good book to read and author is good too. book is out and read it again if it be on sale to get it. more book about this author

The story of modern warfare through the eyes of a US Ranger brings us up to date with the 21st Century world we live in. Global conflict has never been far away from any of us and we have only to look back in recent history to see that there has never been a sustained period of what we would want to call peace. Conflict exists and long as there are people who ‘want more’ and the difficulty we all have is how we handle it. This US ranger decided to become a warrior because he wanted to make a difference. Whether we like it or not we have to fight fire with fire and this book is a classic example of an individual who decided to do just that. The personal insight that he brings to the reader should allow us to understand the warrior is human too with all the feelings and fears we all have coupled with the trauma that he endures when he is caught up in combat, seriously injured and recovers to continue the fight. At the same time he is bringing up a family and that allows him to remain close to normality. A very good read for all.

With a keen interest in modern military operations this book caught my eye as an account of Task Force Ranger - the US military in Somalia in the 1990's.
The book was a very enjoyable read with the chapters on the actual operation in Mogadishu being the highlight. As another perspective from the Black Hawk Down book and movie this gives a different viewpoint for the operation from another chalk but also from an officers perspective.
The book itself was well written but I did find that only 20% was actually covering operations in Somalia, with most of the book covering the authors Army service, which was lacking in any great detail to hold a readers interest.
The book would be much improved by removing some of the padding of the authors career and adding more about the actual battle in Mogadishu.
The book is good and offers another perspective on operations in Somalia, I just wish the author had concentrated on that rather then his career.

A moving and memorable memoir of a US Ranger participant of the Black Hawk Down raid in Mogadishu, Somalia.
Black Hawk Down must rate as one of the finest war movies that I have ever watched. To read the grim memoir of a participant was a real privilege and brought back many visual images of the film.
To be honest, when I first started to read the book, it seemed too ‘over the top’ with the US Special Forces being the best in the world, etc. However, after completing the first chapter or so, my perception and enjoyment of the book changed completely. It was a brutally honest account of the training, expertise, and skills of an SF operator in the US Army Rangers working alongside the Delta forces and highly skilled helicopter aircrews.
As most of us know, the raid was not an outstanding success, despite the incredible bravery, well-honed military skills, and sacrifices made by the soldiers and helicopter pilots. Unfortunately, as the armed forces know only too well, the meddling of politicians can make their lives very difficult in preparing for combat operations. In this particular raid, the political unwillingness to utilise a recommended AC130 gunship to support the troops on the ground caused dozens of unnecessary US casualties.
The author is an amazing individual, who survived and overcame a horrific injury through incredible perseverance. Hats-off to the US military for supporting one of their own and ensuring that the author was able to successfully return to his unit. Sadly, the UK military does not give the same level of support to their wounded heroes, generally preferring to discharge them, rather than welcome them back into the service..
In summary, a brilliant book. I would definitely recommend it to readers who enjoy military non-fiction and personal accounts of true warriors.