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Summary: Detailed Account of a Tragic Battle
Review: Mark Bowden has done the military a great service by writing this book about the desperate battle fought in Somalia back in the early 1990s. He provides today's military leadership with a detailed account of this tragic battle so that we can applaud those who fought so bravely in it, and hopefully avoid the mistakes that were made. Many of these mistakes could have been avoided, and unfortunately cost US soldiers their lives. The most compelling reason to read this book, is the accurate and balanced approach that the author takes. He is not in the military, and does not have a specific agenda for writing this book. Instead, he aims to tell the story of what went wrong, how the participants reacted (what decisions were made, why, and what effects did they have on the battle), and why this battle was lost, despite the bravery of those involved. It is a sad part of US military history, but one worth telling generations to come. For this book, Mr. Bowden spent a few years on interviews, went to the battlefield, and completed extensive research, in order to put all the pieces of the battle together. The amount of research and documentation he completed for this book is impressive. The fact that he spoke with many Somalia participants adds a realistic dimension to this story. Not only do you get a feeling for what happened from the US perspective, but you also gain an understanding of the battle through the eyes of the Somalie people, as they experienced it. The one complaint I have about the book (and reason I did not give it five stars) is that it is not very well written. The action is gripping, and vivid, but the author's style is a bit simplistic for my taste. Having said that, it is still an excellent read. I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in modern military history. Any current members of the US Army should take the time to read this book, and draw out the lessons learned in order to make sure that these kinds of mistakes are not made again.
Rating: 
Summary: DON'T START THIS BOOK ON VACATION
Review: My wife and I took a short vacation and I packed this book in our luggage. Big mistake. My head was buried in this book so deep, it would've taken a major earth mover to dig it out. Some people criticize Bowden's writing style, but I think it's perfect for this book. He tells the story like it is. He tells it and YOU FEEL IT. I finished the book in 48 hours. (And probably would've finished sooner if not for the dark looks coming from my wife's general direction.) I told a couple of buddies about the book and they polished it off in a single reading. It's that good. God bless the guys who go out there and do what they do. Let's hope the film does the book and the soldiers justice.
Rating:
Summary: This is the real thing
Review: The author does a great job at showing both sides of the story. Although this is about our boys in green the author mixes in images from the simple town folk who lived through this ordeal. He also goes into the mistakes that were made by the Americans that lead to the disaster. It is a great story and I am hoping is going to be a great movie. If you like play-by-play stories of battles this is a great book.
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Summary: Simply Outstanding!
Review: I think that the book is simply outstanding and could hardly put it down once I got started. The writing of the combat scenes and especially the information the author provided on the background of the many of the Rangers reminded me of the men that I served with and thus made them vividly real for me. As I read about each of these men, I found myself looking toward the end of the book and hoping that this guy or that guy made it. I highly recommend this book.
Rating:
Summary: Fascinating
Review: From his amusing detail of 'hangar' life to the morbid detail of decapitated 'Skinnies' (nickname for Somalis) and disfigured Rangers, Mark describes the harrowing account of Task Force Ranger's ill-fated mission to capture Aidid's lieutenants. What was initially thought of as a cakewalk 1 hour at most mission rapidly turned into a 17+ hours of life and death struggles for the 4-chalks, D-boys and Blackhawk pilots. How could a group of elite forces from the most powerful military nation in the world with the most sophisticated weaponry known to man be completely pinned down and nearly massacred by an armed band of amateur fighters ? What went wrong ? Could the massacre have been prevented ? Mark does a very nice job of describing the simultaneous events and actions in a serial medium such as a book. He interleaves facts, tidbits of information for you to catch your breath between the gun fights and combat description so that as fast pace as the fire fights were, the reader does not feel lost in all the actions. It would have been more informative had there been more maps or more detailed maps or pictures of the location. All in all, I couldn't put the book down after I started reading it. Great, great read. You'll be thoroughly 'entertained' (if there's such a thing about war reporting) and 'educated' (about our military commanders, elite soldiers and our foreign policy toward Somalia at that time) in my opinion. Mark tells the untold story that must be told.
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Summary: One of Best War Stories Ever
Review: I've read hundreds, and this is riveting. You feel the fear and anxiety as this story plays out. It is a story of error and confusion, but also of incredible bravery, sacrifice and brotherhood. I did not want the story to end, but for the sake of those who survived, I'm glad it did. I wish there was some way to personally thank all of those involved for the sacrifice they made in the name of our country. (whatever their original motivation for joining the armed forces)This is the American soldier at his best. I would highly recommend it! Let's hope the movie does the truth justice.
Rating:
Summary: An excellent retelling of complicated events!!!
Review: Being a military enthusiast I thoroughly enjoyed this book from cover to cover, I especially enjoyed how Bowden included the reactions and perspectives of the Somalis. This book is definitely a "must have" for anyone that has interest in the Military and more specifically Special Forces.
Rating:
Summary: At once sobering and inspiring
Review: A superb read, as close to actual combat as the armchair warrior will ever get. It's inspiring to know that our military has the smarts to embrace this book as a primer for many of our soldiers. (Bowden himself half expected criticism and rejection.) Probably it has assisted in our very effective military approach in Afghanistan. Also very welcome is Bowden's lone attempt to explain the firefight from the Somali point of view--if for no other reason than it's just dumb not to put yourself in the shoes of the enemy.
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Summary: Bravery at it's best
Review: Never will another story of bravery and selfless acts stir me as this one did. Reading the back cover, I was a little skeptical and boy was I in for a surprise. This book, "Black Hawk Down" conveys the meaning of being proud to be an American. The book tells the chilling account of the United States presence in the unstable region of Somali. On October 3, 1993, U.S. soldiers are sent into the city of Mogadishu to continue an ongoing mission to rid the area of evil warlords. The mission goes awry and instead of spending an hour in the city, they suffer severe casualties and are forced to spend a "long and terrible night." "Black Hawk Down" relives the awful tragedy that went on during these days. In my opinion, this book is incredible. Mark Bowden gives an excellent and indepth look into the lives of the soldiers and this horrific incident. Not only is this an excellent story, it illustrates true human emotion that could only be observed upon experiencing the actual events. I could feel the realism with every turn of the page. I suggest this book to everyone for it's message and educational background.
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Summary: A Look At the Way We Go To War
Review: It made me extremely uncomfortable to read about inabilities to fight in the modern age. Mr. Bowden does a tremendous job of bringing each of the soliders to life in this book. As each solider is introduced and then cut down by enemy fire my heart fell into my gut. Mr. Bowden does a terrific job of presenting all sides of the story. I expected this book to be very technical but it was a very easy read. This is a tragic story that I hope we, as a country, have learned from.
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