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Required Reading

Posted: Wed Jul 02, 2008 9:56 am
by axraupp
If you haven't read this yet, you should/must:
Blackhawk Down by Mark Bowden
http://www.amazon.com/Black-Hawk-Down-S ... 580&sr=1-1

While you've already seen the movie, which is a very good cross-section of the events, the book goes into much more detail, is more thorough and an excellent job on combat reporting.

The author spent a lot of time interviewing many of the players, from the guys up top to the guys on the ground. So, the book covers all those aspects and you get a universal view as well as of each squad/team/man. It covers details and situations that some might consider embarrassing so is very open.

As a result of the articles and book, Bowden was tapped as an expert and given the opportunity to speak to many classified and high-level teams.

I have read a number of military/combat/history books and this is the best I have read so far. You can probably pick it up for a couple bucks at a used book store.

-Alex
TK490

Posted: Wed Jul 02, 2008 1:00 pm
by Batman
Just on that note, pretty much all of Bowden's books follow suit.

"Killing Pablo", the story of the hunt for the Columbian Drug Lord and "Not A Good Day To Die", the story of Operation Anaconda, are both well written and researched as well.

Posted: Sat Sep 06, 2008 8:27 pm
by Havocator
And if that still doesn't cure your reading bug ails... read:

In the Company of Heroes by Michael J Durrant
Mogadishu!: Herosim and Tragedy and
The Battle of Mogadishu

I've read these over the past 4 weeks along with Blackhawk Down as I was laid up with a work related injury... Plus you can only watch so much of the Olympics thoughout the day without falling asleep.

Posted: Sun Sep 07, 2008 9:16 am
by Morris15
The Night Stalkers by Michael Durant and Steven Hartov is also a good book conserning that fateful day in Somalia. It, of course is from the pilot's view of those events.

Posted: Sun Sep 07, 2008 5:04 pm
by EricX
You mean someone in the 160th can write? LOL!
Yea, read Bowden's book and don't take the movie to be entirely factual... it was, after all, Hollywood!
Colonel McKnight does NOT cuss or smoke... in fact, Tom Sizemore and Colonel McKnight could not be more polar opposites personality-wise. :wink:
(I'll have to check for that "Night Stalkers" book)