Rating: 
Summary: Exhausting, informative, thorough, demanding.
Review: I read a fair amount of historical non-fiction and was taught throughout high school to think critically when reading. Check sources, check author's tone, point of the writing, points of view being used, context, and so forth. Apparently Mark Bowden, the author, comes from the same school of thought. He writes a thorough and genuine account of a sadly-ignored incident in US history.I can recall the newspaper accounts of the time, wondering what we were doing there and why, after taking such incredible beatings, we were leaving. Rather than do the research to find out why, Mr. Bowden has compiled this book, which rightfully deserves its place on any historian's bookshelf. Bowden's accounting of the events and context are flawless. His research is uncommonly thorough, and given the opportunity to write the first really comprehensive accounting of the events, he makes the most of it. His attention to detail, his recreation of the timeline, and his notes are worthy of emulation by future students of history. All that is nothing without good writing, and Bowden keeps a reader locked into the story. As hard as some of it is to read because of the imagery and concomitant emotional responses, Bowden leads you through the battles at ground level, at eye level from helicopter platforms, at screen level from command centers. At the end of the book one wonders how you survive the reading; how much worse to have been there in it? I was exhausted mentally, and therein lies the demanding aspect of the book. So much goes on, so many players become involved, that a cheet sheet and glossary of some terms would've helped immensely. Even a cast of characters would've been of some utility, but eventually, I just bore down and focused. Some questions were answered in the notes, others reveal their answers upon later reflection. In all, I daresay adding my review to the nearly 400 others won't make someone any more inclined to buy a 5-star book if they've ignored the other 399 reviewers, but this is my review and I'm sticking to it.
Rating:
Summary: SIMPLY AMAZING
Review: Wow. Black Hawk Down was a great book! Couldnt put it down!
Rating:
Summary: Unbelievable and awesome
Review: Wow! This account of the battle is amazing. If you've seen the movie, you've got to read this book. If you haven't seen the movie, you've got to read this book. If you don't know anything about this courageous and heart-stopping battle, then you are missing out and definitely must read this book. It tells the story of brotherhood, honor and courage. You will not put this one down for a while and you will certainly not forget this story for a long time. A must read now during this time when American troops are abroad in conflict.
Rating:
Summary: A testament to our men in harms way
Review: Black Hawk Down is simply an amazing read. It's easy to see why it became a movie: studio reads gripping novel and instantly recognizes that this story is must bound for the big screen. I read the book prior to seeing the movie; I didn't want to be biased against the book having been "visually influenced." From all that is presented to the reader, it appears that Mark Bowden has done a fantastic job piecing together what had to be a difficult story to write about. Bowden was granted an unbelievable opportunity to get first hand information from the people involved in the ill-fated mission. His access to Delta Force operators, Rangers, Somali citizens and clan fighters leaves very little unturned. He also reports that he had access to communication tapes and videos from the actual event. All of this material adds to an already gripping story of men who paid the full price for their chosen vocation. In the post-September 11th world, this story is one that doesn't play to the emotions as a ruse to rope in readership. Bowden plays all sides equally; I didn't finish this book feeling ill-will toward Somalia, but rather, felt for the loss of our men, Somalia's people and the world that such military events are necessary and needed. Bowden's narrative flashes between several of the groups; at times it is almost overwhelming, but he does a good job of conveying the scope of over 140 men descending on this city. The pacing is tight and the storyline taut with apprehension and fear. Even though I already knew the outcome of the totality of events, reading it in such detail gave me a greater respect for many of these men who choose harms way for their careers. Lastly, I want to mention that I am not a huge war history/fan/buff. Other than Band Of Brothers, I can't say I have read a military themed book in years. In spite of this, it is a testament to Bowden that he is such a capable writer as to make the story compelling and interesting to readers outside of the core of that genre. I have had no problems recommending this book to many of my friends, as I do now to anyone reading this review. You will not be disappointed.
Rating: 
Summary: Black Hawk Down
Review: Before I started to read this book, i took some ideas in my head about what good literature is to me. I came upon some good themes that I would like to elaborate upon. One major theme that I came upon was how intense the book was. I love reading intense books becuase they keep me occupied and they give me a good visual aid. Mark, the author, was a very good descriptive writer that kept the reader hooked. I realized he was a good author because I kept a mental picture in my head throughout the whole book which helped me to better understand it. I always had problems reading a book if I couldn't form an image to it, but for this story, I could easily develop a picture. The main conflict was about the Delta Force's mission to transport the other men in and out fo the city and safetly.
One way that the authour delivered his message was through the main plot when the Delta Force entered the city under heavy fire. I think that his main message to the reader was the act of heroism and how it affected everyone else, in a good way. It began when the main character was under heavy fire at nght and he had to throw a flash bulb on top of the roof to show the helicopter where teh enemy was so they could take them down. The intensity of the guy and his actions were very exciting. I could jsut imagine him in the nightime, running under heavy fire, bullets flying in the air, inches from his whole body and then he grabs the falash bulb, pulls the pin and throws it.
The story was very good, and descriptive and I recommend it to anyone who likes intense, action pack books. It had all elements of great literature.
Rating:
Summary: Outstanding... an unparalleled look at modern war
Review: The movie pales in comparison. Mark Bowden puts you on the streets of Mogadishu during the most harrowing battle American soldiers have fought since the Gulf War.
Rating:
Summary: Great and Exciting read
Review: I loved this book from the very first page. Plenty of action
and not so much a history book. I showed it to my friends and
it seems the whole school is reading it. Now if a 12 year old
likes it it must be great.
Rating:
Summary: A Touch of Reality
Review: This is one book you can't put down. Its much better than the movie and the movie had you sitting on the edge of your seat. You almost feel like you are with the D-boys and the Rangers on the streets of "The Mog." The writing paints such a graphic picture of the events that you literally writhe in pain every time one of the soldiers gets wounded. You come away wondering though what they were doing in Somalia in the first place. The humanitarian food drive was over. The UN peacekeeppers were in place and our boys were sent on a mission that lacked good intel, support from the upper brass and the lack of desire in Washington to really make changes. In short nearly 20 lives were wasted and 98 were changed forever. One thing is for sure...we didn't learn from our mistakes...and our mistakes gave rise to the forces that brought down the Towers on 9/11. This is a great book. I just ordered "Killing Pablo," also written by Mark Bowden.
Rating:
Summary: The book is better than the film!
Review: I saw the film, and thought that as far as character development went it was lacking, but the bulk of the film that was concerned with the battle was brilliant. So I was fascinated to find out that the film was based on a book.
Mark Bowden has written Black Hawk Down in a very energetic style, so it reads like a fast paced novel, rather than a dry documentary of battle. The book is divided into 5 sections, and each section contains about 20 small chapters each. Each chapter is written from a different perspective, from one individual soldier, to a group of Rangers pinned down under fire, to young somali militia men fighting the americans. All the perspectives have been gathered from records of radio transmissions, witness statements, and video shot of the battle from helicopters. Because the book shows the perspectives of different people, and because the book is objectively written, it is possible to convey the motivations and actions of all involved, in a way that the film couldn't.
The film tends to portray the Somalis as a faceless mob, without analysing how they could be so enraged with the americans that they would drag the corpses of dead soldiers through the streets. The book goes into more detail about the tactical skill of the Somalis, and one can understand how the general population could be whipped up into such a lethal frenzy.
All in all, this book is excellent. I would recommend it to anyone who has seen the film, and to anyone who has even a moderate interest in either American foreign policy, how modern urban warfare operates, or understanding why america could become an object of hatred to so many people when their original mission in Somalia was a humanitarian one. This book does not give easy solutions but shows how complicated things can become. As the saying goes, the road to hell is paved with good intentions.
Rating:
Summary: AWESOME
Review: I read this book when it first came out, great book and great movie. A must book and movie to check out!
|
