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Overview
"Every American should read this book in order to gain a clear insight about military combat and war." From the foreword by Ross Perot "Recommended for readers who enjoy suspenseful accounts of close combat." Publishers Weekly "Most Americans remember...the two troubling televised images that follwed [the operation]....But there is more about that day that is told in this book and that should be known by Americans." The Wall Street JournalSynopsis
The story of the raid at Mogadishu on October 3 and 4, 1993. A blow-by-blow account.
Publishers Weekly
The plan was to capture the top lieutenants of Somali warlord Muhammad Aidid, whose gunmen had been killing soldiers of the U.N. peacekeeping force. But the mission started unraveling when two U.S. Army helicopters crashed in the streets of Mogadishu. DeLong (War Heroes) and California journalist Tuckey's hair-raising narrative focuses on the ad hoc formation of successive rescue missions that were in turn ambushed by Aidid's followers and menaced by crowds that turned into howling mobs. Before it was over, 18 GIs had been killed. This detailed account of the action of Oct. 3-4, 1993, shows that practically everything that could go wrong did, despite outstanding leadership and troop performance. The authors deliver a stinging rebuke to former Defense Secretary Les Aspin for denying field commanders' requests for armored equipment. Recommended for readers who enjoy suspenseful accounts of close combat. Illustrations. (Dec.)
Editorials
From the Publisher
"Recommended for readers who enjoy suspenseful accounts of close combat."
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Publishers Weekly
"Most Americans remember . . . the two troubling televised images that followed [the operation] . . . But there is much more about that day that is told in this book and that should be known by Americans."
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The Wall Street Journal
"His dissection of the operation's disappointing results, and his suggestions about how American efforts might have been more effective, should stimulate pointed discussion at a time when the Congress is shying away from humanitarian and military commitments overseas."
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The Stars and Stripes
"…the authors make each man a real human being and each loss its own tragedy. They also demonstrate what every soldier and marine knows, combat is very personal….This little action in Somalia is like so many others that go unnoticed in the great wars of our time. It was fierce and confused and painful. This is the value of this account."
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Military and Naval History Forum Proceedings