The Embassy House: The Explosive Eyewitness Account of the Libyan Embassy Siege by the Soldier Who Was There

by Morgan Jones

The Embassy The Explosive Eyewitness Account of the Libyan Embassy Siege by the Soldier Who Was There

Genres: Nonfiction

312 pages, Hardcover

First published September 10, 2013

Reviews

[James Love]

While the validity of this memoir is being questioned, no one can dispute the fact that sovereign U. S. soil was attacked and lost with what occurred on 9/11/2012. According to United Nations Geneva Convention rules ratified in 1961(?), the facilities gifted by the host country to another country for diplomatic purposes is considered sovereign soil of the guest nation and no one has a right to enter without the permission of the embassy staff. One of the responsibilities of the host country is to ensure the safety of the guest nation's embassy.

Why did President Obama feel that his campaign for a second term was more important than the lives of U. S. State Department employees in a foreign country?

Why did Secretary of State Hillary Clinton not send aid and comfort to her own employees when they informed her of their concerns about a possible assault on the U.S.consulate? Mrs. Clinton claims in one of her campaign ads that she will "listen to you and I will fight for you", where was this promise kept upon her oath of office as Secretary of State?

Why was a British security company given the contract to protect the United States Embassy instead of using the United States Marine Corps.?

Why did Libyan government forces refuse aid to the United States Embassy?

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing story. One everyone should read! It's hard to comprehend the reasoning behind the lack of security that was begged for. Unless, it wasn't an accident at all....thanks to the author for getting this story out there. The American Press sure won't cover it. Makes our President and his staff of flunkies (namely Sec Clinton) seem undoubtedly weak and grossly incompetent. Oh and lets not forget how grateful us Americans are for that unwavering lie to the families of the deceased and to the American people of a You Tube video as being the culprit. This administration has shamed our country and let the world know that our soldiers and diplomats who represent our country are out there all on their own. No backup. I will sleep much better tonight.

[Dorothy Clark · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was written by a Brit, so he had no political bias. The security at the mission was so bad it was nonexistent. It was "a top-down system that seemed designed somehow to make the security here fail disastrously." The staff, again and again, requested more manpower or firepower, but the senior state department told them to "keep working with what we'd got." Jones trained the local Libyan guards who were loyal and brave, but they were unarmed. The armed force that was supposed to defend the mission was local militia associated with Al Qaeda, not US Marines. The mission was "a disaster waiting to happen," yet no one at the State Department was reprimanded or dismissed. The story that the attack was caused by a YouTube video was known to be false when it was disseminated.

[Shaun · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a gripping depiction of the terrorist attack in Benghazi, Libya on Sept 11, 2012. This attack killed 4 people, including the ambassador. It has largely been swept under the rug and ignored by the Obama Administration, but this book was written by a British security official who was in Benghazi during this attack. When he arrived on the scene a few weeks prior to the attack, he was surprised by the lack of security at the compound. Help to beef up the security had been requested, but not responded to. This was a good read for me, which at times kept me on the edge and it's a true story. Very much worth reading.

[Christy · Rating 1 out of 5]

After hearing there was controversy about the authenticity of this book, I still gave it a shot (since I have zero faith as to the honesty or integrity of the FBI & CIA leadership in 2012). With that said, this book is 100% B.S. Unfortunately, I realized this on p. 214 when Davies (aka "Jones") described seeing Ambassador Stevens' body: "The face was horribly scorched and soot-blackened, but above the gray hair was all too visible." In a REAL account, 13 hours by Mitchell Zuckoff & the annex security team, there is an actual photo of some civilian Libyans recovering Ambassador Stevens' body before taking it to the hospital. His face is a little gray and his lips are dark blue, but there is NOT any indication he suffered burns. It's also an insult to a reader's intelligence to suggest a human face would be horribly scorched and yet hair on the scalp remains unscathed.

Dave Davies ("Morgan Jones") is a joke. He writes the entire book without an ounce of humility. One GR reviewer described it perfectly- like he's a superhero. STOLEN VALOR really pisses me off- American heroes died trying to save those stuck at the compound and this guy has the nerve to shamelessly steal their bravery. Please skip this book and read 13 hours for an accurate account of what happened at Benghazi. It lacks political opinion and merely gives an account of what happened to the survivors (a really good read)!

[Darren H · Rating 3 out of 5]

Would have been 4stars if completely true! The author comes over as a superhero type character that wore a cloak of invisibility as he wandered around the compound and town. There was obviously a story to tell and no-one will ever find out the full truth about what happened and why. It was however interesting reading and insight into how poor the security at the consulate was. I also liked that it didn't betray all Arabs as 'raghead murderers' and showed the problems they faced trying to rebuild their devasted country.

[Dave]

Written by the Benghazi informant. Profiled by Lara Logan on 60 Minutes.

[Noah W · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting book, does a good job reflecting the embassy operations and setups the US has across the world.

The book seems realistic enough in its depiction of the embassy attack.