Black Hawk Down: A Story of Modern War

Black Hawk Down is simply an amazing read. It's easy to see why it became a movie: studio reads gripping novel and instantly recognizes that this story is must bound for the big screen. I read the book prior to seeing the movie; I didn't want to be biased against the book having been "visually influenced."
From all that is presented to the reader, it appears that Mark Bowden has done a fantastic job piecing together what had to be a difficult story to write about. Bowden was granted an unbelievable opportunity to get first hand information from the people involved in the ill-fated mission. His access to Delta Force operators, Rangers, Somali citizens and clan fighters leaves very little unturned. He also reports that he had access to communication tapes and videos from the actual event. All of this material adds to an already gripping story of men who paid the full price for their chosen vocation.
In the post-September 11th world, this story is one that doesn't play to the emotions as a ruse to rope in readership. Bowden plays all sides equally; I didn't finish this book feeling ill-will toward Somalia, but rather, felt for the loss of our men, Somalia's people and the world that such military events are necessary and needed.
Bowden's narrative flashes between several of the groups; at times it is almost overwhelming, but he does a good job of conveying the scope of over 140 men descending on this city. The pacing is tight and the storyline taut with apprehension and fear. Even though I already knew the outcome of the totality of events, reading it in such detail gave me a greater respect for many of these men who choose harms way for their careers.
Lastly, I want to mention that I am not a huge war history/fan/buff. Other than Band Of Brothers, I can't say I have read a military themed book in years. In spite of this, it is a testament to Bowden that he is such a capable writer as to make the story compelling and interesting to readers outside of the core of that genre. I have had no problems recommending this book to many of my friends, as I do now to anyone reading this review. You will not be disappointed.

Every American with even the slightest interest in
military matters should read this book. Period.
Superbly written, truly nightmarish, heart-breakingly
realistic.
Folks, Mogadishu was exactly how NOT to do it. Let's hope
that enough of the right people have read this account
as we hunt down the dispicable Duh-Sama cult and the rest
of their nameless ilk.
Nearly perfect in its depiction of the minute-to-minute
details of this horror-show our men found themselves
trapped in for most of a day. The only criticism I have
about Mr. Bowden's reconstruction:
1. Should have had more maps, and all should have compass
bearings, indications of distance.
2. Every chapter and episode ought to have started with an
hour/minute of action, to better keep track of the progress
of events.
3. An alphabetical list of all the combatants likewise would
have been convenient and helpful in reducing some of the confusion.
4. Mr. Bowden seemed to shy away from criticizing Clinton and
those other officials who were, in one respect or another,
responsible for this slaughter. His afterword should have
dwelled on this aspect of the story more than it did.
Otherwise, one of the finest books I have read in several years.
A tribute to the brave Americans who fought and bled and would
have otherwise been so unfairly forgotten.

Mark Bowden has done the military a great service by writing this book about the desperate battle fought in Somalia back in the early 1990s. He provides today's military leadership with a detailed account of this tragic battle so that we can applaud those who fought so bravely in it, and hopefully avoid the mistakes that were made. Many of these mistakes could have been avoided, and unfortunately cost US soldiers their lives.
The most compelling reason to read this book, is the accurate and balanced approach that the author takes. He is not in the military, and does not have a specific agenda for writing this book. Instead, he aims to tell the story of what went wrong, how the participants reacted (what decisions were made, why, and what effects did they have on the battle), and why this battle was lost, despite the bravery of those involved. It is a sad part of US military history, but one worth telling generations to come.
For this book, Mr. Bowden spent a few years on interviews, went to the battlefield, and completed extensive research, in order to put all the pieces of the battle together. The amount of research and documentation he completed for this book is impressive. The fact that he spoke with many Somalia participants adds a realistic dimension to this story. Not only do you get a feeling for what happened from the US perspective, but you also gain an understanding of the battle through the eyes of the Somalie people, as they experienced it.
The one complaint I have about the book (and reason I did not give it five stars) is that it is not very well written. The action is gripping, and vivid, but the author's style is a bit simplistic for my taste. Having said that, it is still an excellent read.
I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in modern military history. Any current members of the US Army should take the time to read this book, and draw out the lessons learned in order to make sure that these kinds of mistakes are not made again.

First, this nonfiction reads like a gripping action novel. Hard to put down. Better plan to lose sleep. Secondly, how could Bowden's analysis of the Mogadishu raid be more timely? Hope George Bush has read it. Hope the commanders are studying it. It is a textbook for opns going on now. Finally, Bowden achieves objectivity, detail, human interest, education, suspense, and relevance all in this compact paperback.
A former Ranger.

Somalia was a thankless assignment. And, given the Clinton predispositon towards the military, and institution he "loathed", Americans might not expect much from a small albeit dedicated group of fighters in this African cell of poverty and turmoil.
Bowden does a fantastic job of showing the personal side of heroism, of depicting modern warriors who go unrespected or unnoticed in their own countries. Taking a small, "botched" military operation, underresourced and quickly planned, Bowden adeptly portrays the people who live and die to help make sure that we continue to live and die in freedom. These men illustrate valor and commitment, to one another and in the name of an unappreciative government. Mostly without the seemingly everpresent CNN live world coverage, a small number of men accomplished a lot with a little.
The September 11 events make us grateful that we have soldier warriors like these men.

Well written, extremely well researched and riveting account of the American forces that tried to make a quick capture of two lieutenants of war lord Mohamed Farrah Aidid within the urban city of Mogadishu only to become trapped within the City having to cut their way out and return with a slowly mobilized rescue force to extricate the remaining forces trapped over night. The author, who is a historian and not a pure journalist, has an unusual ability to obtain numerous interviews, predominantly American but also Somalis involved in the fight, with extraordinary access to military communications that really describe the intensity of battle and the feelings of the participants. Full of first hand accounts, you get the battlefield perception of forces on the ground and the pilots in the Blackhawks along with smaller craft referred to as 'little birds'. The author also has a knack for bringing the reader a graphic view of the soldier's lifestyle, particularly away from home and explains in there detail what it means to be a Ranger or 'Delta boy" and the differences in operations and force membership. The accounts are graphic at times on how they fight boredom and deal with battle stress, thus this truly an adult book on the riggers of being in a combat force. The writing is intense, capturing the feelings of the soldiers that although appearing to be a routine mission turns into a nightmare as logistics and radio communications break down, made more complex by the downing of two blackhawks changing the quick get in get out mission into a rescue mission that bogs down within the urban city contested by Para-military forces and pure civilians armed with everything from AK-47s to rocket propelled grenades, the latter bringing down the blackhawks. Highly personalized views of the soldiers who face intense fire from a multitude of directions as every Somalia seems to be armed from a 5 year old that shoots wildly at a convoy to a mother armed with a baby in one hand and well armed Somalis firing from the constant massing of crowds. The authors bring you back and forth between the different military elements following time lines and it is often an agonizing read as you want to know immediately how each participant or group survives. A classic example is downed pilot and lone survivor of a crash, Mike Durrant who is badly wounded and pinned in the wreckage waiting for help that can't get there in time His fate is a constant unknown as you read about his capture and potential death by the Somalis. The fighting is severe and often cruel as the fire is constant and the hatred of the American's intense. It seems a miracle that only 18 soldiers were killed and just under 80 were wounded, many severely, while countless thousands of Somalis were killed and wounded. The author is extremely objective explaining what happens and he is unusual in that he does not cast blame but reports it an unusual subdued factual way. You often wonder while reading the book why no back up force was ready to immediately go in and he explains that in detail, it wasn't that simple. But this is an amazing account of highly professional soldiers trapped with in a wild west city of surprisingly well armed Somalis who rally together, even their company clerks man the rescue force and perform like warriors, to save their comrades and cut them out. The book is now used by the army to study urban warfare and the author is often called upon to speak to military personnel, virtually as an expert, on what went wrong and to learn from that experience.

This is a great book for military enthusiasts. Mark Bowden unleashes every gory and horrific detail in this story of modern day warfare. I must confess I saw the movie before reading the book and i can say, the movie does not do this story justice. If you want the quick Hollywood version of the story, that is your prerogative. If you are looking for a boots-on-the ground minute-by-minute retelling of the events of Mogadishu, this book is for you. Great read and will give you a new found appreciation for our Men on the front lines.

Mark Bowden's "Blackhawk Down" is the quintessential story of combat in the post Cold War era. What was originally intended to be a humanitarian mission by the Bush administration became a disastrous attempt at "nation building" during the early years of the Clinton presidency.

Author Mark Bowden exhaustively researched the actions of Task Force Ranger and their opponents in the Habr Gibr clan in Mogadishu, Somalia utilizing FOIA to obtain DOD documents, video and audio records as well as interviews with participants on both sides. He paints a bloody picture of political wrangling, African clan warfare, face-to-face combat as well as professionalism and courage. We read of a US military that made a terrible mistake - underestimating one's opponent and paying the price.

The author recounts the actions of many men on both sides in an almost minute-by-minute fashion as the operation proceeds over a period of only a few days. This is eyeball-level combat where the author writes in a no-holds-barred fashion. He gives the reader an excellent sense of the intense and bloody nature of combat at street level.

This is an excellent history book that reads like a novel! Mark Bowden is a brilliant author that will leave the reader turning pages to the exclusion of everything else around them! Impossible to put down!

The military reader will be able to clearly draw conclusions even though the author maintains a neutral tone and writing style. Clearly, the US military underestimated and misunderstood their opponents. The reader will cringe while reading how the US military did things which made the local population look upon them as an oppressive invader. What the Somalis lacked in skill and weaponry they more than made up for in numbers and determination. At the same time, the reader will marvel at the professional skill of the men of Delta Force and the Rangers fighting overwhelming numbers of angry, highly-motivated opponents. Additionally, we see the overdependence of the US military on high-tech equipment (like the helicopters that were more vulnerable than the US military thought) instead of tactics and devolving problem solving to the men on the spot.

This is an excellent book that looks at the battle in Mogadishu from many different and opposing points of view. I recommend this book with five stars.

When I read "Lone Survivor" it gave me the itch to read more non fiction war stories. I more specifically wanted to read more modern war stories that have happened in my lifetime. I really enjoyed the movie "Blackhawk Down" and remember speaking to an ex Air Guard pilot tell me a little bit about his memories of being active Air Guard at the time it happened. The author has obviously put tons of man hours into research and recounts many first hand accounts of the Rangers and Delta soldiers involved. You'd think that it was being written by a soldier that was there first hand. Very interesting that the US public really had no idea that this went on until much later...Pretty crazy considering that so many casualties were suffered.

One of the best books I've ever read. Great writing + great story = a book you can't put down.

On top of all of that, it's non-fiction. You actually learn someting while being thoroughly entertained.