of one of America's largest military and political failures since Vietnam. I was wrong. This book was incredible from page one. Bowden's prose is riveting, even when describing the political conditions which precipitated the events in Mogadishu. I could not put it down; the drama that unfolded on those pages was incredible, from the first signs that things were going badly, to the final run to the soccer stadium and salvation. The chaos that took place--in spite of high-tech command and control--was conveyed with riveting detail. What I got from this book was a sense of pride in the men who were in the air and on the ground and a real understanding of why soldiers despise politicians. I'd seen several documentaries about the battle of Mogadishu, and knew what to expect through most of the book, but it never failed to keep my attention. Amazing.
Rating: 
Summary: Interesting Read, But...
Review: I read this book after watching the movie, and discovered how much the movie didn't cover. The most pointed incident was when U.S. gunships killed about 54 Somali leaders (estimates vary) in Operation Michigan several months before the ill-fated raid when they were meeting in what was described by some as a massacre. This episode didn't make it into the movie. Overall, the author did a very good job. He was able to painstakingly obtain viewpoints of many participants, including some from the Somali side. I would have liked to see him expand on the Somali viewpoints, because they were too short and incomplete. The book was long enough for the author to do that. However, the author erred by agreeing with many of the Rangers and Delta operatives that the Clinton Administration did a half assed job by not providing more fire support or returning to finish the job of capturing Aidid. They seemed to forget that before the battle commenced, the Rangers and Delta were so confident of completing their mission within two hours, and without bloodshed (at least on their part), that they didn't bother to pack their night vision goggles or fill up their water canteens. As it turned out, the Rangers and Delta lost decades of experience from their ranks courtesy of their 18-19 KIA. Moral: even if you're good, and the Rangers and Delta were among the best soldiers in any nation's ranks, don't act cocky and then turn around and blame others for your failures. Mogadishu was no American victory, not even a Pyrrhic one (as claimed by the author). It was an example of what happens when your intended beneficiaries don't see you as the benefactor. Somalia's famine was subsiding, and Aidid wasn't the only one responsible for the starvation and civil war. Moreover, as a result of Operation Michigan, even rival clans showed up to battle the Americans during the raid. That's another thing that didn't make it into the movie.
Rating:
Summary: Wish I could give it 10 stars
Review: What can I say that has not been said. Simply one of the best books about combat I have ever read!
Rating:
Summary: Excellent narrative, even-handed, great read
Review: Black Hawk Down, the absorbing story of the worst firefight for American forces since VietNam, is worth a look. It's a great, engaging read. In 1993, US soldiers, enforcing UN mandates, sought to remove Somali warlord Aidid to aid relief efforts and establish a more democratic government. One autumn day, a Special Forces raid to seize two of Aidid's lieutenants ended with 18 U.S. soldiers and hundreds of Somali's dead. Mark Bowden examines the various things that went wrong, and avoids blaming the obvious suspects (the commanding general, the Secretary of Defense, the President). Indeed, as Bowden presents it, if the men who fought there had regrets about command, it was not that the casualty-ridden raid was ordered. Rather, it's that the policy that it served was abruptly changed immediately after, making the success of the mission moot. Bowden has a nice style, very straight but very readable. He's not interesting in larger political points but seeks to tell a story and let the world know the bravery of some hundred-odd American soldiers. He's got a great way with detail, weaving it into his stories without overwhelming them. I'm looking forward to whatever topic he grabs next.
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