Collection
Description
History. Military. Nonfiction. HTML:Already a classic of war reporting and now reissued as a Grove Press paperback, Black Hawk Down is Mark Bowden�??s brilliant account of the longest sustained firefight involving American troops since the Vietnam War. On October 3, 1993, about a hundred elite U.S. soldiers were dropped by helicopter into the teeming market in the heart of Mogadishu, Somalia. Their mission was to abduct two top lieutenants of a Somali warlord and return to base. It was supposed to take an hour. Instead, they found themselves pinned down through a long and terrible night fighting against thousands of heavily armed Somalis. The following morning, eighteen Americans were dead and more than seventy had been badly wounded. Drawing on interviews from both sides, army records, audiotapes, and videos (some of the material is still classified), Bowden�??s minute-by-minute narrative is one of the most exciting accounts of modern combat ever written�??a riveting story that captures the heroism, courage, and brutality o… (more)
Awards
National Book Award (Finalist — Nonfiction — 1999)
LA Times Book Prize (Finalist — 1999)
Salon Book Award (Nonfiction — 1999)
Colorado Blue Spruce Award (Nominee — 2003)
Notable Books List (2000)
User reviews
LibraryThing member jepley38
One of the finest and most authentic description of urban warfare when a planned 'snatch' of some bad guys went terribly wrong, costing two helicopters and more than 20 Ranger lives in one of the most dramatic firefights in modern military history. Bowden had access to tapes of radio transmissions
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and interviewed many of the participants from both sides to give a balanced view of the conflict. Made into a motion picture. Show Less
LibraryThing member Timothy_Dalton007
This book was simply outstanding! This has to be one of the most intense military novels that I have read so far. The author does a great job of making sure we feel the same way the actual Rangers and Delta's felt during their night spent in Mogadishu! This heart pounding mission that these
Now, normally when you read a book and then watch a movie you notice how ridiculously over the top the action sequences are compared to the novel. This process was reversed with this adaptation. There were scenes from the movie that were massively underplayed. One such part in the movie, an Army Ranger and his crew are in a fire fight with some Somalis and the Ranger takes a shot to his hand blowing off his thumb. In the movie the Ranger yells and his quickly bandaged up by his buddy. In the novel however, the Ranger yells instantly grabs his gun with his other hand and tells his buddy, "He's mine!" With a few shots fire and one successful hit the Somali's brain matter says goodbye to it's recent dwelling. Fingers get blown off and duct taped back together on numerous occasions.
So if you have an appreciation for the military and the situations they put themselves into for the sake of our freedoms to be preserved this novel will solidify those feelings. If you possible still don't have any affection towards them, I do feel sorry that you have not come to appreciate your comfortable lifestyle within the United States.
In reading this my huge respect for my own brothers in arms increased. This book should be a must read for all military individuals and perhaps even recommended reading for the entire school system. It would be good knowledge for the citizens and future votes of the United States to understand exactly what goes on in other parts of the world to secure our safety. By continuing to keep our enemies engaged we keep our nation safe. It would be a scary day to wake up and realize that the enemy brought the fight to our doorstep if we decided to let terror run a muck.
Semper Fi
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military members went through was insane. With only 100 soldiers they took on pretty much an entire city for several hours.Now, normally when you read a book and then watch a movie you notice how ridiculously over the top the action sequences are compared to the novel. This process was reversed with this adaptation. There were scenes from the movie that were massively underplayed. One such part in the movie, an Army Ranger and his crew are in a fire fight with some Somalis and the Ranger takes a shot to his hand blowing off his thumb. In the movie the Ranger yells and his quickly bandaged up by his buddy. In the novel however, the Ranger yells instantly grabs his gun with his other hand and tells his buddy, "He's mine!" With a few shots fire and one successful hit the Somali's brain matter says goodbye to it's recent dwelling. Fingers get blown off and duct taped back together on numerous occasions.
So if you have an appreciation for the military and the situations they put themselves into for the sake of our freedoms to be preserved this novel will solidify those feelings. If you possible still don't have any affection towards them, I do feel sorry that you have not come to appreciate your comfortable lifestyle within the United States.
In reading this my huge respect for my own brothers in arms increased. This book should be a must read for all military individuals and perhaps even recommended reading for the entire school system. It would be good knowledge for the citizens and future votes of the United States to understand exactly what goes on in other parts of the world to secure our safety. By continuing to keep our enemies engaged we keep our nation safe. It would be a scary day to wake up and realize that the enemy brought the fight to our doorstep if we decided to let terror run a muck.
Semper Fi
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LibraryThing member casanders2015
A riveting account of "The Day of the Rangers" as the Somalis call the day of The Battle of the Black Sea (Oct. 3, 1993) or more commonly referred to as "Black Hawk Down." The journalist turned author enables the reader to see, feel, hear, and experience the battle that is largely a footnote on
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modern military references, but shaped American policy and politics for years to come. It is essential reading for any American as it gives insightful perspective to Third World culture and our inability to control society through military might. Great book with descriptive accounts based on countless interviews as well as audio and video tapes from the mission itself! Show Less
LibraryThing member Ginerbia
This book was nasty scary; made me think I was in the middle of everything. It gave me a whole new respect for our soldiers and what they have to deal with.
LibraryThing member Audacity88
Sad and scary, but needs to be read 1) if you want to understand modern war 2) because what happened there should not be forgotten.
LibraryThing member zaareth
Bowden's account of the 1993 US fiasco in Somalia is a fast, absorbing read. His work is, for the most part, based on interviews with participants in the engagement, and he made some efforts to interview Somalis who were present as well as conducting exhaustive interviews with American soldiers and
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commanders. His insights into the mindset of the Americans is more convincing than his explanations for the extraordinary behaviour of the Somalis, many of whom were civilians that were seemingly willing to throw themselves against the far superior weaponry and armour of the Americans. Bowden suggests that clan loyalties lay at the root of this behavior, and in several passages Bowden contrasts the "leave no one behind" mentality of the Americans with the Somali determination to defend clan and nation against the American Rangers. Show Less
LibraryThing member ngennaro
You will not put this book down. Depressing that we could be so inept at the high levels and yet you are proud that the men and women who serve this country are so dedicated to their profession and their counterparts. Just another example of where looking back on the situation we see clearly how so
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many mistakes were made that could have changed the outcome significantly. Show Less
LibraryThing member Hartman762
Outstanding journalistic effort that has changed the way these types of books are written for the better. I read this before the movie was announced, and was pleasantly surprised at how faithful it was the the source. Its not 100% faithful, due to the nature of the film medium and its pretty
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interesting to note the differences. This is certainly one of the best military history books out there. Show Less
LibraryThing member teaperson
A compelling account with all too much relevancy to current events. I read this story of these fighters' experience in Mogadishu with echoes of the young men and women now fighting in Baghdad, fighting with huge bravery but doomed to futility by commanders who don't understand the bigger context of
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Iraq. Bowden does a great job of evoking the chaos of war and the individual heroism of these men -- warts and all. Show Less
LibraryThing member niteowljr
Interesting and quite readable but, unfortunately, each chapter comes across as a news article rather than a work of literature.
LibraryThing member militarygirl27
I love the movie and book. I think the book is better though.
LibraryThing member wfzimmerman
The story is terrific, but the subtitle is a bridge too far: shot-down helicopters are a routine event in modern war. What was abnormal was the US political reaction to what, considered in the context of military operations, was really a rather trivial event. Did we expect that no one would ever
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shoot at us? Show Less
LibraryThing member kristianbrigman
Wow. This was really my first 'true war' book, and it is great. A truly gripping account. Most of the book takes place over the course of a couple of days. I have since read some other war books like Jarhead and was turned off by all the focus on 'juvenile' behavior, and thankfully, because it
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focuses most on the battle, that's mostly absent here. Bowden pulls no punches, and attempts to show both sides of the conflict objectively, meaning this does come across a bit like a news journal. This is a good thing, IMHO, and just makes it that much more involving. Show Less
LibraryThing member kcslade
Gripping account of the botched military action in Mogadeshu, Somalia in '92 or '93. Basis of the great movie.
LibraryThing member ctmslusc
Black Hawk Down is a story about a Delta squad helicopter that goes down in Somalia. The story takes place during an operation to capture a Somali warlord in Mogadishu. Army rangers are tasked with the job to search and rescue any survivors. This is not an easy task, though. The Rangers must face
I really enjoyed the book, Black Hawk Down. I thought that it was an amazing true story. It really showed a vivid viewpoint of the soldiers that were there during the Battle of Mogadishu. The entire book is based off of Rangers stories and they even have some militia stories. It is interesting seeing the two viewpoints. There isn’t one main character or one goal since it has stories from both viewpoints. The militia is trying to stop the Rangers, while the Rangers are trying to rescue the Delta soldiers. The details are so vivid and well written. You can feel the emotional and physical pain everyone in the story felt. It really got me thinking about how terrible it must have been for them. This was an amazing book and I definitely would recommend it to anyone. I give the book 4 and a half stars.
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Somalian militia members armed with an assortment of weapons and RPGs. They suffer many casualties as they advance towards their ultimate goal, Delta squad.I really enjoyed the book, Black Hawk Down. I thought that it was an amazing true story. It really showed a vivid viewpoint of the soldiers that were there during the Battle of Mogadishu. The entire book is based off of Rangers stories and they even have some militia stories. It is interesting seeing the two viewpoints. There isn’t one main character or one goal since it has stories from both viewpoints. The militia is trying to stop the Rangers, while the Rangers are trying to rescue the Delta soldiers. The details are so vivid and well written. You can feel the emotional and physical pain everyone in the story felt. It really got me thinking about how terrible it must have been for them. This was an amazing book and I definitely would recommend it to anyone. I give the book 4 and a half stars.
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LibraryThing member tyroeternal
This book floored me. It was extremely powerful. Well written and researched, I had a hard time putting it down even though I had seen the film adaptation already. Bowden's use of multiple viewpoints meshed on top of each other make for a story that is both personal to individual soldiers and
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complete to the scope of the operation. Show Less
LibraryThing member jcoyle
Have you been looking for a book well you found it.This book is about a big war in Afica and they are dicover that they are going to risck there lives in war.
LibraryThing member chriszodrow
A story of the complexities and the fog of war. The confusion was top-down in Mog. Classic mistakes were made: underestimation of the strength of the enemy; fighting on his ground; attacking in daylight; wrong equipment; etc. etc.
Bowden ties so many threads together into a marvelous and engrossing
If you want to find out about those secretive Delta guys, this is a good introduction. Great first person perspectives.
Bowden ties so many threads together into a marvelous and engrossing
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tale. Deserves to be read again and again. If you want to find out about those secretive Delta guys, this is a good introduction. Great first person perspectives.
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LibraryThing member Stbalbach
Black Hawk Down is a solid genre American war book with plenty of heroics, blood and piles of dead enemies. If a FPS (First Person Shooter) could be made into a book, this might be a model. As a book it is important mainly because it documented the most intense urban fight America had experienced
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since Vietnam. Also during the 1990's there was a drought of military action for the United States, Black Hawk Down was a spiked drink to keep the blood pressure pumped when otherwise bases were closing and the military contracting in the wake of the Soviet collapse. The American military was adrift, not unlike the men in this story. Now that we are post 9-11, the 90s seem quaint compared to the epic battles of real consequence in Iraq and Afghanistan. There is no deeper meaning or lesson here. Only that it was the ferocity and bravery of the Somalians who were the primary actors of the battle. A book written from their perspective would be compelling. Show Less
LibraryThing member jcvogan1
Quick and easy read. The author relied almost exclusively on US personnel as sources and the resulting texts reflects that.
LibraryThing member kings8
It's action packed and very interesting
LibraryThing member ngennaro
You will not put this book down. Depressing that we could be so inept at the high levels and yet you are proud that the men and women who serve this country are so dedicated to their profession and their counterparts. Just another example of where looking back on the situation we see clearly how so
Show More
many mistakes were made that could have changed the outcome significantly. Show Less
LibraryThing member Kurt.Rocourt
I saw the movie before I read the book so I think that affected my review. I enjoyed the movie so I was sure I would enjoy the book. This is one of those books that requires a certain knowledge of visual things. Describing a Black Hawk helicopter versus a Little Bird Attack helicopter is not done
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well. It requires that you know what these things already look like in order to understand their importance. That's the bad part about just reading the book for someone who does not understand all the frames of reference. The story is what it is so you either like it or you don't. I think this is the kind of book that you read then immediately watch the movie afterwards to get the full experience of what you read. Show Less
LibraryThing member LisaMaria_C
Bowden's book is every bit as riveting as the film based upon it, every bit as harrowing and visceral. It takes us minute by minute through the terrible battle on the streets of Mogadishu in Somalia on October 3, 1993. The American mission to capture two of clan warlord Aidid's top people was
The account of the warfare is detailed and spools before your inner eye as vividly as any film--it reads like a novel. In his Afterward Bowden writes about how he tried to efface himself from the story, that he tried to "get out of its way." I greatly appreciated that--I think in another book I read recently, Blood Diamonds, the author was too much in the story. This story was seemless and felt authentic--what came through was the voices and humanity and courage of the soldiers. It was hard to read at times--Bowden doesn't pull any punches in graphically relating what bullets and shrapnel does to vulnerable flesh and bone. But you do feel like he gives you the most vivid account of modern warfare possible without going into combat yourself.
I not only learned about the combatants from both sides, but why the mission was almost inevitably doomed to failure. In that regard the Somali perspectives were invaluable. Not simply because they humanized "the enemy" but because of their explanation of how the initially welcomed American intervention soured for them. As one Somali put it, the Americans "were trying to take down a clan--the most ancient and efficient social organization known to man." And the experience in Somali haunted US Foreign Policy to at least the events of 9/11. As one US State Department Official put it, "Somalia was the experience that taught us that people in these places bear much of the responsibility for things being the way they are. The hatred and the killing continue because they want it to--or they don't want peace enough to stop it." As a result, for better or worse America didn't get involved in Rwanda or Zaire's bloody civil conflicts. As a result of that firefight in Mogadishu, 18 American soldiers lost their lives, and 73 were wounded. The toll on the Somali side was horrific. "Conservative counts numbered five hundred dead among more than a thousand casualties." Even more sobering? It's twenty years later, and Somalia is still a "failed state" in the midst of war. And after that battle in Mogadishu, no one in the international community cares to come between them killing each other.
A gripping and unforgettable book.
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supposed to "take an hour" and at first seemed like it would be completed within minutes of their taking off from base. But then a black hawk helicopter went down, then another, and "ninety-nine American soldiers [were] surrounded and trapped" overnight and fighting for their lives. These were elite soldiers. The Rangers were volunteers thrice over--they had to choose the army, then the airborne, then the Rangers. And the Delta Force soldiers were the elite of the elite. They were what the Rangers aspired to be. They were backed by observation helicopters, on ground intelligence, spy planes and satellites. Their average age was only 19. The account of the warfare is detailed and spools before your inner eye as vividly as any film--it reads like a novel. In his Afterward Bowden writes about how he tried to efface himself from the story, that he tried to "get out of its way." I greatly appreciated that--I think in another book I read recently, Blood Diamonds, the author was too much in the story. This story was seemless and felt authentic--what came through was the voices and humanity and courage of the soldiers. It was hard to read at times--Bowden doesn't pull any punches in graphically relating what bullets and shrapnel does to vulnerable flesh and bone. But you do feel like he gives you the most vivid account of modern warfare possible without going into combat yourself.
I not only learned about the combatants from both sides, but why the mission was almost inevitably doomed to failure. In that regard the Somali perspectives were invaluable. Not simply because they humanized "the enemy" but because of their explanation of how the initially welcomed American intervention soured for them. As one Somali put it, the Americans "were trying to take down a clan--the most ancient and efficient social organization known to man." And the experience in Somali haunted US Foreign Policy to at least the events of 9/11. As one US State Department Official put it, "Somalia was the experience that taught us that people in these places bear much of the responsibility for things being the way they are. The hatred and the killing continue because they want it to--or they don't want peace enough to stop it." As a result, for better or worse America didn't get involved in Rwanda or Zaire's bloody civil conflicts. As a result of that firefight in Mogadishu, 18 American soldiers lost their lives, and 73 were wounded. The toll on the Somali side was horrific. "Conservative counts numbered five hundred dead among more than a thousand casualties." Even more sobering? It's twenty years later, and Somalia is still a "failed state" in the midst of war. And after that battle in Mogadishu, no one in the international community cares to come between them killing each other.
A gripping and unforgettable book.
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LibraryThing member br14mino
Black Hawk down is a story about a few American soldiers who go to Mogadishu, Somalia to fight the war there and troubles begin happening almost as soon as they get there. All of the Somalians get scared as soon as they hear the Black Hawk Helicopters coming in and they all prepare to fight. A
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bunch of the men who go there are rookies, and they don't have much experience with the horrors of fighting in a war. They all soon realize that training is much different from the actual thing. This book starts out slow, as there are pars where Mark Bowden needs to explain the background story of some of the characters, but overall the general plot of the story is good. I almost dropped the book at first, but after I got about halfway in, the action started becoming more frequent, and the story more intriguing. If you like stories about war which explain the context well, but also have a good plot then this book is for you. However, Black Hawk Down does have some parts in it which are graphic as well as sad. Mark Bowden does go into detain about how some of the men die, such as in the beginning of the book when one of the men falls out of the helicopter. All in all, Black Hawk Down was a good book, with intrigue, good detail, and an overall good plot written by a good author. Show Less
Publication
Atlantic Monthly Press, 19999
Original publication date
1999
Pages
386
ISBN
0861137380