Black Hawk Down (Paperback)

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• This item: Black Hawk Down by Mark Bowden

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• We Were Soldiers Once...and Young: The Battle That Changed the War in Vietnam by Harold G. Moore

  In stock.
  Dispatched from and sold by Amazon.co.uk.
  This item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions
  

Black Hawk Down (2 Disc Set) [2002] [DVD] DVD ~ Josh Hartnett 4.3 out of 5 stars (110)  £3.98

The Battle of Mogadishu by Matt Eversmann 5.0 out of 5 stars (1)  £5.99

We Were Soldiers Once...and Young: The Battle That Changed the War in Vietnam by Harold G. Moore 4.9 out of 5 stars (11)  £6.99

Sniper One: The Blistering True Story of a British Battle Group Under Siege by Sgt. Dan Mills 4.9 out of 5 stars (130)  £3.49

Killing Pablo: The Hunt for the Richest, Most Powerful Criminal in History by Mark Bowden 4.2 out of 5 stars (19)  £5.99

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Amazon.co.uk Review
In Black Hawk Down journalist Mark Bowden delivers a strikingly detailed account of the 1993 nightmare operation in Mogadishu that left 18 American soldiers dead and many more wounded. This early foreign-policy disaster for the Clinton administration led to the resignation of Secretary of Defence Les Aspin and a total troop withdrawal from Somalia. Bowden does not spend much time considering the context; instead he provides a moment-by-moment chronicle of what happened in the air and on the ground. His gritty narrative tells of how Rangers and elite Delta Force troops embarked on a mission to capture a pair of high-ranking deputies to warlord Mohamed Farrah Aidid only to find themselves surrounded in a hostile African city. Their high-tech MH-60 Black Hawk helicopters had been shot down and a number of other miscues left them trapped through the night. Bowden describes Mogadishu as a place of Mad Max--like anarchy--implying strongly that there was never any peace for the supposed peacekeepers to keep. He makes full use of the defence bureaucracy's extensive paper trail--which includes official reports, investigations and even radio transcripts--to describe the combat with great accuracy, right down to the actual dialogue. He supplements this with hundreds of his own interviews, turning Black Hawk Down into a completely authentic non-fiction novel, a lively page-turner that will make readers feel like they're standing beside the embattled troops. This will quickly be realised as a modern military classic. --John J. Miller

Amazon.co.uk Review
Journalist Mark Bowden delivers a strikingly detailed account of the 1993 nightmare operation in Mogadishu that left 18 American soldiers dead and many more wounded. This early foreign-policy disaster for the Clinton administration led to the resignation of Secretary of Defence Les Aspin and a total troop withdrawal from Somalia. Bowden does not spend much time considering the context; instead he provides a moment-by-moment chronicle of what happened in the air and on the ground. His gritty narrative tells of how Rangers and elite Delta Force troops embarked on a mission to capture a pair of high-ranking deputies to warlord Mohamed Farrah Aidid only to find themselves surrounded in a hostile African city. Their high-tech MH-60 Black Hawk helicopters had been shot down and a number of other miscues left them trapped through the night. Bowden describes Mogadishu as a place of Mad Max-like anarchy-- implying strongly that there was never any peace for the supposed peacekeepers to keep. He makes full use of the defence bureaucracy's extensive paper trail--which includes official reports, investigations and even radio transcripts--to describe the combat with great accuracy, right down to the actual dialogue. He supplements this with hundreds of his own interviews, turning Black Hawk Down into a completely authentic non-fiction novel, a lively page-turner that will make readers feel like they're standing beside the embattled troops. This will quickly be realised as a modern military classic. --John J. Miller --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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28 Reviews 5 star:  (18) 4 star:  (9) 3 star:  (1) 2 star:    (0) 1 star:    (0)           Average Customer Review 4.6 out of 5 stars (28 customer reviews)		Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
Most Helpful Customer Reviews   14 of 14 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars A gripping read that drags you into the heart of the conflic, 21 Nov 2001 By  sineadjeffrey@hotmail.com (Dublin, Ireland) - See all my reviews I'm not a big fan of war novels or films but escaping from this book is impossible once you read the first page. Mark Bowden focuses on a mission that was supposed to take just an hour but instead took 24 hours and cost many lives. This book drags you into the heart of the US battle against Somali warlords in Mogadishu and and pages fly past as quickly as the bullets within them. Mark Bowden has clearly done his research for this book - highlighting both the grievances of the Somali people who felt persecuted by US involvement in their country and the terrors faced by the highly trained elite US Rangers and Delta Forces on the ground and in the air, for whom this battle went terribly wrong. This battle of US technological might against Somali warlords and ordinary onlookers is especially potent given recent events, and I would strong encourage everyone to read it to gain a glimpse into the US psyche. I defy anyone to not thoroughly enjoy this book! Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)   9 of 9 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars A Modern Classic, 20 Aug 2002 By  Mr. Warren M. Fisher (East Grinstead, West Sussex United Kingdom) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)       This review is from: Black Hawk Down (Paperback) Capturing the ambiguous horror and kinetic poetry of war, Bowden's book is probably the definitive account of combat and the experience of the modern infantry soldier. The film version was good, but the book is even better. At once cautionary and celebatory, this reads better than any novel and sears itself into the soul. Shocking and deeply moving, this is a life-changing read of unsurpassed brilliance. Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)   10 of 11 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars Great read, 6 Mar 2002 By  Lucy (gandalfthemushroom@hotmail.com) (Guildford, England) - See all my reviews I did not know of this book until the film was out. I saw the film first(which was amazing) and I decided to read the book. I found it more in depth than the film, and at first it was quite a difficult read. But once I had got into it I found it amazing, and really moving. It also educated me, as a true, honest book that was not written to send up the u.s rangers. I thought the fact that Bowden interviewed so many people to gather information to write this was really good, as it gives you more of an insight into what actually happened. Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this) Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review › See all 28 customer reviews...		Most Recent Customer Reviews 4.0 out of 5 stars A good yarn based on substantial primary evidence Mark Bowden has managed to present a gripping story of the US involvement in Mogadishu, Somalia, based on primary research with participants - from BOTH sides. Read more Published 1 hour ago by G. D. Busby 4.0 out of 5 stars Amazing insight into what it was like for those involved The film remains in my top ten but the book has had me gripped from the very first page. The sad thing is that this is the real life story and one that makes you realise what the... Read more Published 12 months ago by A. Rae 5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant! An exceptional and unbiased account of the battle, with testimony taken from both sides. A gripping page-turner, which I couldn't put down. Published 17 months ago by MattS 5.0 out of 5 stars Gripping,Moving and Action Packed what more do you need in a true story of modern warfare Many books ive read accounting modern warfare both about U.S forces and British Forces about famous escapes,Battles and patrols and this is one of the most gripping with defintely... Read more Published 18 months ago by T. Glover 5.0 out of 5 stars harrowing This book is based on a true story of the American Rangers and Delta Force's attempt in October 1993 to abduct two top lieutenants of a Somali warlord from the heart of Mogadishu,... Read more Published on 11 Mar 2007 by J. Mellor 5.0 out of 5 stars Superb!! A terrific insight... US troops attempt a broad daylight kidnap attempt in the city centre of Mogadishu, Somalia. Everything goes to plan, until first one, then two helicopters are downed in the... Read more Published on 2 Jan 2007 by The Owler 5.0 out of 5 stars AMAZING One of the best books i have ever read. It's a true story about American rangers and Delta force raiding Mogadishu in Somalia in 1993. Read more Published on 6 Dec 2006 by Ian Gibbs 5.0 out of 5 stars Men Of Task Force Ranger-This Is For You Black Hawk Down is about the ill-fated raid by US Forces in Somalia October 3/4th. Mark Bowden doesn't write the book in the form of some other non-fiction war books such as Band... Read more Published on 10 Sep 2006 by Don Domineco The Don 5.0 out of 5 stars blackhawk down If your in the service do not read this book,makes you realise the sacrifice made by soldiers but as colin powell said in vietnam this amount of losses would not warrant a press... Read more Published on 8 Jul 2006 by Jason M. Eyden 5.0 out of 5 stars Modern Day War- The Truth- The Horror I have read this book so many times after seeing the film, getting the DVD and have since been engrossed in the Somalian, middle East and "humanitarian" wars before and since... Read more Published on 9 Mar 2006 Search Customer Reviews Only search this product's reviews › See all 28 customer reviews...

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