Rating: 
Summary: The Real Deal
Review: Christopher Whitcomb is a real writer! A cannot put it down book. Growing up in New Hampshire, and having close family ties especially with "Uncle Mike" makes this book very personal and real. Rosie's support and the dedication to the "Team" is real emotion. The real adventures of perilous danger that are written in this book are so real that they seem to be fantasy from Mack Bolan fiction. I am sure that this is not Whitcomb's first attempt at being published. (maybe publishers should take another look)
Rating:
Summary: Great Account of a Front-Line Anti-Terrorist Organization
Review: Mr. Whitcomb gets your attention from the very first page. He recounts his early career in the F.B.I., along with an in-depth account of the F.B.I.'s Hostage Rescue Team (HRT). The HRT is not as well-known as the Navy SEALs or Army Special Forces, but it plays a vital role in our nation's security. Put this book on the shelf along with Mark Bowden's "Black Hawk Down".
Rating:
Summary: Excellent reading!!
Review: Whitcomb has done a wonderful job of giving an interesting account of his work as an agent all the way to his current position with the HRT. A wonderful mix of suspense, drama, humor, and patriotism, this book was difficult to put down once I began reading. I am interested in pursuing employment with the FBI and this book gives me a good idea of what to expect. I recommend it highly to everyone, especially those interested in working with the FBI. ON a different note, this book was reassuring in the face of the recent tragedy. It is heartwarming and reassuring to know that men like Whitcomb and his team will be there to assist in keeping our country safe. It is also comforting to know that should I receive employment with the FBI, that men trained so thoroughly will be there to keep me safe.
Rating:
Summary: Sensitive and Fascinating
Review: Christopher Whitcomb writes a nuanced real life thriller about his experiences at 'ground zero'in the FBI Hostage Rescue Team. His HRT is not a collection of automated uber-policemen, but men who are well trained, who are asked to do extraordinary things for this country, and who struggle with the impact of their actions on themselves and their families. Yes, we all remember the newspaper and CNN accounts of Ruby Ridge and Waco, Texas; Whitcomb, though, conveys a reality that is certainly not as obvious as either side would like us to believe. This may be the central point of Cold Zero: with the resources and skills of the FBI and the HRT, we must be very careful in deploying this capability where both the root causes and eventual fallout are unclear. Throughout the book it becomes clear that the scope of the HRT's responsibilities have changed greatly. Mr Whitcomb describes his role in LA during the riots, the HRT's drug interdiction missions, and most heartbreakingly, its work in Bosnia investigating war crimes while essentially re-burying its dead. His confusion and horror is viscerally obvious.
Cold Zero is such a relief from other similar books written by "warriors". He portrays himself as neither an FBI synchophant nor as a rogue agent. Here is a man with self doubt, tremendous physical confidence, and a love for his family and upbringing. If this is an example of the typical FBI man, we have great reason to feel confident of our future post 9/11/01.
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Summary: Young boy grows to honor and serve his country
Review: Do you have an All-American boy as a next door neighbor? If so, imagine him growing up to honor his country by placing his life in some of the most dangerous and intense hostage situations. Chris Whitcomb teaches us all about life, love, and the elite FBI in this engaging memoir of his life and career supporting the USA. We learn that the FBI is not perfect, yet I promse you will have a greater appreciation for all men and women who courageously protect citizens of the U.S.A., each and every day. Whitcomb hits his target with humor and heart. This is a great book and a great gift for all your patriotic friends
Rating:
Summary: Cold Zero
Review: An excellent journey into the life and mind of a devoted federal agent. It is not the type of writing, nor stories, you would expect from a trained warrior. I highly recommend this book and can't wait to hear more form this new talent.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Book...
Review: this is a book you won't be able to put down. It allows us into the mind and action of one of America's elite forces determined to protect this Nation. In light of the events of the past week, this team will most likely be called on to help protect and preserve freedom for all of us. Thank God for their dedication to this Country.
Rating:
Summary: First-Hand Account of FBI HRT Fascinating
Review: How eerie to read a book describing a first-hand FBI account of domestic terrorism in the midst of the recent international terrorist attack on the United States. Christopher Whitcomb's "Cold Zero" fascinated and intrigued me. His vivid descriptions of being a member of the HRT at Ruby Ridge and Waco lent a compassionate, at times empathetic voice to the FBI. I wonder what Mr. Whitcomb is thinking about the 9,11 assault on the US.
Rating:
Summary: Well Written Inside Glimpse
Review: Christopher Whitcomb gives readers a rare look inside both the FBI and the highly elite FBI Hostage Rescue Team. I loved this book because it had all the action and intrigue of a Tom Clancy novel, but was written in the first person by someone who actually lived those stories.Whitcomb does a tremendous job of conveying his thoughts and emotions throughout every stage of his career: the unnerving waiting game that is the FBI application process, being the new guy learning the ropes the hard way in his first office, going through the incredibly grueling physical selection process for the HRT, giving a behind-the-scenes account for such cases as Ruby Ridge and Waco, and finally detailing his current position as director for Strategic Information for the FBI's Critical Incident Response Group. Besides just the action and adventure, Whitcomb describes with literary savvy his childhood, his supportive and loving family, and the type of friendship that is born only in situations that the team members of the HRT find themselves in. He allows us into his emotions and thoughts; and we can see that there is much more in him than just an FBI "yes-man"-- he stuggles at times with the decisions that are handed down to the street agents and the HRT members from the bureaucratic ladder climbers. Overall, this is a thrilling read that will be thoroughly enjoyed by a variety of people. More than anything, I was inspired by Whitcomb's ability to turn his amazing experiences into one flowing story that entertains from cover to cover.
Rating: 
Summary: Fascinating and Frightening
Review: Whitcomb has written a fascinating account of the HRT and a successful career in the FBI. It appeals at two levels: it is a revealing account of a career in a government agency that most of us are interested in yet know little about; on a deeper level, it is a cautionary tale to civil libertarians (they will be disturbed by the accounts of government power and its unbridled response to challenges). This account of the abilities of the HRT is both reassuring (after the events of September 11th) and disturbing (didn't these law officers stop to think about the implications of their actions at Waco and Ruby Ridge?). I wished that Whitcomb had been a deeper analyst of events that he witnessed, eg didn't Whitcomb wonder why the kids in L.A. regarded him (and other paramilitary units who poured into the city with enough weaponry to invade Afganistan) as the enemy? Whitcomb unswervingly presents the party line (both as a member of the HRT "gang" who rejected all outsiders) and of the FBI where he still works (in his analysis of Ruby Ridge, he makes no mention of the fact that the U.S. goverment settled with the Weaver family for $3.1 million). His book begs the question: HRT is the biggest hammer law enforcement has, but what are the safeguards to prevent it being the first tool reached for rather than the last resort?
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