Black Hawk Down: A Story of Modern War

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  A fantastic rendering of such a grim 24-hour period in American History. Bowden did an incredible job in bringing his readers to the battle in Mogadishu with vivd imagry and realistic portraits of those men who braved hell for their country. I enjoyed being able to see in the minds of so many of the soldiers, and even the citizens of Mogadishu. From the beginning of the should-be easy battle in Bakara Market, to Durant's release, I was enthralled. I give this book a full two thumbs up. I will... (show more)

  A fantastic rendering of such a grim 24-hour period in American History. Bowden did an incredible job in bringing his readers to the battle in Mogadishu with vivd imagry and realistic portraits of those men who braved hell for their country. I enjoyed being able to see in the minds of so many of the soldiers, and even the citizens of Mogadishu. From the beginning of the should-be easy battle in Bakara Market, to Durant's release, I was enthralled. I give this book a full two thumbs up. I will definitely be purchasing this book in the future and reading it again. I refer this book to all my friends, especially those who share theinterest of our country's history, patriotism, and military operations.

  I will admit, until the movie that this book, and the dark event before that, inspired, I had never heard of the bloody, against-the-odds battle that began October 3, 1993. Now, however, I know this story, and I cherish the courage, sometimes fearful, that these brave soldiers, these men exemplified. Bravo. (show less)

   

   

  by Taylor Siobhan Perry on Jul 11, 2009 at 12:16AM

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  Black Hawk Down is an intense non-fiction expose of modern warfare at its fiercest. The events chronicled in the book is that of when American forces in Mogadishu, Somalia attempted to capture warlord Mohamed Farrah Aidid, but once the mission commenced, opposing forces in the city quickly turned the situation into an all out battle; nothing the likes any American military force had seen since the Vietnam War. The timeline of the main events in Black Hawk Down only spans a few days, but the w... (show more)

  Black Hawk Down is an intense non-fiction expose of modern warfare at its fiercest. The events chronicled in the book is that of when American forces in Mogadishu, Somalia attempted to capture warlord Mohamed Farrah Aidid, but once the mission commenced, opposing forces in the city quickly turned the situation into an all out battle; nothing the likes any American military force had seen since the Vietnam War. The timeline of the main events in Black Hawk Down only spans a few days, but the way the battle is described and fleshed out to the reader, it feels more like weeks to months. Bowden describes the violence in Black Hawk Down with precise and graphic detail, leaving nothing to the imagination, and making the soldiers' situation all the more real to us. Many American soldiers participated in the battle, however Bowden singles out a select few whose stories have unique elements: one such story being that of a helicopter pilot whose chopper is shot down in the thick of the war zone, and the pilot is subsequently taken prisoner by the Somalians. There is also a sense of claustrophobia in the midst of the fighting since the battle takes place in such tight quarters. American forces constantly have to find little nooks and crannies inside and outside of structures for protection, but it's hard to feel completely safe when the wrath of an entire city is crashing down upon them. The struggle and courage described in this book are nothing short of miraculous, and I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in modern-day warfare, or military history in general. (show less)

   

   

  by Peter Garrett on Apr 18, 2009 at 05:12AM

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