Book Description
IN combating terror, America can no longer depend on its conventional military superiority and the use of sophisticated technology. We are fighting guerrilla wars, against insurgents hidden in remote regions, often deep among the local population. In battles such as these, squadrons of billion-dollar bombers and naval fleets mean much less than on-the-ground intelligence and the ability to organize local forces. That’s why, more than ever before, we need men like those of the Army Special Forces—the legendary Green Berets.
In Chosen Soldier, Dick Couch—a former Navy SEAL widely admired for his books about SEAL training and operations—offers an unprecedented view of the training of the Army Special Forces warrior. Each year, several thousand enlisted men and several hundred officers volunteer for Special Forces training; less than a quarter of those who apply will complete the course. Chosen Soldier spells out in fascinating detail the arduous regimen these men undergo—the demanding selection process and grueling field exercises, the high-level technical training and intensive language courses, and the simulated battle problems that test everything from how well they gather operational intelligence to their skills at negotiating with volatile, often hostile, local leaders.
Green Berets are expected to be deadly in combat, yes, but their responsibilities go far beyond those of other Special Operations fighters; they’re taught to operate in foreign cultures, often behind enemy lines; to recruit, train, and lead local forces; to gather intelligence in hostile territory; to forge bonds across languages and cultures. They must not only be experts in such fields as explosives, communications, engineering, and field medicine, but also be able to teach those skills to others. Each and every Green Beret must function as tactical combat leader, negotiator, teacher, drill sergeant, and diplomat.
These tasks require more than just physical prowess; they require a unique mix of character, intelligence, language skills, and—most of all—adaptability. It’s no wonder that the Green Berets’ training regimen is known as the hardest in the world. Drawing on his unprecedented access to the closed world of Army Special Forces training, Dick Couch paints a vivid, intimate portrait of these extraordinary men and the process that forges America’s smartest, most versatile, and most valuable fighting force.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent!.......2007-09-20
Very well written and hard to put down. An excellent insight into SF traing from beginning to end. I've seen many books on the subject of SF traing but none as complete as this one. WOW, brings back a lot of memories! This is a MUST READ for anyone thinking of going SF.
Great job Mr. Couch!
Great!.......2007-08-31
This book is great! Of course, I am partial since it is from my son's training and all those with him. I believe anyone interested in finding out just what a special type of man it takes to become a Green Beret, you will thoroughly enjoy it. Throughout this book the author made it possible for me to go through each part of his training and feel even more proud of not only him, but all the men that would dedicate themselves to such unbelievable physical and mental training, dedication, and tasks to learn and become one of the strongest, smartest, educated and trained special forces for our country and for our freedom.
book review.......2007-08-23
One of the most interesting books about soldiers I've ever read - it certainly sheds quite a different light on SF training and the quality of our people.
Good book, but needs a step back?.......2007-08-14
No question Couch does a great job explaining the incredible training and selection of SF soldiers. He knows the ground and covers it well. But, the role of SF seems to have changed, and could be viewed with some thoughtful questions. Has the SF mission been changed and more emphasis placed on their being small scale Ranger units or substitute CIA para-military units? Has the Blackwater thought process taken over? The SF I knew was "the best and the brightest". True warriors who knew that sometimes having to shoot it out was the first sign of a failed mission. I'd love to see Couch explore what the role of these heros has evolved into.
Great book, explains the challenges an SF canidate must endure........2007-08-05
Overall great read! As an american soldier with a significant time in service,both stateside and overseas, I found this book to be very informative and motivating. It shares with the reader all phases that an SF canidate must endure to earn the sacred Special Forces tab and be able to call himself a special operator. I have been considering a life in SF and I think this book might have pushed me over the edge and motivated me enough to try out. As I said before, great read and very well written.
Specialist M
US Army
Book Description
Chuck Pfarrer’s acclaimed Warrior Soul has been called one of the finest memoirs of modern Special Operations Forces. Now the decorated Navy SEAL makes his dazzling fiction debut with this gutsy, riveting thriller about the action-packed hunt for history’s most infamous rebel insurgent: Che Guevara.
The year is 1967. Paul Hoyle, a CIA paramilitary officer, has resigned from the agency an incident in Laos that left one man dead and Hoyle’s face scarred by gunshot. But Hoyle is soon drawn back into the agency’s fold, finding himself a “fallen angel,” an independent contractor the U.S. secretly sends to global hot spots.
Bolivia, the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, is a nation ripe for Communist infiltration and revolution. So the stage is set for a duel between world ideologies, with players from Washington to Moscow to Havana. After a Bolivian army unit is disastrously ambushed, Hoyle is dispatched to South America by a CIA concerned that another Vietnam may be in the works. With Cuban-sponsored guerrillas afoot and a corrupt Bolivian military opposing them, Hoyle finds the jungle a treacherous place where honor and morality are surrendered to the basic business of survival.
Though Che Guevara, the charismatic revolutionary who helped Castro take hold in Cuba, is believed to have been killed in the Congo–or executed by Fidel himself–a rucksack recovered after a deadly gunfight suggests that the Marxist rebel may be heading up this new, highly effective insurgency.
World-weary Hoyle draws ever nearer to the passionate revolutionary, as a struggle between worldviews is fought with automatic weapons in steamy jungles, veiled threats in government offices, and even exchanged secrets in hotel bedrooms–for at the center of this intense cat-and-mouse game are two captivating women who may hold the keys to these men’s destinies. Tania Vünke is Guevara’s crucial undercover operative and occasional lover, a conflicted woman with secrets entrusted to her by Guevara himself. And beautiful Maria Agular is the elegant mistress of the Bolivian minister of information, a tormented soul whom Hoyle dares to trust with both information and his heart.
Terrorism expert Chuck Pfarrer packs this electrifying plot with insider knowledge of intelligence tradecraft. Populated with powerfully drawn characters, Killing Che is a stunning re-creation of a conflict that sealed the fate of one of the twentieth century’s most controversial and complex political figures–a man whose renown continues to grow decades after his violent end.
Customer Reviews:
Best Novel of the Year!.......2007-08-09
In this masterful first novel, Pfarrer has lifted the doomed revolutionary to heroic proportions, a man who will die for his beliefs. Che's integrity is paralleled by the fictitious character of American spy Hoyle, his alter ego, whose musings tie the story together, and whose final conclusion - war is useless hell! - is shared by most readers.
Che (1928-67) understood this too but his iron-will brooked no retreat. Abandoned by all his allies, including Russia and Cuba, Che still hoped to convince the Bolivian pauper peasants of the necessity of fight. Their stupor is indicative of the axiom: it's better to live in a known hell than the unknown future.
The book is a feast of ideas and history. Subplots include wonderful love stories. Torture scenes are handled extremely well. No gratuitous violence.
This novel will take the reader back to the '60s, an exciting time in the history of the world and light years away from today's disgraceful America under the realm of a president/dictator who, like all dictators, maintains his power through fear. If the 35-year-old Che had triumphed in Bolivia would he have been as ruthless as his predecessors?
Can't wait to read Pfarrer's next novel. In the afterward, he lists a dismantled website for the book. Again, this is an exemplary book of historical fiction and I am a forever fan.
Killing Che.......2007-07-03
An excellent and extremely engaging story of a pure communist presented in a real and understanding way that depicts a man who had true values and used his revolutionary skills to, he thought, overthrow governments that were opressive.
Warfare and Love in the Bolivian Jungle.......2007-06-05
Chuck Pfarrer has written a unique novel, weaving together the facts and fiction of Che Guevara's last mission. The guerilla warfare scenes are breath-taking and real; surely only someone with Pfarrer's military experience could write with such authenticity. Che Guevara was a real person, and the reader often holds her breath wanting a better outcome for him than the one history has already given us. Pfarrer gives the reader a sense of Guevara's nobility and helps us to understand that the motives of those engaged in combat are not always clear cut.
As in real life, there is romance in unlikely places. Doomed love is more like it, making the surrepticious affairs even more poignant. But those moments are still lovely.
This is a compelling story, and the reader won't get much sleep until it's finished. I often woke up in the middle of the night, not unhappy because I could read a few more chapters of Killing Che before turning off the light again. Men will read this book for a lesson in war and learn about love. Women will enjoy the romantic chapters and learn why some men engage in combat. Something for everyone!
Vive Killing Che.......2007-05-23
Chuck Pfarrer has produced a beautifully written and exhaustively researched historical novel that follows a barely fictional CIA contract agent, Paul Hoyle, on his mission to engineer the liquidation of Che Guevara during his ill-fated 1967 insurgency in Bolivia. In Paul Hoyle, Pfarrer has written a noir character worthy of Hammett or Chandler, a good soldier with scant ethical compunctions who, as his time in Bolivia unfolds, learns that the United States is backing a horribly corrupt government and that he has been sent to kill perhaps the most decent man in Bolivia.
The education of Paul Hoyle begins when he falls in love with Maria Agular, the mistress of a Bolivian government official. "[Hoyle] knew he had compromised Maria by becoming her lover; in the trade, this was his handle, the means by which he could control her. ...But he did not control her--yet. Rather, what he had done was to allow her in."
Pfarrer paints a canvas similar to the movie "Syriana" in which unspeakable atrocities are committed and millions of people are robbed of fundamental freedoms because no one has the big picture. The world of espionage is powered by the belief that policy makers understand the long term global effects of their policies. This is what allows functionaries like Paul Hoyle to sacrifice their morals, the lives and reputations of others, and even their own lives in the service of their country. Falling in love with a source is a potentially lethal complication. Hoyle's "affection for [Maria] was a liability; intelligence officers are meant to use people, compromise them, coerce them, exploit them, and discard them... . Maria's life and Hoyle's were nothing. They were...mere flyspecks on a vast, intricate machine... ."
Similarly, Pfarrer portrays Che Guevara as a selfless instrument of worldwide communist revolution. Che's problem is that he is the real thing, a true believer. The Soviets are threatened by his Maoist tendencies, Castro by Che's drive to enact a worldwide revolution that might displace him, while the Bolivian Communist Party is threatened because it is as corrupt as the Bolivian government. Because he is so idealistic, Che can't fathom that the Soviets, Cubans, and the Bolivian Communist Party wouldn't be wholeheartedly behind him. In fact, these forces, together with the Americans, were out to kill him.
Writing an historical novel is a most difficult pursuit. The ending is already known. So why read it?
A first answer involves the force of Pfarrer's prose. He sets up each chapter with some of most stunning prose that can be found in contemporary literature. When introducing a chapter in which Hoyle and his main CIA handler, Neil Smith, try to convince the Bolivian authorities that Che Guevara is operating in Bolivia, we are treated to the following:
"Light slanted through the windows in Colonel Arquero's grand office. The clock ticked slowly, and Lieutenant Castaneda stood by the door, as immobile and unthinking as a piece of furniture. Hoyle and Smith watched the colonel hover over the folder placed before him. He examined each of the three photographic prints, holding them close to his shiny pince-nez spectacles, then checking each photograph against a typed transcript of the microdot. This he did with deliberate and self-conscious care, and the clock ticked through diligence to insolence and finally to absurdity. It was a blessing when Arquero's small hands pushed the photos and papers back into the folder and he squinted up from his blotter."
Still another reason to read Killing Che is because of the extensive historical and technical research that has gone into this book. Pfarrer's experiences as a former Navy SEAL (his memoir of that time is entitled, Warrior Soul, Random House, 2004) and as a former military advisor in South America are evident on almost every tension packed page.
Very knowledgable author delivers very impressive debut novel.......2007-04-08
Former Navy SEAL Chuck Pfarrer's memoir, "Warrior Soul", is one of the most well-written, fascinating, modern military reads out there, and his debut novel is just as enjoyable.
An historical fiction account of the hunting down of revolutionary and guerilla warfare legend Ernesto 'Che' Guevara, "Killing Che" is the type of novel that would make a great movie as well. Pfarrer brings his extensive tradecraft knowledge to bear, and his experience as a longtime SEAL operator helps give the whole book a heightened sense of realism.
Pfarrer's descriptions imerse you right into the heart of the Bolivian jungle-forests, giving you a genuine sense of what it was like for both the guerillas and the agents trying to find them, and his characters - both real and fictional - are very human and rounded out.
It's an intelligent, interesting read that isn't too technical, a well-paced read that has action without being action-packed.
This is the kind of novel you want to read again over time, and I look forward to Pfarrer's next work.
Book Description
Now the inspiration for the CBS Television drama, "The Unit."
Delta Force. They are the U.S. Army's most elite top-secret strike force. They dominate the modern battlefield, but you won't hear about their heroics on CNN. No headlines can reveal their top-secret missions, and no book has ever taken readers inside—until now. Here, a founding member of Delta Force takes us behind the veil of secrecy and into the action-to reveal the never-before-told story of 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-D (Delta Force).
Inside Delta Forece
The Story of America's Elite Counterterrorist Unit
He is a master of espionage, trained to take on hijackers, terrorists, hostage takers, and enemy armies. He can deploy by parachute or arrive by commercial aircraft. Survive alone in hostile cities. Speak foreign languages fluently. Strike at enemy targets with stunning swiftness and extraordinary teamwork. He is the ultimate modern warrior: the Delta Force Operator.
In this dramatic behind-the-scenes chronicle, Eric Haney, one of the founding members of Delta Force, takes us inside this legendary counterterrorist unit. Here, for the first time, are details of the grueling selection process—designed to break the strongest of men—that singles out the best of the best: the Delta Force Operator.
With heart-stopping immediacy, Haney tells what it's really like to enter a hostage-held airplane. And from his days in Beirut, Haney tells an unforgettable tale of bodyguards and bombs, of a day-to-day life of madness and beauty, and of how he and a teammate are called on to kill two gunmen targeting U.S. Marines at the Beirut airport. As part of the team sent to rescue American hostages in Tehran, Haney offers a first-person description of that failed mission that is a chilling, compelling account of a bold maneuver undone by chance—and a few fatal mistakes.
From fighting guerrilla warfare in Honduras to rescuing missionaries in Sudan and leading the way onto the island of Grenada, Eric Haney captures the daring and discipline that distinguish the men of Delta Force.
Inside Delta Force brings honor to these singular men while it puts us in the middle of action that is sudden, frightening, and nonstop around the world.
From the Hardcover edition.
Customer Reviews:
wisdom in defeat and humility in victory.......2007-07-12
David Mamet, in my edition of this book, now more than three years old, long before 'The Unit' came along, writes at the beginning:
"The great military novels have about them an ineffable air of sadness. [They] seem, both in scenes of combat and in the scenes of rest, depictions of a life heightened to the plateau of regret, longing, and loss. The great military memoirs, similarly, are a record of loss and its transmutation into compassion. [...] in Eric Haney's Inside Delta Force, we are welcomed into the curious, moving and persuasive philosophy of the soldier trying to find wisdom in defeat and humility in victory."
It's a comment that reflects the spirit of the contents, and which ultimately translates into the very cool TV series based on the book. I also admit, quite without shame that the characters of 'Phantom Strike Team' in my novel 'Fontaine' were definitely inspired by this account, which I found fascinating and quite un-put-downable; much like Michael Durant's 'In The Company of Heroes'.
I have no idea how 'real' and 'true' the things depicted here are, because I have no real evidence to back up whatever I believe. However, I would like to think--possibly wishfully, but why not?--that Orwell's 'rough men [who] stand ready in the night to visit violence on those who would do us harm' aren't just a bunch of thugs, who just like to shoot people, but that they are like those guys; that they are grounded and have a sense of purpose, and that Mamet's comments are on the mark.
Again, without evidence for the 'truth', whatever that may be, I cannot tell; but I choose to think that Haney has done more than just show them in the best light; that even in the harsh light of day, it all basically holds true.
How Delta Came to Be.......2007-07-09
I read a few other reviews of this book before buying it and find they were accurate. Haney tells about how Delta force came to be in interesting detail. The people that submit themselves to the Selection process really can only truly truly want the job. If you watch or have seen any episodes of "The Unit" you can see where story plot lines came from, but don't expect any detailed past mission stories.
Excellent book........2007-06-08
As usual, the same excellent quality and service that I have come to expect from Amazon. Book was great and recommend it to anyone thats interested in this type of stuff. Great compliment to "The Unit".
Best 1st Person Spec.Ops. Account I have Read to Date.......2007-05-19
I initially was drawn to this book after seeing it credited as the inspiration for CBS's drama "The Unit". (I'm a sucker for marketing, huh?) This book was to be the first in a long line of military non-fiction works that I read recently and for me it's still one of the best. Haney isn't the GREATEST writer in the world but his style works well for the subject matter at hand and thankfully lacks some of the irritating macho-ness that plagues many other ex-military authors. What made the book great for me was the fact that because Haney was a recruit in Delta as opposed to one of the organizers, there is a sense of mystery and the unknown as he chronicles his progress through Selection and his early days in the unit. I also read Charlie Beckwith's book on Delta and thought this was the better read. The only thing I didn't like about the book was that Haney retired so many years ago that you are left wanting to know more about current ops, but that's not a criticism of the book itself, simply a lament on my part. Overall I'd highly recommend this to anyone interested in learning more about what drives these incredible individuals.
Excellent book. .......2007-05-18
Great read. I spent 28 years in the Army, many of them at Bragg and retired in 2003. Mr Mercer's comments about what he believes are fact and fiction as it pertains to the contents of this book are inaccurate and I would recommend he go back and do his research correctly this time.
Book Description
The United States Marine Corps has long enjoyed the reputation of being America's premiere fighting force. Whenever crisis looms one hears the familiar chorus, Send in the Marines. How was this reputation first earned? Many would argue that the Marine Corps stepped up and took its place alongside America's other armed forces in 1918 at Chateau Thierry and Belleau Wood. So fierce was the 4th Marine Brigade in combat that the overwhelmed German defenders dubbed them Teufulhunden, literally Devil Dogs.
Customer Reviews:
An essential and wonderful book.......2002-11-04
Here is a wonderfully detailed and moving book. It satisfies the serious scholar in its overwhelming details, and yet carries the `human thread' to show the true wonder of what these marines did. My grandfather was with the 6th Marines at Belleau Wood and I guarantee he would have loved and respected this book.
Great Book.......2000-08-31
This book is excellent. All the other reviews are dead on accurate.
Just to add something different to the discussion...
I would have given it five stars but for one thing. Occasionally the detail overwhelmed the writing and story telling aspect lagged. Just every so often it started to read like an after-action report. Don't let this put you off, just don't plan on being able to read parts of it right before bed time.
Top Notch Reading.......2000-03-09
With so few great titles on the American experience in the Great War this book is a must read. It reads very well and spares no small detail. It gives you a "leather-necks" view of the the war in France.
Excellant.......1999-07-01
I support the Leatherneck review and am tempted to rate it 5 stars. It is refreshing to read not only the USMC WW1 history but the authors considered opinions on the battles and personalities involved.
Outstanding - a landmark work.......1999-06-24
From Leatherneck Magazine - March, 1999
The rich thread of tradition has woven itself throughout the tapestry of Marine Corps history. From these threads, Marines of today uphold the standards of service and sacrifice of the past as the proud inheritors of this heritage. Of all the eras of Marine Corps history, arguably the most romantic and colorful would be the involvement of the Marines in the First World War. The Marine Corps of today is still flavored by the traditions and experiences of those years. Words such as Devil Dog and Foxhole still permeate the language of our Marines and students from The Basic School have adopted Belleau Wood and travel over regularly to assist in the maintenance of this hallowed ground, the only wholly-owned American battlefield on foreign soil. By the same token, this has remained one of the least explored eras throughout the history of the Marines.
Certainly, the classics of Asprey's "At Belleau Wood" and Stallings' "Doughboys" stand forth as valuable contributions to the understanding of that history. However, no one has published a comprehensive examination of the actions and service of the 4th "Marine" Brigade until now.
It is with a clear love and empathy for this subject that former Marine, George Clark undertook the monumentous task of shifting through and composing the far-flung resources of documentation into a concise and readable history of the Fourth "Marine" Brigade and it's service from formation until disbandment.
Clark's work, drawn from 25 years of research into the subject, captures the color and character, as well as the facts and figures, of the Marine Brigade as no previous work. Based on contemporaneous unit histories, Marine diaries, personal letters, as well as official documents and correspondence, this book blows open the door and illuminates the incredible story of ordinary men, who, under extraordinary circumstances, left a legacy of valor courage and sacrifice unsurpassed to this day.
Highly detailed and filled with fascinating insights, "Devil Dogs" takes no prisoners. It tells the unvarnished tale of the largely volunteer force, leavened by a strong cadre of seasoned Officers and NCOs, who formed the nucleus of the 2nd Division (Regulars) of the infant American Expeditionary Force. The author offers interesting and thought-provoking opinions of the success and failure of the various Officers who led the Marines in combat in France and makes no apology for ruffling a few feathers along the way.
A rollicking, fun book to read, Clark takes the reader along from the stateside clashes with Pershing and the Army bureaucracy to training in France and through the battles of Belleau Wood, Soissons, St. Mihiel, Blanc Mont and Meuse-Argonne. Chapters also cover the history of Marines in the Occupation of Germany and explore the little known history of the Marines in the Composite Regiment of the AEF - Pershing's Showpiece.
Though not for those wishing a "quick" synopsis of Marine involvement in the Great War, "Devil Dogs" is a must for any student of Marine History or for those wishing to get the full picture of this most colorful era. Clark's work justifiably joins Asprey and Stallings as a modern classic of the American experience in the Great War. With valuable lessons for today's military, it stands as a true picture of the success by leadership, unmatched valor and pure guts, against a seasoned and battle-tested foe.
Patrick Mooney
Average customer rating:
- Best Version on this Subject
- Easy to Read - Difficult to Apply
- A Great Introduction to Bushido
- idealized self aggrandisement that covers over ugly realities
- Very Cool Stuff
|
Bushido: The Way of the Samurai (Square One Classics)
Tsunetomo Yamamoto
Manufacturer: Square One Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 Middle Eastern
| Regional
| History & Criticism
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Asia
| History
| Subjects
| Books
Japan
| Asia
| History
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Military
| History
| Subjects
| Books
Consciousness & Thought
| Philosophy
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Eastern
| Philosophy
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
Japanese
| Eastern
| Philosophy
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
Ethics & Morality
| Philosophy
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Philosophy
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
Eastern Philosophy
| Other Eastern Religions
| Religion & Spirituality
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Martial Arts
| Individual Sports
| Sports
| Subjects
| Books
Regional
| Art History
| Art
| Arts & Photography
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
| Asian
| European
| Native American
| United States
General
| Asia
| History
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
Japan
| Asia
| History
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
General
| Military
| History
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
Consciousness & Thought
| Philosophy
| Nonfiction
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
General
| Eastern
| Philosophy
| Nonfiction
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
Ethics & Morality
| Philosophy
| Nonfiction
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
General
| Philosophy
| Nonfiction
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
Eastern Philosophy
| Other Eastern Religions
| Religion & Spirituality
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
Martial Arts
| Individual Sports
| Sports
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
All 4-for-3 Deals
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
Similar Items:
-
Hagakure: The Book of the Samauri
-
The Code of the Samurai: A Modern Translation of the Bushido Shoshinshu of Taira Shigesuke
-
The Unfettered Mind: Writings of the Zen Master to the Sword Master
-
Book of Five Rings: The Classic Guide to Strategy
-
The Book of Five Rings
ASIN: 0757000266 |
Book Description
In eighteenth-century Japan, Tsunetomo Yamamoto created the Hagakure, a document that served as the basis for samurai warrior behavior. Its guiding principles greatly influenced the Japanese ruling class and shaped the underlying character of the Japanese psyche, from businessmen to soldiers.
Bushido is the first English translation of the Hagakure. This work provides a powerful message aimed at the mind and spirit of the samurai warrior. It offers beliefs that are difficult for the Western mind to embrace, yet fascinating in their pursuit of absolute service. With Bushido, one can better put into perspective Japan's historical path and gain greater insight into the Japan of today.
Customer Reviews:
Best Version on this Subject.......2007-07-22
I can't better the other review below except to say that this translation of the Bushido is far easier to read, understand, digest and put into daily practice than the hoards of other versions of "Hagakure: The Book of the Samurai by Tsunetomo Yamamoto" which this book is based upon.
Despite a totally different translation, nothing is lost when you put the two books side by side and compare them to each other.
By the way, the title "Bushi-do" does not mean "Hidden behind the Leaves", that is the translation of the "Hagakure". Any martial artist worth his salt will easily recognise the two parts of the word: Bushi (Warrior) & do (the way) - The Way of the Warrior (or Samurai).
Easy to Read - Difficult to Apply.......2007-07-19
Bushido: The Way of the Samurai (Square One Classics) is a superb little book that makes some important points. However, it is all too easy to take what it has to say out of context. The time and place to which it was literally relevant has long since passed. What it has to say about the values one should live by and how one should carry out their mission in life are, on the other hand, timeless.
The same can be said of another important Japanese classic: The Book of Five Rings. Both of these books are important from a philosophical point of view, but difficult to really understand for those who are not immersed in Japanese culture. Both spring from the philosophy of Zen and both do a good job of showing its application is a time of constant warfare and personal danger.
A good choice to put the advice of the Zen warriors into perspective is the book Bushido, the Soul of Japan which gives a broader look at the philosophy and its roots. What Zen is all about and how it may be applied in everyday life - how compatible it is with other philosophies and religions - is well presented.
All three of these books have been bound together into one book: The Samurai Series: The Book of Five Rings, Hagakure -The Way of the Samurai & Bushido - The Soul of Japan, which I can recommend without reservation. Together, these three books add up to much more than the sum of the parts. They are truly synergistic.
A Great Introduction to Bushido.......2007-03-14
If you want an easy to read book that gives you the basic precepts of Bushido, this will be the book for you.
idealized self aggrandisement that covers over ugly realities.......2007-03-13
This is one of those basic tracts that is given to those who move to Japan, as a view into how things are supposed to work. While it sounds very good when you read it - there are indeed wonderful codes to live by that are elegantly expressed - once you have lived there for a few months you see that it has less (and more) to do with everyday life than meets the eye.
Afterall, there are two levels when dealing with Japan: Tatemae, the syrupy feel-good version of things that saves everyone's "face", and Honne, which is the way people really feel about things; the former gets pounded into your head at the office, the latter you elicit slowly when you go to the bars after work and get drunk. However, Tatemae is a useful tool for bureaucracies, as it is the official way things are supposed to appear to function, complete with a code for the behavior that one should simulate, no matter how differently (or alienated) one feels underneath. The "Bushido" is the purest Tatemae, an instrument of control that is wielded but has little personal meaning beyond that. In my opinion - and I witnessed this often while living in Japan - all the talk of honor and value and loyalty is just that: mere words to mask brutal authoritarianism and mindless obedience to one's place in the hierarchy. As such, there are very interesting things to learn here about how people choose (or submit to a compulsion from without) to behave, but it will not teach the reader about how they feel inside.
Recommended, but don't take it at face value. I wish I could sound more inspired and interested about Japan, but having lived there, I know the ugliness underneath from experience.
Very Cool Stuff .......2007-01-14
The book is full of a collection of thoughs/ideas in the length of one to two paragraphs each. These ideas are passed on to us from some of the great Samurai containing their philosophy on life, death, honor etc.
Average customer rating:
- Good book on the unit, but Haney's is better...
- Not quite as good as Haney's book, but still good
- Delta Force: the Army's Elite Counterterrorist Unit
- High Level Overview
- Delta Force: The Army's Elite Counterterrorist Unit
|
Delta Force: The Army's Elite Counterterrorist Unit
Charlie A. Beckwith , and
Donald Knox
Manufacturer: Avon
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
Military & Spies
| Professionals & Academics
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Military
| Leaders & Notable People
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
Iran
| Middle East
| History
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Military
| History
| Subjects
| Books
Intelligence & Espionage
| Military
| History
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Conventional
| Weapons & Warfare
| Military
| History
| Subjects
| Books
Military Science
| History
| Subjects
| Books
War
| Genre Fiction
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
History of Technology
| Technology
| Science
| Subjects
| Books
Terrorism
| Current Events
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Military
| Leaders & Notable People
| Biographies & Memoirs
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
Military & Spies
| Professionals & Academics
| Biographies & Memoirs
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
Middle East
| History
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
| Egypt
| General
| Iraq
| Israel
General
| Military
| History
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
Intelligence & Espionage
| Military
| History
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
Weapons & Warfare
| Military
| History
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
Military Science
| History
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
War
| Genre Fiction
| Literature & Fiction
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
Terrorism
| Current Events
| Nonfiction
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
History of Technology
| Technology
| Science
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
All 4-for-3 Deals
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
Similar Items:
-
Inside Delta Force: The Story of America's Elite Counterterrorist Unit
-
Inside Delta Force
-
U.S. Special Forces: A Guide to America's Special Operations Units-The World's Most Elite Fighting Force
-
Warrior Soul: The Memoir of a Navy Seal
-
Special Forces: A Guided Tour of U.S. Army Special Forces
ASIN: 0380809397
Release Date: 2003-08-26 |
Book Description
The only insider's account ever written on America's most powerful weapon in the war against terrorism
Customer Reviews:
Good book on the unit, but Haney's is better..........2007-06-27
I really enjoyed this book. It gives a great history of the formation of Delta Force, but if you are only going to read one book on the subject; INSIDE DELTA FORCE by Eric Haney is much better. That said, this book is a page-turner and well written. There's a bit of self-congratulation; but Beckwith was an impressive individual.
Not quite as good as Haney's book, but still good.......2007-05-19
If I had not read Eric Haney's book "Inside Delta Force" before I read this one, I probably would have loved it. The inherent problem is that both books cover roughly the same time frame, with Beckwith's book beginning earlier (going back to Vietnam inspirations) and ending while Haney was still in Delta. Both books provide detailed coverage of Operation Eagle Claw, which can be a little redundant, but that's no one's fault really. What I liked about Beckwith's book was the understanding it gave about where the idea for Delta came from, what his operational credibility was, and the intense opposition he faced in birthing this elite unit. Some folks will be bored with the various political machinations at work, but I found it interesting to see how something like this comes to be. Less interesting to me was Beckwith's account of Selection and the like because he didn't have to go through it like Haney did. I'd definitely recommend this book, but if you only want to read ONE book on Delta, I'd recommend Haney's first. And while there is certainly some overlap in information between the two works, I read them back to back and still enjoyed them.
Delta Force: the Army's Elite Counterterrorist Unit.......2007-05-12
The book was in excellant condition, arrived on time.
High Level Overview.......2007-03-10
A great story about the birth of Delta Force from the founder himself. Beckwith takes you from the original idea, based on his experience with the British Special Air Service (SAS), through their first mission (to free the hostages in Iran).
Because of his rank and the role he played in this story, you get a high level overview instead of the view from an operator on the ground (as in Eric Haney's book - Inside Delta Force). One item that was particularly interesting to me was the test (based on the SAS) they ran prior to their first real mission to determine if their operators would actually engage the terrorist. Although it was successful, they later decided to not use this test again and surmised that the British needed to determine if their operators would fire their weapons but the US needed to create rules on when to not fire their weapons. Not sure what that says about the two cultures, but it was interesting none the less.
Beckwith is definitely a strong personality who does not compromise. You learn much about the man and the government bureaucracy he fought for so many years. In the end, he was successful and we are a safer nation because of his efforts
Delta Force: The Army's Elite Counterterrorist Unit.......2007-03-08
I read this book years ago and just had to read it again.
Book Description
Kurt Muse handed over his passport at Torrijos International Airport, just as he'd done countless times. Instantly, he sensed that something was wrong. Rather than the cursory glance followed by the whack of the entry stamp, the bureaucrat held the little book in both hands. He seemed to be studying it. And then he smiled. Kurt followed the clerk's gaze to a piece of paper taped to his partition. The sign was handwritten in Spanish:
Kurt Muse American Citizen Arrest Him
His life was over.
Born in the United States, raised in Panama, Kurt Muse grew up with a deep love for his adopted country. But by the late 1980s, Panama was suffering under the regime of Manuel Noriega. Innocent people disappeared. Beatings and murders became commonplace.
For Kurt Muse, accepting such a dictator was not an option. For two years, Kurt and a few friends operated clandestine radio stations on low-tech equipment smuggled into Panama. At first, they broadcast on a small scale. But in late 1987, the group realized that they could override any transmission from a government-run radio network, and Radio Constitucional was born.
Muse and his compatriots chose Noriega's Loyalty Day address, simulcast on every radio station in the country, for its first transmission. Just as Noriega began his self-serving message, Radio Constitucional seized the airwaves, urging the people to rise up in defense of their freedom. Kurt knew that if his identity was revealed, he and his family would be in grave peril. But he had no idea what kind of terror, confusion, and betrayal lay in store for all of them.
Six Minutes to Freedom spins the remarkable tale of Kurt's arrest by Noriega's henchmen and his months of imprisonment; the squalid conditions he faced in Panama's infamous Modelo Prison; his eyewitness accounts of his fellow inmates' torture; and the plight of Kurt's family as they fled for their lives. And it reveals, for the first time, the astonishing details of the long-awaited day when helicopters arrived in a firestorm of bullets to whisk Kurt Muse from under the noses of thugs who had been ordered to kill him.
This is Kurt's thrilling and highly personal story—the story of an American hero on foreign soil, who risked his life for his beliefs and for freedom…and became the only American civilian ever rescued by the elite Delta Force.
Customer Reviews:
A truly captivating and well written real-life suspense story........2007-10-13
This book made me relive the fear and the anxiety most Panamanians experienced under Manuel Noriega's dictatorship.
I believe that the book exagerates somewhat on the overall role that Kurt Muse played in the huge movement to get rid of the military regime, but the only clear error I found (very small if one considers the length of the book) is that Dr. Hugo Spadafora, who was horribly tortured and beheaded by Noriega's orders, had not previously been an anti-Sandinista guerrilla, as indicated in the book, but an anti-Somoza guerrilla.
Another detail that I interpret differently is that I think that the permanent guard soldier who was ordered to kill Kurt Muse if an American invasion took place had just gone to the restroom when the rescue mission started, which I think was an answer to all the prayers for Kurt's life.
Ron, Redding CA.......2007-08-24
I had seen this book once in a book store and passed it up. From reading the description and review on [...] I decided to buy it. The book was well written and very informative. I knew of the incident, Operation Urgent Fury and the rescue of Muse, but knew very few details. My attention was held until the very end. Although somewhat limited or shrouded I especially enjoyed th details of the rescue and the rescuers. This is one of those books that just make you proud to be an American.
Riviting.......2007-05-25
I rate this book right up there with my favorites "Endurance", "Touching The Void" and "Blackhawlk Down". I had a tough time putting this book down. Kurt Muse is one strong willed indivdual.
Edmund Burke said it best with "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing"
Amazingly true story.......2007-05-13
What an amazing story to be told. I can't believe this really happened - I couldn't put down this book until the very end. A very fast & enjoyable read.
Could not put the book down.......2007-01-16
I am from the Canal Zone but was not there when Noriega was in power. The book is very well written and I am glad I purchased it. I would recommend the book to anyone who wants a book that is exciting and historical. I think Kurt has accurately described this period in the history of Panama and the Canal Zone.
Book Description
On April 6th, 2003, twenty-six Green Berets, including those of Sergeant First Class Frank Antenoris Special Forces A-Team (call sign Roughneck Nine One), led a battle against a vastly superior force at a remote crossroads near the village of Debecka, Iraq. The enemy unit had battle tanks and 150 well-trained, well-equipped, and well-commanded soldiers. The Green Berets stopped the enemy advance, then fought them until only a handful of Iraqi survivors finally fled the battlefield. In the process, Nine One encountered hordes of news media and at the peak of the fight, a US Navy F-14 dropped a 500-pound bomb into the middle of a group of supporting Kurdish Peshmerga fighters, killing and wounding dozens. This is the never-before-told, unsanitized, unedited story of the fight for the crossroads at Debecka, Iraq, and a unique inside look at a Special Forces A-Team as it recruits and organizes, trains for combat, and eventually fights a battle against a huge opposing force in Iraq.
Customer Reviews:
A Truely Good Account of our Special Forces in Action.......2007-08-22
This book goes into great detail and great honesty of the actions of a Special Forces A-Team in Iraq. Although the main author, Antenori, gets a little arrogant at times while speaking of how "great" the Special Forces are, I was able to get past it and enjoy the rest of the book.
Army Magazine Review of Roughneck Nine-One.......2007-08-13
Roughneck Nine-One: The Extraordinary Story of a Special Forces A-team at War
Army Magazine, July 2006 by Spencer, Jimmie W
Noncommissioned officers have a great deal of credibility both within the Army and with the American people. They tend to answer questions straight from the heart with little or no regard for political correctness. What you get is the unfiltered truth. If you hear it from an Army sergeant, you can pretty much "take it to the bank."
SFC Frank Antenori, U.S. Army retired, in his book Roughneck Nine-One, tells the story of a Special Forces Ateam (Green Beret) at war in a noholds-barred fashion that you would expect from a senior noncommissioned officer.
Written in a style that can only be described as soap opera-ish, he and his co-author, Hans Halberstadt, tell an extraordinary story of Special Forces A-tea m soldiers before, during and after combat. At a crossroad near the village of Debecka, Iraq, outnumbered and facing T-55 tanks, they were simultaneously locked in mortal combat, dealing with the news media and coping with the killing and wounding of dozens of supporting Kurdish Peshmerga fighters, when a U.S. Navy F-14 fighter mistakenly dropped a 500-pound bomb on the wrong target.
Antenori says of the supporting Kurds, "They reminded me of our Minutemen of 1776; they wore a mixed bag of uniforms: some were in camouflage, others in solid green, and others wore civilian clothes. Besides their rifies and ammunition, they had none of the 'battle rattle' Americans requireno CamelBaks, no kneepads, no gloves, no body armor protection. Some wore sandals instead of boots. They had left their homes early that morning after breakfast with their families. They had probably kissed their wives good-bye, picked up weapons, and gone off to spend the day at war, not sure they would come home at night. They are true militia, the kind that Special Forces Soldiers have trained and led for well over fifty years."
The reader is also given a rare glimpse into the inner workings of a Special Forces A-team, how it plans, trains, equips and deploys for combat, and the emotional roller coaster of ups and downs that it lives with day to day.
The book is in fact two stories in one; one of Special Forces soldiers in combat, at their best, and the other of constant bitching about almost everything. The combination results in a realistic story about real soldiers.
I would highly recommend this book to military historians and anyone interested in reading a good story, a true story that is easy to read and hard to put down.
SFC Antenori can add one more honor to an already impressive list of accomplishments, that of raconteur.
CSM Jimmie W. Spencer
U.S. Army Special Forces (Retired)
Roughneck Nine-One.......2007-08-06
The author is a disgruntled E-7 who served with a Green Beret unit during the outbreak of the iraq War. Most of the book is boring and filled with military jargon and terms especialy related to special forces units. The climactic battle, near Kirkuk, at the opening hours of the war is interesting, but not really groundbreaking in terms of new combat methods. The soldiers' actions were very commendable, but not Medal of Honor material. The author is somewhat arrogant and soon retired with barely twenty years' service.
Not a worthwhile read.......2007-07-11
I'm surprised at how the negative reviews below have been received, with so many people labeling the reviews as not being helpful. I personally could not agree more with the two poor reviews. Let's start with the writing. As far back as middle school, any paper I wrote that contained an over-abundant usage of words, phrases, or literary devices was returned to me so those usages could be exchanged for more varied writing choices. Antenori's editor did him a great disservice when he allowed Antenori to ride the use of foreshadowing right into the ground. I have never, EVER, read a book that used "little did we know", "we would soon find out", "in a few seconds", etc. in the excessive manner that this book did. It seemed like every other paragraph ended this way, and it becomes pretty tedious. Something is going to happen in this book that justifies all your training. We get it, Frank.
In case you think that is an unfair reason to pan the book, how about the fact that almost NOTHING of any consequence actually happens in the book until page 150. Did I mention it's only 241 pages? And for all intents and purposes, the events at the intersection are over by page 226; the rest of the pages are just wrap-up. I'm not going to lie, I read these books for the excitement and the camraderie and the insight into these brave people that put their lives on the line for us. I don't read these books to sift through 150 pages of a group of men getting shuffled around, doing relatively mundane training exercises, and generally grousing about their lot.
Finally, if I haven't made a strong enough argument yet, I'll say it: these guys were really lucky. As was said below, and even by the author, if the Iraqis had brought their offensive A-game, ODA-391 would have been in a world of hurt. It's interesting how at the end of the book, under a sub-title marked "luck", Antenori chooses not to comment on this part of the operation. Without a DOUBT these are brave, brave men, and the work of the medics was impressive, but it must be said that this was not a mission that succeeded on guts alone, but instead relied massively on pure luck. But I guess sometimes such is life. I'm so happy for those men that this was the case, but it doesn't make for the most interesting reading. In summary, I'd skip this book. There are many great military non-fiction books out there, but this isn't one. It's light on action and packed with what is clearly fluff to flesh out the telling of a decent (very) short story.
Enjoyable story... could have been shorter.......2007-05-18
I thought this was a good read. I am certainly glad SFC Antenori is on our side. This book is ultimately about his leadership during one engagement that ODA 391 found itself in. The action is great and again, I really did enjoy the book, but I was ready for it to "get going" a little before it did. I'm a serious fan of the genre so it didn't stop me from reading on. A bit shorter and I think the action would have really made it jump.
Average customer rating:
- Good read, just not the GREAT read we now expect from Hunter
- Still my favorite Stephen Hunter book.
- Fast and Furious
- Action thriller with kick
- The countdown drags. . . . . .
|
Day Before Midnight
Stephen Hunter
Manufacturer: Bantam
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
Contemporary
| General
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
General
| United States
| World Literature
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
Similar Items:
-
The Master Sniper
-
Black Light
-
Point of Impact
-
The Second Saladin
-
Time to Hunt
ASIN: 0553053272
Release Date: 1989-01-01 |
Customer Reviews:
Good read, just not the GREAT read we now expect from Hunter.......2007-05-16
From anyone but Stephen Hunter this would be considered as good as it gets, but if you've been along on the many adventures of the Swagger family this may seem kinda average. That doesn't mean it's bad, it isn't. Fact is, it's hard to put down even if it is rather unbelievable in places. Sure not on a par with "Point of Impact" however!
Still my favorite Stephen Hunter book........2006-07-14
When I talk to other Stephen Hunter fans, it's surprising to see how many of them don't know about this book. Probably because it's not a Swagger book.
That said, even after Pale Horse Coming and Havana, "Day Before Midnight" is still my favorite Stephen Hunter book. It should be mandatory reading for everyone in the National Guard. I've read this book three times.
An unidentified military force overtakes a U.S. nuclear missile silo. The hostile troops fortify their position outside the silo. Untested National Guard troops are closest to the scene, so they are sent in first. The U.S. commander has to make a lot of tough choices, because some of our guys are going to get killed, but they have to get into the silo before the bad guys can launch the missile. (Hunter creates plausible technical reasons why we can't just bomb them to smithereens.)
Hunter did a great job keeping the tension going, all while giving us great action scenes of small unit military combat. Unlike the Swagger books, where Hunter keeps the action close to the main character, this book follows many different characters and storylines, all headed toward the same place and time.
Fast and Furious.......2006-05-24
Great book, plenty of action and suspense! Reads fast and very hard to put down (like Hunter's Bob Lee Swagger novels). The plot is rather contrived, but overall believable. My main beef is with the COL Dick Puller character, who I thought was the weakest character in the book (the Army should have left him retired-- he was, after all, retired in disgrace for a reason!). COL Puller never impressed me as being the great tactician the author intended. Instead, he seemed rigid and outdated in his tactical approach to the battle scenario presented. COL Puller simply "wasted" the Maryland guardsmen in a poorly planned and executed frontal assault against an entrenched enemy force without even trying to obtain basic pre-op intelligence (such as what might be under that "tarp" in front of the silo entrance). Puller even implied the guardsmen were expendible at that stage of the operation, though better planning on his part might have achieved a more favorable outcome for them and the mission. Also, seems that Puller could have simply planned (even if only as his backup contingency) to blow up the MX missle when it exited the silo (missles aren't going very fast at that point of the launch sequence). Better yet, he could have dismantled/destroyed the silo hangers directly to prevent a missle launching through them. Destroying the missle or silo directly would have been easier than trying to fight his way to the launch capsule at the end of the elevator shaft, or trying to infiltrate a small team through an uncertain (erosion-created) tunnel network at the base of the mountain. As it was, he never did have any such backup plan, should his "race against time" not succeed. But Puller-quibbling aside, The Day Before Midnight was still a very suspenseful book, one well worth the read.
Action thriller with kick.......2006-05-21
I really enjoy well done action stories like this one. Hunter creates great, complex action plots in this very gripping story. I listened attentively though the whole thing and loved it. Excellent story. The book has depth and the characters are real and believable, even the bad guys. There is suspense and violence, but you feel it as part of the plot, not a separate thing thrown in after the fact to whip things up. If you like technological action thrillers involving the military strategy and intellectual types trying to solve puzzles, you'll like it.
The countdown drags. . . . . ........2006-02-28
I'm probably the only one who will say this but when it comes to this novel, which I give props to the author for creating suspense, it is just too long and drawn out. I think I was at page 350 when I finally couldn't take it anymore and threw the book at the wall. It is good to build up suspense in anovel but, after reading this one, now I know that there is such a thing as too much suspense. As a writer's gimmack, you have to gradually give little hints and problematic, somewhat unescapable events, to the reader giving them just enough to feed off of. That's what drives the reader to progress foward, naturally, because he/she wants to see what happens next. But in this book there are just, dare I say, too many subplots. It almost feels that, when you're reading it, the author piles on different problems and events every ten pages. It just gets plain old tiring. It got me frustrated and I wasn't even in a bad mood. Okay, I can believe that someone was kidnapped and brought out of their house and forced into cutting a thick steel wall that leads to a doomsday machine but does there have to be so much stuff in it. Sure, I could imagine it becoming a movie but I couldn't even finish the book. I even cheated and just read the last page just to satisfy myself. But this is only my opinion. It is probably a really great book. If you have the patience for this author. I'm sure a lot of you out there will. Enjoy!
Book Description
In America’s battle against al-Qaeda and their allies, the goal of the Navy SEALs is to be the best guns in the fight—stealthy, effective, professional, and lethal. Here for the first time is a SEAL insider’s battle history of these Special Operations warriors in the war on terrorism.
“Down range” is what SEALs in Afghanistan and Iraq call their area of operations. In this new mode of warfare, “down range” can refer to anything from tracking roving bands of al-Qaeda on a remote mountain trail in Afghanistan to taking down an armed compound in Tikrit and rousting holdouts from Saddam Hussein’s regime. It could mean interdicting insurgents smuggling car-bomb explosives over the Iraqi-Syrian border or silently boarding a freighter on the high seas at night to enforce an embargo. In other words, “down range” could be anywhere, anytime, under any conditions.
In Down Range, author Dick Couch, himself a former Navy SEAL and CIA case officer, uses his unprecedented access to bring the reader firsthand accounts from the warriors in combat during key missions in Afghanistan and Iraq. Couch creates a pulse-pounding, detailed narrative of the definitive engagements of this war, while painting an unusually intimate portrait of these warriors in the field. The performance of the SEALs in difficult, changing environments—in the heat of the Afghan desert, in the snow-packed Hindu Kush, on the high seas, and in the urban chaos of Baghdad—has been nothing short of extraordinary. The SEALs, coordinating with other American forces, the CIA, and foreign special operations units like the Polish GROM, have once more shown their genius for improvisation and capacity for courageous action in leading the fight against this new and vicious enemy.
The first battle history of its kind, Down Range is a riveting close-up of some of America’s finest warriors in action against a deadly foe.
Also available as an eBook
Customer Reviews:
Not up to snuff.......2007-08-07
I thoroughly enjoyed "The Warrior Elite" and everything I enjoyed about that book was gone from this one. Dick Couch did a good job of making the trainees of BUD/S Class 228 personable, but "Down Range" is a very dry read. It might be due to increased security concerns and classified operational details, but I did not enjoy this book as much.
the filler thriller.......2007-06-21
Well, I picked up this book because I thought, "Sweet. SEALs, middle east, covert ops, what's not to love??" Well the book was more like a documentary or briefing most of the time. It focuses far too much on the development of a SEAL and their organization. If I wanted to read about that, I would've picked up a book about the making of a Navy SEAL. I was disappointed. The story really only had a few exciting parts and those tended to come towards the end of the book. Let's put it this way, he spends around ten pages telling what should've been an exciting mission aboard a ship, only to tell us that the men on board were not dumb enough to carry weapons. Hmph. If you are looking for enemy contact, look elsewhere.
Decent primer for casual military reader.......2007-05-19
Like some of the other reviewers here have commented, based on the background of the author and the notes on the book's cover, I was expecting a much more exciting read. The reality, however, is that Couch hides behind the excuse of "classified details" for most of this work. The early pages are all extremely redundant if you have ever read anything at all about the SEALs; there is nothing new there. And much of the mission details are very sparse and vague. I do "get" that the very nature of the work these men do requires secrecy, but I always feel a little taken when a book promises to divulge some of this information and then ultimately fails to do so. Couch hints more than once at a seething tension between the different service branches by taking every opportunity to make sure many pats on the back are handed out all around. It starts to feel very plastic and forced after a while. Overall I would not recommend this book to anyone who has done much reading in this genre. Frankly it's just boring, light on operational nitty-gritty, and way too easy to read. It took me about 4 hours to read cover to cover, and for $15 for the paperback I feel a little ripped-off. It's an okay way to get an overview for what these incredible men do for our country, but a waste of time for anyone who has a few books under their belt. I won't be reading any of Couch's other works based on this piece.
Depends on what your read first..........2007-05-18
If this is the first Dick Couch book read, it's a good one. Other people have commented that it seemed fluffy and not authentic (leaving out the bungling of bureaucrats and the inter-service rankling). I see that differently, I appreciate the way Couch focuses on the positive. There's no denying that those things happen but when you read Down Range, you get the best of who "we" are in this elite arm of the military. If you have read Warrior Elite or other Couch books, you will see plenty of overlapping detail. Bottom line: this is a good book by an author I really like, but not his best.
A good book, but not great..........2007-02-14
Down Range reads like a Pentagon de-brief, with little action. Couch, a former SEAL with extensive street cred (mainly Viet Nam) is a terrific writer and even gives over-due credit to the Air Force Combat Controllers, who are often overshadowed by SEALs and Green Berets. This book is detailed, but with the wrong details. I'd much rather read about the men on the tip of the spear, the real war fighters with guns in the fight, than the brass back at HQ calling the shots. Problem is, many of the brass are Couch's personal friends or former students.
The Warrior Elite is a great book, this is just good.
Books:
- Civil War II: The Coming Breakup of America
- Commanding the Army of the Potomac (Modern War Studies)
- Companion to Contemporary Black British Culture (Encyclopedias of Contemporary Culture)
- Federalizing the Muse: United States Arts Policy and the National Endowment for the Arts, 1965-1980
- From Normandy to the Ruhr: With the 116th Panzer Division in WWII
- Gateway to Texas: History of Red River County
- General James Longstreet: The Confederacy's Most Controversial Soldier : A Biography
- Geometry Workbook For Dummies (For Dummies (Math & Science))
- Germany's Panther Tank the Quest for Combat Supremacy: Development - Modifications - Rare Variants - Characteristics - Combat Accounts (Schiffer Military/Aviation History)
- Gettysburg 1863: High Tide of the Confederacy (Praeger Illustrated Military History)
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- GRAND SLAM, THE: BOBBY JONES, AMERICA, AND THE STORY OF GOLF
- Are You My Mother
- The Mother of Dreams and Other Short Stories: Portrayals of Women in Modern Japanese Fiction
- The Sorcerer's Companion: A Guide to the Magical World of Harry Potter
- Untouchable: A Biography of Robert DeNiro
- An Introduction to Systems Biology: Design Principles of Biological Circuits
- A Handbook of Native American Herbs
- Agglomeration, Growth, and Adjustment: A Theoretical and Empirical Study of Regional Labor Markets i
- The Intuitive Businesswoman: Achieve Success Through the Power of Your Personality
- The New Penguin Dictionary of Business
Lone Survivor: The Eyewitness Account of Operation Redwing and the Lost Heroes of SEAL Team 10
Killer Elite: The Inside Story of America's Most Secret Special Operations Team
Down Range: Navy SEALs in the War on Terrorism
Roughneck Nine-One: The Extraordinary Story of a Special Forces A-team at War
LEADERSHIP AND TRAINING FOR THE FIGHT: A FEW THOUGHTS ON LEADERSHIP AND TRAINING FROM A FORMER SPECIAL OPERATIONS SOLDIER
