Black Hawk Down - Mark Bowden

Black Hawk Down

By Mark Bowden

  • Release Date: 2010-04-01
  • Genre: Military History
Score: 4.5
4.5
From 291 Ratings

Description

Already a classic of war reporting and now reissued as a Grove Press paperback, Black Hawk Down is Mark Bowden’s brilliant 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 helicopter 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 had been badly wounded.
Drawing on interviews from both sides, army records, audiotapes, and videos (some of the material is still classified), Bowden’s minute-by-minute narrative is one of the most exciting accounts of modern combat ever written—a riveting story that captures the heroism, courage, and brutality of battle.

Reviews

  • Best current non-fiction war book

    5
    By Calvin__S.
    Blackhawk down is by far the best book I read about the current on going war. Though it swears I still recommend it to anyone who is curious about the current military deployment. And also 1 last thing, you can get this book for about $4 at half price books (which is where I got mine).
  • Best ever book

    5
    By M16SEAL
    Best ever book , author shin light on every details
  • Awesome book!

    5
    By Brooke324
    This book was very interesting. I liked how there were all of the soldiers points of view included. The end made me tear up. Great book overall!
  • Great book

    5
    By Andrei P
    I consider this one of the best books I've read. It is simply a great book-extensive (albeit historical) character development, irony, etc-even though its nonfiction, it had all the makings of a good fictional story. It kept me interested.
  • Very good book!

    5
    By Limbaugh-lover
    This book was great, I found it very interesting and thoroughly enjoyable. This book reads well, kept me captivated the entire time, and provides very relevant insight into the complexities and problems associated with US occupation in foreign countries. It is the most comprehensive and best researched account of the Battle of Mogadishu that exists. For those who enjoy military literature of any kind, this book is a definite must read.
  • Black Hawk Down

    5
    By Dano570
    This was one of the best books I've ever read. It shows in detail what so many people fail to remember. That men, boyfriends, husbands, sons, and fathers died over there for something ridiculous, something that no one else cared about. If I knew how, I would personally thank Mark Bowden for this novel.
  • Preview didn't have one page??

    5
    By Elk123
    Downloaded a preview, and it doesn't have a single page of actual words. It's all reviews and disclaimers and stuff. Can't even get an idea of how the book is.
  • Exceptional

    5
    By TacoGrease
    In this military classic, Mark Bowden delivers the definitive story of the Battle of Mogadishu, an incident in modern military history that will be remembered for decades to come. It is a haunting portrait of modern warfare, one that still should resound just as loudly today as it did in 1993 when images of the bodies of American soldiers and airmen being dragged through the streets of "The Mog" were seen around the world. Nearly twenty years later, the lesson here rings loud and clear, one that is incredibly relevant to twenty-first century warfare and our efforts in counterinsurgency. Fluidly and eloquently, Bowden's account describes the horrors faced by the men of Task Force Ranger and their bravery in combatting overwhelming odds, and succeeding, while also making it clear how this singular event changed American post-Cold War ideals and US foreign policy. An absolute must read; liberal or conservative, Republican or Democrat, pacifist or war monger, and everything in between. For further reading: "The Battle of Mogadishu" by Matthew Eversmann (Former Ranger sergeant, one of the "chalk" leaders) "In the Company of Heroes" by Michael Durant (Former 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment - The Night Stalkers - pilot shot down and captured during the battle) "The Night Stalkers" by Mike Durant "SEAL Team Six" by Howard Wasdin (also present at the Battle of Mogadishu)