Black Hawk Down A Story of Modern War Author:Mark Bowden Ninety-nine elite American soldiers are trapped in the middle of a hostile city. As night falls, they are surrounded by thousands of enemy gunmen. Their wounded are bleeding to death. Their ammunition and supplies are dwindling. This is the story of how they got there -- and how they fought their way out. This is the story of war. Black Haw... more »k Down drops you into a crowded marketplace in the heart of Mogadishu, Somalia with the U.S. Special Forces and puts you in the middle of the most intense firelight American soldiers have fought since the Vietnam war. Late in the afternoon of Sunday, October 3, 1993, the soldiers of Task Form Ranger was send on a mission to capture two top lieutenants of a renegade warlord and return to base. It was supposed to take them about an hour. Instead, they were pinned down through a long and terrible night, locked in a desperate struggle to kill or be killed. When the unit was finally rescued the following morning, eighteen American soldiers were dead and dozens more badly injured. The Somali toll was far worse; more than five hundred felled and over a thousand wounded. Award-winning literary journalist Mark Bowden's dramatic narrative captures this harrowing ordeal through the eyes of the young men who fought that day. He draws on his extensive interviews of participants from both sides -- as well as classified combat video and radio transcripts -- to bring their stories to life. Authoritative, gripping, and insightful, Black Hawk Down is a riveting look at the terror and exhilaration of combat destined to become a classic of war reporting.« less
This is one of the best books that I have ever read. It is so detailed, that when you read it, you see everything very clearly in your mind. You feel the emotions that these soldiers feel. It's also interesting from a civilians standpoint just what our military goes through and experiences. Very good read.
If you are interested in modern military books, try 'Blind Man's Bluff'. It's about modern day submarine espionage. Sorry, can't remember the author.
An extremely good book but very sad. If you want to learn about Somalia and Mogadishu and what happened on that dreadful day, this is the book for you. If you want to learn about Rangers and Delta Force in the heat of battle, this is the book.
From Our Editors
Mark Bowden gives the reader an intense "You Are There" look at the October 1993 attempt by a U.S. Special Forces team to abduct two top lieutenants of a Somali warlord in Mogadishu, Somalia -- and shows how the mission turned into a bloodbath that would cost the lives of 18 American soldiers. Ultimately, the incident would lead to the infamous video footage of a soldier's body being dragged through the streets of Mogadishu. Bowden is careful to present both sides of the conflict, giving the reader all the information they need to fully understand the day's tragic events.
Annotation
1999 National Book Award nominee for Nonfiction.
From the Publisher
Black Hawk Down is Mark Bowden's account of the longest sustained firefight involving American troops since the Vietnam War. On October 3, 1993, about a hundred elite U.S. soldiers were dropped by helicopters into the teeming market in the heart of Mogadishu, Somalia. Their mission was to abduct two top lieutenants of a Somali warlord and return to base. It was supposed to take an hour. Instead they found themselves pinned down through a long and terrible night fighting against thousands of heavily armed Somalis. The following morning, eighteen Americans were dead and more than seventy badly injured.
Synopsis
The behind-the-lines story of the U.S. Special Forces team dropped into the middle of Mogadishu, Somalia, in 1993 and the intense firefight for their lives they went through. A true-to-life thriller that gives the political story of what U.S. troops were doing there in the first place and the military details of what the streetfighting cost both sides.
From The Critics
Bob Shacochis - New York Observer
...A descendent of books like The Killer Angels, a Pulitzer Prize-winning novel about the battle of Gettysburg, and We Were Soldiers Once...and Young, a best-selling eyewitness account of the Vietnam-era battle of Ia Drang; like those two, Black Hawk Down ranks among the best books ever written about infantry combat.
This is one of the best books I have ever read; a real, moment-by-moment account of bravery and heroism under extreme circumstances. The story evokes sad emotions in me even as I write this review. The sacrifices these American soldiers made for each other were unbelievable, and they are all heroes who should never be forgotten. You won't want to put it down and you'll never forget it. Read it!
For me, an excellent read. I believe I bought this book after seeing the film and as usual, the book brought much more context to the story of men in a difficult combat situation.
