The riveting, close-up account of a 1993 firefight in Mogadishu, Somalia, Black Hawk Down is one of the most vivid and thorough reports of m...
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Jan 12, 2012
Joni
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Okay, first of all, I am not usually the person that likes "war" type books. But, I have wanted to read this book for awhile. I remember when this actually happened, but being a freshman in high school, I had bigger things going on... Throughout this book, I kept asking myself "who are these guys??" It amazes me what wonderful guys are serving my country. I had to giggle when a group of men were holed up in a shack with many of the Somalians closing in on them, blood was see
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Oct 27, 2008
Michael
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Black Hawk Down
Black Hawk Down is a nonfiction novel written by Mark Bowden. When he decided to write this book, the government wouldn’t give him any information, but when he attended one of the soldiers funerals, he found that many soldiers were glad to tell their story to someone. By compiling their memories and suffering, he wrote this amazing novel. This is the story of 100 marines against an enemy of over a million. When a simple kidnapping mission goes badly More...
Black Hawk Down is a nonfiction novel written by Mark Bowden. When he decided to write this book, the government wouldn’t give him any information, but when he attended one of the soldiers funerals, he found that many soldiers were glad to tell their story to someone. By compiling their memories and suffering, he wrote this amazing novel. This is the story of 100 marines against an enemy of over a million. When a simple kidnapping mission goes badly More...
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Nov 05, 2008
Graham
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Black Hawk Down Book Review
Black Hawk Down by Mark Bowden is about a mission gone awry. Mark Bowden was born in July 17, 1951 in St. Louis, Missouri. He graduated from Loyola College in Maryland and is a reporter for the Philadelphia Inquirer. The mission is to capture some of Mohamad Farrak Aidid’s militia’s officials in Mogadishu, Somalia. While trying to capture two prime suspects, the forces engage in fierce combat that kill many fine Rangers and Delta Force operatives.
I More...
Black Hawk Down by Mark Bowden is about a mission gone awry. Mark Bowden was born in July 17, 1951 in St. Louis, Missouri. He graduated from Loyola College in Maryland and is a reporter for the Philadelphia Inquirer. The mission is to capture some of Mohamad Farrak Aidid’s militia’s officials in Mogadishu, Somalia. While trying to capture two prime suspects, the forces engage in fierce combat that kill many fine Rangers and Delta Force operatives.
I More...
Apr 28, 2008
Jason
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In BLACK HAWK DOWN, Mark Bowden delivers a very pwerful story of the event that took place in Mogadishu Somalia, october 3rd, 1993. The United States Army was stationed in Mogadishu to help settle the Somali government problems facing food issues, as you probably know from watching the movie "Black Hawk Down." The book however sticks extremly close to the movie, but is also longer and more detailed throughout the whole story. The book also describes the view from the Somalian side as i
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Jun 14, 2007
Darren
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Black Hawk Down. This is a very good book. It was made into a movie a few years ago. Surprisingly, the movie stays quite true to the book. You certainly get to know the characters a bit better in the book. It also illustrates the Somali side of the story, which basically goes like this, “The Americans came with their super-weapons and slaughtered many of our leaders. Some of us are caught in the middle. Then one of their helicopters crashed into my house. Most of us want some payback. Let’s s
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Mar 01, 2008
Mike
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The movie is a gore-fest, but the book chronicles all the background intricacies that you can't find in a movie (of course). One highlight for me: When I finished reading the book, my son, who was in Iraq at the time, told me he had met one of the men who survived this incident. However, he also told me he met this man as he was being flown out for a cancer checkup. This man who had escaped this brutal attack had cancer two years later. After surviving that, he went on to go back into the Army a
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Nov 16, 2010
'Aussie Rick'
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This is one of those great books that you can't put down; it reads like a novel, a fast paced narrative that can sometimes make you forget that it's a true life drama where real people die. I enjoyed reading this book and it's nice to see an honest appraisal of a stuffed-up mission, which was no fault of the men on the ground.
This is a well presented account of the men of the US Army Rangers and Delta Force troops involved in a mission to capture a pair of high-ranking deputies to w More...
This is a well presented account of the men of the US Army Rangers and Delta Force troops involved in a mission to capture a pair of high-ranking deputies to w More...
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Jan 05, 2011
Brian
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10/11/02 - 8/10
Black Hawk Down was a very good look at what modern battles are like. Surprisingly, it was even more harrowing and intense than the movie. The book added details that made the excursion look even more perilous. All the background detail helped flesh out the novel a lot more than the movie and made it easier to follow what was going on and who was who (the index helped a lot too!). The writing style was very readable, but not really told as a story. It was more like reporting More...
Black Hawk Down was a very good look at what modern battles are like. Surprisingly, it was even more harrowing and intense than the movie. The book added details that made the excursion look even more perilous. All the background detail helped flesh out the novel a lot more than the movie and made it easier to follow what was going on and who was who (the index helped a lot too!). The writing style was very readable, but not really told as a story. It was more like reporting More...
Dec 26, 2008
David
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This book describes a battle in 1993 in Somalia - I remember it, as do many Americans of the time, because of the way the bodies of slain American soldiers were abused and paraded through the streets. It was a tough time for the US forces.
On October 3, about a hundred elite US soldiers were dropped by helicopter into Mogadishu with a mission of capturing two top aides of a Somali warlord. The raid was supposed to take an hour. But when two Black Hawk helicopters were shot down by the S More...
On October 3, about a hundred elite US soldiers were dropped by helicopter into Mogadishu with a mission of capturing two top aides of a Somali warlord. The raid was supposed to take an hour. But when two Black Hawk helicopters were shot down by the S More...
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Jan 25, 2012
Matt
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Helicopters crashing, RPG’s launching, men fighting to survive, all some of the many things that happen in the action packed book “Black Hawk Down” by Mark Bowden. The book is an excellent way to learn about the war while having a good time reading. All the action in the book makes it very interesting, yet the factual information is also provided by the author. The book is so real, it gets you on the edge of your seat while reading. With all this action packed information, you can obtain a lot o
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Jan 10, 2012
Jason
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“Black Hawk Down” is an absolutely wonderfully exhausting book. The sheer magnitude of the action and number of discrete narrative threads make the book an enjoyably significant investment.
Bowden provides an apt description of the experience of “Black Hawk Down”. He writes, “You could be prepared for the sights and sounds and smells of war, but the horror of it, the blood and gore and heartrending screams of pain, the sense of death perched right on your shoulder, breathing in your ea More...
Bowden provides an apt description of the experience of “Black Hawk Down”. He writes, “You could be prepared for the sights and sounds and smells of war, but the horror of it, the blood and gore and heartrending screams of pain, the sense of death perched right on your shoulder, breathing in your ea More...
Nov 12, 2011
Bob
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This book documents, in great detail, a horrific event. I'd say the book is a major feat of reporting, in the sense of original collection of details that otherwise would have been lost forever, more than likely. There are parts of the book where the author' approach of "letting the soldiers speak" allows them to share some of what it is like to suddenly be fighting for your life, seeing your buddies and people you have viewed as invincible dying or being horribly wounding, and being a
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Nov 08, 2011
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 Hawk 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 t More...
This is the story of war.
Black Hawk 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 t More...
Nov 08, 2011
Chase
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Black Hawk Down by Mark Bowden
The book Black hawk down is a nonfiction book told from the memories and thoughts of the troops and officers involved in the battle in Mogadishu. The book is told in a sequential order of the troop’s memories and thoughts. The book has five sections which are essentially the plan, O it failed lets go to plan b, plan b failed now what, help arrives, clean up. There are specific soldiers that the story follows as the event was extremely confidential More...
The book Black hawk down is a nonfiction book told from the memories and thoughts of the troops and officers involved in the battle in Mogadishu. The book is told in a sequential order of the troop’s memories and thoughts. The book has five sections which are essentially the plan, O it failed lets go to plan b, plan b failed now what, help arrives, clean up. There are specific soldiers that the story follows as the event was extremely confidential More...
Nov 06, 2011
Ryan
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A riveting hour-by-hour account of the United States' disastrous military intervention in Somalia in 1993. Over a hundred well-armed, well-trained US soldiers set out on what was to be a cut-and-dry mission, only to find themselves pinned down on the streets of Mogadishu, facing the unexpected wrath of thousands of Somali fighters. Though the mission was a disaster, leading to the much publicized videos of American dead being dragged through the streets, the army rangers skillfully and bravely f
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Sep 17, 2011
Gor
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Dear Mr. Viskanta
Black Hawk Down, by Mark Bowden. I love reading war books and this one is very descriptive and action packed, which I love. It is even more interesting because everything in the book actually happened apparently. I find it very informative on politics as well as on military tactics and strategies. It really makes the soldiers seem like heroes. It makes me almost want to go and try out for the Rangers. I really like how the book also describes the hierarchy in the spe More...
Black Hawk Down, by Mark Bowden. I love reading war books and this one is very descriptive and action packed, which I love. It is even more interesting because everything in the book actually happened apparently. I find it very informative on politics as well as on military tactics and strategies. It really makes the soldiers seem like heroes. It makes me almost want to go and try out for the Rangers. I really like how the book also describes the hierarchy in the spe More...
Jun 04, 2011
monamour
rated it:
I was not old enough really to remember the events that took place in Mogadishu, Somalia on October 3-4, 1993; but growing up surrounded by people from all branches of the military, I had quite a bit of knowledge when I began this book. Or so I thought...
This account of the events of that day takes you moment-by-moment through the soldiers fight to survive. As they find themselves cut-off, surrounded in an unfamiliar city, and outnumbered by more than 100 to 1; you will witness thei More...
This account of the events of that day takes you moment-by-moment through the soldiers fight to survive. As they find themselves cut-off, surrounded in an unfamiliar city, and outnumbered by more than 100 to 1; you will witness thei More...
May 17, 2011
Jean
rated it:
This is a magnificent book about a disastrous situation that developed in Mogadishu, Somalia, in October 1993. A force of nearly 100 American soldiers was pinned down by a huge, well-armed mob within the city after successfully capturing two rebel leaders. In the course of the action, locals managed to damage two Black Hawk helicopters sufficiently to cause them to crash within the city. Even the ground troups in Hummvees and trucks had great difficulty moving in the city; many in them were
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Jan 20, 2011
Shawn
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This is one of those where “seeing the movie is close enough” is a pretty common sentiment, and I’ll half-agree with that — the 2001 film is damned watchable, and gives a pretty fair broad-strokes view of the 1993 Battle of Mogadishu.
So if you’ve seen and enjoyed the movie, do you really need to read “Black Hawk Down?” The answer is, without reservation, yes. Yes you do.
Sure, the book is more accurate than the movie. Sure, it provides additional information the movie didn’t h More...
So if you’ve seen and enjoyed the movie, do you really need to read “Black Hawk Down?” The answer is, without reservation, yes. Yes you do.
Sure, the book is more accurate than the movie. Sure, it provides additional information the movie didn’t h More...
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Jan 11, 2011
John
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I just finished reading Black Hawk Down by Mark Bowden. It is the most gripping account of any battle I have ever read.
In 1992 a Somali warlord attacked and killed U.N. peacekeeping forces. As a result, the US put a $25,000 bounty on his head and attempted to arrest and try him for war crimes. On October 3, 1993, by the order of President Bill Clinton, a force of United States Army Rangers and Delta Force operators, the Army's most elite warriors, set out to capture several lieutena More...
In 1992 a Somali warlord attacked and killed U.N. peacekeeping forces. As a result, the US put a $25,000 bounty on his head and attempted to arrest and try him for war crimes. On October 3, 1993, by the order of President Bill Clinton, a force of United States Army Rangers and Delta Force operators, the Army's most elite warriors, set out to capture several lieutena More...
Nov 04, 2009
Wesley
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I decided to read this book after I had rented and subsequently watched the movie. The book is a non fiction of account of the Battle of Mogidishu, in which a task force made up of Special Forces operators from the U.S. Army Rangers and Delta Force went into the capital of Somalia to try and apprehend two underlings of a powerful warlord. The mission was only supposed to take a half an hour, but was complicated when two helicopters were shot and crashed in the middle of the city. The mission in
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Oct 05, 2009
Arun
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I can frankly admit the fact that the one reason that prompted me to read this book was Ridley Scott's movie, it wasn't an unwise decision. It stands apart as one of the grittiest and tough books i have read to date.Growing up seeing action movies, there was a prejudice that i had : that the US armed forces are invincible..with time that changed. No other movie or piece of literature was as good as black hawk down at this.
The premise is a very strange one, the US army/airforce's elit More...
The premise is a very strange one, the US army/airforce's elit More...
Aug 08, 2011
Steve
rated it:
My god - I devoured this book over the course of a few days. I could not put it down. It was enthralling, tragic, exciting and angering.
This is the story of the technically successful US Ranger and Special Ops raid on the Somalian capital Mogadishu in the Fall of 1993 that resulted in two Black Hawk helicopters being shot down and their crews and rescue units stranded. Bowden did an incredible job earning access to the individuals involved in the events and putting together a story an More...
This is the story of the technically successful US Ranger and Special Ops raid on the Somalian capital Mogadishu in the Fall of 1993 that resulted in two Black Hawk helicopters being shot down and their crews and rescue units stranded. Bowden did an incredible job earning access to the individuals involved in the events and putting together a story an More...
Oct 01, 2009
Black Hawk Down book review
For my book review, I chose to read Black Hawk Down. It was a little hard to follow sometimes because it had a lot of characters and switched back and forth to different characters a lot. But, except for that, I thought this book was a really cool book. First of all, I think the author wrote this book to just tell a story about this true event. Also, while I was reading this book I felt sad in some parts because some people die. I would recommend this book to any More...
For my book review, I chose to read Black Hawk Down. It was a little hard to follow sometimes because it had a lot of characters and switched back and forth to different characters a lot. But, except for that, I thought this book was a really cool book. First of all, I think the author wrote this book to just tell a story about this true event. Also, while I was reading this book I felt sad in some parts because some people die. I would recommend this book to any More...
Jan 21, 2012
Harmonybites
rated it:
Bowden's book is every bit as riveting as the film based upon it, every bit as harrowing and visceral. It takes us minute by minute through the terrible battle on the streets of Mogadishu in Somalia on October 3, 1993. The American mission to capture two of clan warlord Aidid's top people was supposed to "take an hour" and at first seemed like it would be completed within minutes of their taking off from base. But then a black hawk helicopter went down, then another, and "ninety-n
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Apr 23, 2009
Josh
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"Black Hawk Down" is a heart wrenching tale about a U.S. attempt at bring peace to the war-torn and revolutionary middle-eastern country Somalia. This book describes the epic battle raged between U.S. soldiers and Somalian militiamen/citizens as the U.S. attempted to arrest two high-ranking leaders in the warlord Mohammed Farrah Aidid criminal organization. As soon as the troops are dropped in, they experience serious problems; Gunfire, RPG's, and already a soldier down. It seems as th
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Mar 02, 2009
Elizabeth
rated it:
Gripping read and detailed account of the 1993 horrific operation in Mogadishu that resulted in American soldiers dead and wounded. Before reading this book, the only memory or information I had about the event were the images of two American soldiers being dragged through the streets by the Somalians- courtesy of CNN.
This is a story about bravery, honor, and camaraderie- all of which are borne out of utter chaos. Everything that can go wrong during this operation does: two Black Haw More...
This is a story about bravery, honor, and camaraderie- all of which are borne out of utter chaos. Everything that can go wrong during this operation does: two Black Haw More...
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Apr 20, 2009
Foster
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One of the few books with a jacket recommendation "you can't put it down" that turns out to be true. An amazing piece of writing which manages to do so many things at once. You are given the perspectives of all who were involved in this battle: the soldiers on the ground, the Somali civilians, the Somali gunmen, the UN, the commanders, the Washington policymakers, the relatives back home. An incredible research effort is behind this book.
The writing - like the battle - f More...
The writing - like the battle - f More...
Feb 05, 2009
Ryan
rated it:
Utterly fascinating. If there ever was a way to capture the soldier's experience with words, Bowden has done it. His portrayal reads like a movie, seamlessly incorporating background information along with the minute-by-minute description of the mission, narrating the action as if you were there yourself, hearing the bullets zip by your ear, while really diving into the warrior's mentality: their thoughts on their lack of action, finally gearing up, beginning the fight, suffering through an ambu
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Jan 11, 2011
Rosemary
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