Rating: 
Summary: FOUR STAR BOOK!!!
Review: The only book I've read willingly, since high school, COVER to COVER. I was surprised how ensnared I was while reading the SAMPLE PAGES here at amazon.com. The SAMPLE PAGES start off with the author, Charlie Beckwith, a young United States' Green Beret, on the shores of Great Britain, and follows his shell-shocked induction into the unorthodox echelon of its elite military special forces, known as the SAS. The book itself, begins with the author, a mature colonel commander of an already established elite Army shadow-unit, known as Delta Force, on route with generals to brief (then) president Jimmy Carter on the fragile hostage crisis escalating critically out of control in Tehran, than fades to his early years as a young special forces exchange soldier with the British SAS --a place were most of his unconventional views would be shaped-- and how it all lead up to that very critical junction in history. We follow him from his training with the SAS, through his growing pains as a young green beret soldier in Vietnam, to his underdog fight with the U.S. military bureaucracy in the hopes of establishing a "SAS-capable" unit, able of fill the "gaping holes" now evident in the U.S. special forces. Through trial and error Charlie painfully learns the ins-and-outs of a rigid Army bureaucracy, bent on protecting its traditions, and money, in the face of it's obvious flaws. Charlie Beckwith may have not expected all the walls he would have to overcome when going against the Army convention, and often thought of giving up; when commanders threw his recommendation papers in his face. But, eventually, an emotional Charlie, and his perseverance, paid off. With the bloody dawning of a terrorism movement now escalating throughout the world, and no means of combating it with traditional military means, and fear now gripping the Carter administration, Charlie Beckwith, after years of battling the system, is commissioned to create his unique Delta unit, in the hopes of freeing American hostages trapped inside the U.S. embassy of Tehran. Delta Force was finally born. But It's ultimate test would now come in the form of an impossible mission, across the perilous deserts of Iran, into the capital city of Tehran, and fight it's way out of the city -- to bring home the American hostages and restore public faith in the Carter administration.
Rating: 
Summary: Delta Force - An interesting read by its creator
Review: This book covers the creation of Delta Force from the perspective of Col. Charlie Beckwith, who recognized the United States' need for an elite antiterrorist unit based on his experiences working with the British SAS and in Vietnam. Both military and political aspects of the Delta Force's creation are addressed and covered with a focus on the Iran Hostage Crisis. I found the book an easy and enjoyable read. Those mainly seeking fast-paced action may find it dry, but it tells a very interesting story. As nonfiction/military history, I gave it 5 stars. It was published in 1983, and I was left wishing it covered through the early 1990s.
Rating:
Summary: Historically informative
Review: This book is Col. Charlie Beckwith's account of the formation of the Army's elite counter-terrorist unit, the Delta Force. Do not read this book to gain much of an understanding of how the unit exists today. I doubt there is such a book, since Delta operates under the strictest secrecy.
Nevertheless, Delta Force is an interesting account of one man's struggle to bring his idea to fruition in the midst of gigantic army bureaucracy and red tape.
Col. Beckwith also discusses his experiences serving with British SAS units, whom he held in the highest regard. He also talks about his years in Vietnam. These accounts are really interesting. The rest of the book deals with Operation Eagle Claw, the ambitious attempt to rescue Americans held hostage in Iran during 1979. After reading Col. Beckwith's account, I made a special trip to Arlington cemetary to pay tribute to the 8 Americans killed in that heroic, but unsuccessful effort.
After September 11th, we as Americans owe much of our safety and security to the heroes in Delta. That alone is a good reason to read this book.
Rating: 
Summary: Good book, but they muck up a lot don't they?
Review: This book is reasonably well written and details about the US Special Forces unit Delta Force. Overall it is a good account, but I have to say, having read many accounts of the SAS (Bravo Two Zero, Eye of the Storm...) they sound to be the better group of soldiers. Delta Force seem to muck up... a lot........
Rating:
Summary: Informative and engaging
Review: This book was very difficult to put down once I started reading it. Beckwith has a way with words that makes it seem like he's sitting next to you telling you a story. While reading the book, I felt like I knew Charlie Beckwith and his way of thinking--that's how much personality he put into this book. 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment--Delta (SFOD-D) is the military's formal name for Delta Force. Delta is perhaps America's foremost elite counterterrorist unit along with the FBI's Hostage Rescue Team (HRT) and Navy SEAL Team Six. Beckwith created Delta Force after spending a year with the British Special Air Service (SAS) and seeing how the US had a void that a unit like the SAS could fill. Thus, Delta was formed with the SAS in mind. A word of caution to people who are considering reading this book. The book tells of how Delta Force was formed...from its beginnings as a US version of the British SAS to its failed first mission freeing the hostages in the Iran. If you're looking for something on what Delta Force currently does and how its operators are currently trained or selected, this isn't the book for you. Beckwith tells us how the first Delta operators were trained and selected, but that selection process has probably changed some by now. This book is more a detailed history on the formation of the Delta Force, and not a book on its current engagements and operations (which are most likely classified anyway). I HIGHLY recommend this book.
Rating:
Summary: Informative and engaging
Review: This book was very difficult to put down once I started reading it. Beckwith has a way with words that makes it seem like he's sitting next to you telling you a story. While reading the book, I felt like I knew Charlie Beckwith and his way of thinking--that's how much personality he put into this book. 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment--Delta (SFOD-D) is the military's formal name for Delta Force. Delta is perhaps America's foremost elite counterterrorist unit along with the FBI's Hostage Rescue Team (HRT) and Navy SEAL Team Six. Beckwith created Delta Force after spending a year with the British Special Air Service (SAS) and seeing how the US had a void that a unit like the SAS could fill. Thus, Delta was formed with the SAS in mind. A word of caution to people who are considering reading this book. The book tells of how Delta Force was formed...from its beginnings as a US version of the British SAS to its failed first mission freeing the hostages in the Iran. If you're looking for something on what Delta Force currently does and how its operators are currently trained or selected, this isn't the book for you. Beckwith tells us how the first Delta operators were trained and selected, but that selection process has probably changed some by now. This book is more a detailed history on the formation of the Delta Force, and not a book on its current engagements and operations (which are most likely classified anyway). I HIGHLY recommend this book.
Rating:
Summary: Good Book!!
Review: This is a good book!! The author gives you a feel for the pain he went through getting Delta Force started. The book had some interesting parts in it. I liked the part when they were planning the Iran hostage rescue. A reminder that this not an action book, but a book about a part of US military history.
Rating:
Summary: Good Book!!
Review: This is a good book!! The author gives you a feel for the pain he went through getting Delta Force started. The book had some interesting parts in it. I liked the part when they were planning the Iran hostage rescue. A reminder that this not an action book, but a book about a part of US military history.
Rating:
Summary: A very interesting book.
Review: This is a very interesting book on a topic there is very little information about. I personally feel that very few information should be reveiled on this subject, because the success that comes with combat situations nowadays is all about secrecy,the element of surprise,(most SF is like that)what can the United States do and what can we do better, that was shown with the chinese and the headache they have trying to figure out our spy plane, people can argue that back and forth for a long time but the point is this is a good interesting book from a good man and a great soldier, Col. Beckwith. In any case anyone looking for an insiders view on this, um closed bunch, than this book is your source.
Rating:
Summary: America's Elite Counter-Terrorist Unit
Review: This was a fascinating book covering a fascinating topic. The creation of "Delta Force" is a topic that should interest all military history buffs. Col Beckwith gives a blow by blow account of the obstacles endured in creating Delta. He sometimes drowns you in the day to day bureacratic fight but the reader gets an appreciation for the difficulties he faced. Col Beckwith gives an excellent narrative of the fiasco at "Desert One" in 1980 while attempting to save the American hostages in Iran. It was a difficult time for all Americans and most would not wish to be reminded, but lessons are to be learned. And in order to learn those lessons Col Beckwith takes us back to that night in the desert. Overall a very informative read.
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