Book Description
While America held its breath in the days immediately following 9/11, a small but determined group of CIA agents covertly began to change history. This is the riveting first-person account of the treacherous top-secret mission inside Afghanistan to set the stage for the defeat of the Taliban and launch the war on terror.
As thrilling as any novel,
First In is a uniquely intimate look at a mission that began the U.S. retaliation against terrorism–and reclaimed the country of Afghanistan for its people.
Customer Reviews:
Good Inside Look.......2007-07-29
This is a great first hand account of what was going on after 9/11. While we were at home wondering what our government was doing, these guys were getting things done.
Disappointingly dull.......2007-06-19
This book is more a lesson in the stifling bureaucracy of the U.S. government -- even when engaged in one of the most important foreign operations in its history. Schroen's book is filled with operational minutiae that, while providing a detailed account of the CIA operation in Afghanistan after 9/11, is bled dry of any context.
I feel for Schroen and his team as time and again, their efforts are hampered by intra-agency turf wars, mistrust and miscommunication with the U.S. military, not to mention the substantial obstacles they had to overcome vis-a-vis their Northern Alliance hosts.
It comes across in Schroen's writing -- he's at the center of the operation, but is largely beholden to other forces, in Washington and in Afghanistan. And you only get a glimpse at his frustration, probably due to the diligence of the CIA editorial oversight. I can't help but think that I'm reading a highly sanitized and watered-down version of what Schroen *really* wanted to say. (Note that unlike Gary Berntsen's "Jawbreaker", this book was published with the CIA's full approval, with nary a redacted line.)
In the end you get the sense that the CIA team were little more than clerks or administrators, doling out the cash to keep Afghan allies, well allied, and making requests for travel, fuel, etc. That's too bad because clearly Schroen and his teammates deserve acknowledgment (and praise) for what they were able to accomplish on the ground, despite being hamstrung and their own operational limitations.
stellar account .......2007-06-02
This book represents a stellar account of the disconnect betwen the policymakers in Washington and those charged with the execution of U.S. foreign policy. Schroen's book also chronicles the insidious influence lobbyists representing foreign nations can have on defense or foreign policy. Pushing forward Pakistan's agenda cost lives of our true allies, those in the Northern Alliance who laid it all on the line to take the fight to the Taliban.
Best CIA book I've ever read.......2007-05-18
Mr. Schroen is the first author coming out of the CIA that I've ever read that has a shred of humility. It was refreshing to read his perspective and look into his amazing paradigm without all the macho horse-crap. This was a very interesting topic to me, and I really enjoyed this author's telling of it. I am into the details and there were a lot of them in this book. It's not a thriller-spy story, but it is a great read in my opinion.
Tip of the Spear.......2006-07-07
Gary Schroen was less that 3 months away from retirement from the CIA on 9/11. He'd had a successful career there in "Operations", the guys who do the actual spying (as opposed to "Analysis", the guys who try and figure out what everything means), mostly dealing with the Middle East, and had wound up a Deputy Division head. For 2 years in the early 90s he was the Station Chief in Kabul, Afghanistan, and later in the decade he'd flown into the Northern Alliance's territory and met Ahmed Shah Masoud, the charismatic leader of that group who was assassinated just before 9/11. He had extensive contacts with various friendly figures in Afghan politics, speaks at least one of the local languages, and of course has lots of experience. As a result, 15 days after 9/11, Schroen was flown into the Northern Alliance's Panshir Valley on a CIA helicopter along with a half dozen other CIA guys, various laptops, satellite phones, and radios, a crate of guns, and $3 million in cash. His orders were to find and kill Osama bin Laden, and topple the Taliban government. This book is his account of the mission, how it went, and the adventures they had along the way.
Schroen was sent into Afghanistan at a time when the army didn't consider it safe to deploy troops (apparently now, if the army can't medivac wounded they won't operate in an area, and since there were no friendly airbases close enough, they were skittish about the idea of committing troops or flying combat missions) so Schroen and his friends were on their own for a considerable time period (about a month). They made friends with the locals (some of whom Schroen already knew) spread around money to buy weapons and supplies, and lobbied for airstrikes, Special Forces teams, and generally support while they watched the Northern Alliance fight the Taliban. As time passed, other CIA teams and Special Forces Operators did appear. At one point in the story, several of the CIA guys participate in a cavalry charge (I keep reading books that recount the "last" cavalry charge in history: believe it or not, this one worked) and there are various other interesting anecdotes. The author, 59 at the time he was inserted into Afghanistan, had terrible intestinal troubles that were never entirely resolved, and one of the other guys had gas (apparently from the altitude). While they didn't get Osama (never even got close, really...they landed on the other side of the country) they were instrumental in tipping the war against the Taliban.
This is an interesting, intelligent book. The accounts of the politics in Washington and the Pentagon are of course frustratingly vague, but of course the author was in Afghanistan when the debates were taking place, so he can only recount what he was hearing over the radio or phone. But for an account of the War on Terror from someone who was on the front lines, this book is just about as good as it gets.
Book Description
The story of the 2nd Battalion of Oregons 162nd Infantry Regiment (2/162) in Iraq, this book gives readers an intimate look at the reality of National Guardsmen at war. Follow the 2/162 from their call-up in summer 2003 to their return home in spring 2005. The Devils Sandbox immerses readers in some of the fiercest fighting of the Iraq war and in some of the most rewarding and forward-looking civil affairs projects aimed at rebuilding this broken nation. It offers rare insight into what this war means for the citizen-soldier at home and abroad.
Customer Reviews:
An amazing insight into the role of National Guardsmen at war.......2007-09-02
I have read several dozen books on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. While I have enjoyed all of these books immensely, they all concentrated on conventional military units or special operations forces. They almost never mentioned anything about the role of National Guard units in these conflicts. For this reason, I was shocked to find out that many of our National Guardsmen are the proverbial "tip of the spear". Due to the fact that these men and women are not full-time soldiers, and hold normal, everyday jobs/careers, I always assumed that they would be located in rear-echelon positions. Perhaps serving in support roles. The reality of their participation couldn't be farther from what I had imagined. Like the squad of Navy SEALs who come across the Oregon National Guardsmen during a major engagement in Iraq, I was very impressed by their fighting skills. These men are going in harm's way as much as the traditional military units like the 82nd Airborne, the 101st Airborne, the 4th ID, and the Marines Expeditionary Units. It is hard to imagine being a working class joe one day, and the next day serving in scouting/direct action positions in Najaf or Fallujah. Thank you to John Bruning for bringing to light the brave, patriotic souls of the U.S. National Guard units. They should be receiving so much more publicity from the American media. It is a travesty that their sacrifice in service is not being acknowledged as much as their full-time military brethren. I am going to recommend this book to all my friends and family. Mr. Bruning is a great author and I can't wait to read his next book.
Great Book, Highly Recommend.......2007-05-14
Must read if you are trying to understand what National Guard Soldiers and other service members endure on deployment to Iraq.
Been There, Done That.......2007-02-12
I was with this unit in OIF-II in the capacity of a Medic. If you want to get a good feel for what Oregon's 2/162 did in Iraq, this is the book to read. I've read a number of military history books and sincerely feel that this is one of the better books I've read. Bruning looks at the overall strategic picture and details the reader from a tactical perspective, as well. Having known the troops in the book, as well as the others, I am extremely grateful to see our efforts noted and appreciated. Thanks John... very well done!
Superb!.......2007-02-12
Having served in three branches of the military, including the Oregon Army National Guard, I am well acquainted with the personalities that John Bruning so deftly brings to the pages of his book. There are some typographical errors that I'm more than willing to overlook simply because this book is a great effort to educate the general public about the realities of being citizen soldiers. Putting civilian lives on hold to travel thousands of miles from home, to be thrown into the jaws of hell, is something that can only be fully understood by being there. Mr. Bruning has done a wonderful job of getting the rest of us just a little bit closer.
Devil's Sandbox.......2007-01-19
This book is about my sons Battalion. After I read it and was drwn into the very moment that was taking place I had my son read it and we discussed it. He said there were a couple of incorrect statements but for the most part it was right on.
It is indepth, correct, compelling and heart renching.
Book Description
Like its World War II namesake of Leyte Gulf fame, USS Samuel B. Roberts (FFG 58) was a small combatant built for escort duty. But its skipper imbued his brand-new crew with a fighting spirit to match their forebears, and in 1988 when the guided missile frigate was thrust into the Persian Gulf at the height of the Iran-Iraq War, there was no better ship for the job. Forbidden to fire unless fired upon, Captain Paul Rinn and his crew sailed amid the chaos in the Gulf for two months, relying on wit and nerve to face down fighter jets and warships bent on the destruction of civilian vessels. Their sternest test came when an Iranian mine ripped open the ship's engine room, ignited fires on four decks, and plunged the ship into darkness. The crew's bravery and cool competence was credited with keeping the ship afloat, and its actions have become part of Navy lore and a staple of naval leadership courses ever since.
This is the first book to record the Roberts' extraordinary tale. After years of research and interviews with crewmembers, journalist Bradley Peniston chronicles the crew's heroic efforts to save the ship as they fought flames and flooding well into the night. The author also describes the frigate's origins, its operational history, and the crew's training. Peniston's personal approach to the subject not only breathes life into the historical narrative but gives readers an opportunity to get to know the individuals involved and understand the U.S. retaliation to the mining and the battle that evolved, setting the stage for conflicts to come. Foreword by Adm. William J. Crowe, USN (Ret.)
Customer Reviews:
Very well written.......2007-01-27
I am very impressed by No Higher Honor. It is interesting, well written, and an engaging read. No Higher Honor is an overdue tribute to a group of heroes that deserves to be remembered.
Anyone interested in naval history should read this book. I heartily recommend it.
The real modern Navy.......2007-01-10
I was there and this book captured the entire ordeal as well as it could be captured. Bradley did a wonderful and thorough job collecting data and memories. I now know far more about the whole incident than I knew when it happened. I'm grateful that our story got told, but more grateful that it was told so well.
Wonderful Book.......2006-08-25
Tom Reinert is my nephew so I had heard a lot about the "Sammy B" and its accident. However, there was so much more that I was unaware of. Pres. Reagan's response was much greater than I originally thought (at the time I wondered why he only went after 2 oil rigs). There was also a lot of interesting info about details of the Gulf that I was unaware was happening at the time. Kudos to the author for a story that needed to be told!
No Higher Honor: Saving the USS Samuel B. Roberts.......2006-08-18
I really enjoyed this book. My son is now serving on the USS Samuel B. Roberts, so that made it even more interesting. I also bought the book for him and he is looking forward to reading it.
Great book, Very well written.......2006-07-31
This is a must have for every US Navy sailor.
Book Description
He was a different kind of warrior for a different kind of war. Lieutenant Colonel R. Alan King and his 422nd Civil Affairs Battalion became operations central after the collapse of the Iraqi army and the beginning of the occupation. While under his command these civil affairs and psychological operations soldiers were not content to stay in secure offices inside the green zone. To do their job they had to get out and make house calls and in the process the 422nd became the most highly decorated civil affairs unit in the history of the U.S. Army with twenty-one individual awards for valor and five purple heartsR. Alan King was particularly well suited for the new kind of war being waged in Iraq. Armed with his rifle and a Palm Pilot that contained an English translation of the Koran along with an informed and nuanced respect for Middle Eastern culture, King captured or arranged the surrender of almost a dozen of the most-wanted villains from Saddam's regime including several from the famous deck of cards. He became privy to secrets as weighty as those of Iraq's nuclear weapons program and as light as those behind the outlandish press briefings of the infamous Baghdad Bob.The regional expertise that helped King negotiate with clerics and sheikhs also informs his provocative opinions about what it will take to win the battle for the hearts and minds of Iraq, an ancient, mystifying, and deeply religious culture. King has been compared to the legendary T. E. Lawrence, with the press dubbing him Alan of Arabia. Reading Twice Armed shows it to be an apt comparison.
Customer Reviews:
The part of war you never hear about from the media.......2007-01-16
You don't hear about what Alan King does in the media. It's not sexy and doesn't involve divisions of our boys getting blown up. But this text is a phenomenal example of the complexity and difficulty of the ground level diplomacy that is required to build a nation as fractious as Iraq.
Despite the numerous difficulties, King managed to establish important relationships with religious and sectarian leaders at all levels. His repoir with the local leaders was so great that many of the "Most Wanted" list walked into his office and surrendered. The effort in Iraq was deeply affected by his presence. - Semper Fi
An Admirable Soldier Tells His Story.......2007-01-11
Lt. Col King is clearly a dedicated and studious person. Would there were more like him in the US miliary.
He has a good story to tell and he tells it clearly and simply. I wish him well in his future endeavours.
A Strong Factual Personal Account of Situation in Iraq.......2006-12-14
There have been many books written about the war and the present situation in Iraq by soldiers, reporters and politicians but author R. Alan King gives us an insider view that is seldom, if ever, reported. His memoir "Twice Armed: An American Soldier's Battle for Hearts and Minds in Iraq" takes the reader on a personal journey that opens up questions about what happened in Iraq and what is going on now. He looks at what went wrong, what worked and also points out what we should do in order to win the hearts and minds of those in Iraq.
Seldom has there been such a riveting and insightful memoir that captures history right off the front pages of recent history. This book gives us a different view then what we have been getting from the TV or the newspapers or even from the White House. His dealings with local people show a sensitive social and religious tolerance that makes for good diplomacy and good soldiering. Men like King are certainly not common in the ranks. They should be treated as rare and valuable government assets but too often they are ignored. It amazes me that our leadership chooses to ignore such men and continues to pursue policies and actions based on their limited blinded understandings of the real world.
It gives me some hope that perhaps there are other military minds out there who are making a difference. My fear is that we have lost the righteous momentum for solving the huge problems in Iraq and now are scrambling for any escape from this dangerous arena.
I enjoyed reading Lieutenant Colonel King's accounting of his experiences in Iraq and his views on the situation there. I highly recommend his book for all American's to read. They might come away with a much broader and knowledgeable view of what is going on in Iraq and perhaps why things are as they are. This book deserves the MWSA"s top book rating of FIVE STARS! A MUST READ BOOK!
You'll learn more than you think.......2006-11-16
Lt Col King is not your typical soldier. He and the unit he led, the 422nd Civil Affairs Battalion, occupy an odd place in the military. Part of the special forces but focused more on dealing with a civilian population than combatants, civil affairs units don't always get the respect they deserve in the Army. More often than not, they come from the reserves. Yet, in today's war on terror, the civil affairs units are more critical to victory than firepower-laden infantry or armored battalions. King clearly respected the Iraqi people, their culture, their history, and their challenges as a society. It made him more effective as a leader of his unit and as an advocate for those Iraqis who saw the invasion as an opportunity to build a better future for their country. Twice Armed is thoughftul, fast-paced, and provides the kind of perspective that has been missing in much of the debate over Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Lt Col King isn't Ernie Pyle, but he does have his moments. His description of an ambush and feelings about losing an Iraqi bodyguard, Fallah, is heartfelt and moving. It hits you where you live, which is more than can be said about a lot of memoirs coming out of Iraq. Nevertheless, the book is choppy and he often doesn't provide the context that would help the reader understand what he's doing and why. Twice Armed also needed a better editor and proofreader. Typos are understandable from a small publisher, but they're frequent enough to become distracting.
That said, Lt Col King is one of those honest-to-goodness soldiers who makes you proud of your military, proud of your country, and angry that more people don't share his understanding of the challenges before us or his commitment to overcoming them. Twice Armed won't win him any writing awards; he'll have to settle for being a great American in the truest sense of the word. Either way, we owe him a debt of gratitude for writing the book, relating his experiences, and sharing his thoughts. Read it. You'll be pleasantly surprised.
Also worth reading: Waging Peace by Rob Schultheis, a writer who embedded with a Civil Affairs Team from the 425th Civil affairs Battalion.
A riveting story evolves of his years of duty........2006-11-07
TWICE ARMED: AN AMERICAN SOLDIER'S BATTLE FOR HEARTS AND MINDS IN IRAQ is for any American reader who would understand, from an insider's perspective, the magnitude of the military and social fighting taking place in modern Iraq. Author King is a war fighter and soldier who negotiated with numerous sheiks and clerics, earning their trust. He captured or accepted the surrender of nearly a dozen of the most-wanted Iraqi personalities from Saddam's regime, and yet was willing to practice the customs of the region so he could gain the people's trust. A riveting story evolves of his years of duty.
Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch
Book Description
In April 2003, soon after Operation Iraqi Freedom had been declared a success, President Bush sent retired U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Jay Garner to Iraq to rebuild the country. As Garner's executive officer, the author of this book was part of the senior leadership circle charged with three tasks. They were to reconstruct Iraq's infrastructure, provide humanitarian assistance, and lay the foundation for a democratic process to take hold. But not long after their arrival in the rubble and ruin of Iraq, the political, military, and economic wheels ground to a halt and theirs became mission improbable.
In this book, Air Force colonel Kim Olson tells how and why. Readers are privy to the candid discussions of U.S. generals frustrated by operating in a policy void. They sit at the table with Iraqi leaders who warn of an impending insurgency if the proclamations crafted by ill-informed and arrogant policy makers are implemented. And they share Olson's fear as Saddam's death squads attempt to assassinate her in an explosion of bullets.
This gripping, firsthand account of what went wrong is seen from Olson's unique point of view as a senior female military officer, pilot, wife, and mother. Many of the stories she tells are known to only the handful of people involved, including a mission to rescue two Iraqi women and details of early meetings with tribal leaders to discuss building a coalition government--an effort quashed by Garner's successor. Her haunting descriptions of Shiite families searching for loved ones in Saddam's killing fields and malnourished children in the town of Umn Qasr untouched by the International Oil-for-Food Program, will remain with readers long after they close the book. From the decisions of political leaders and military commanders to everyday encounters with the Iraqi people and informal conversations with soldiers, such a wealth of honest, insider information is rare. No other author weaves together military, political, and humanistic insights so effectively.
Customer Reviews:
A Page Turner.......2007-09-11
Kim Olson is a one of a kind woman. She shares her experience in the military with strength and with conviction about her service...and still shows her humility and intelligence in the face of adverse situations.
If you want to get a real view of the dedication and hard work of our military through an articulate and incredible voice, this is the book for you. She doesn't sugar coat the situation of war, nor does she make excuses for her decisions. She gives every single American a reason to stand up and be proud.
We couldn't put the book down. It is beautifully written...but that's not the essence. It is an honest account by an honest woman.
Jane and Robert Handly
Suspenseful, touching thoroughly amazing!!.......2007-07-08
This book is an amazing first hand account of what it was like for Olson, her team and probably many soldiers as well in the war in Iraq. It is touching on a human level as you encounter Olson's struggles as a veteran female pilot in the Air Force, and how she balances her career as well as being a mother and wife in a assignment that tests her will on all accounts. Each chapter is gripping with suspense as you never know what her and her team will encounter as you turn each page. Honesty, humility and humor are threaded throughout the pages that left me with a better understanding of the risks of our freedom, proud to be an American, and the feeling I just witnessed first hand an incredible journey that left me entertained and at the same time, with a lump in my throat. Rebecca D. Turner, author of Tattoo
Very Disappointing!.......2007-05-10
General Garner, a highly respected leader both within Iraq and the U.S., was asked to leave his civilian job to lead postwar efforts in Iraq. He accepted the challenge, only to quickly be replaced by Ambassador Bremer who immediately made the situation vastly worse. Kim Olson was his Executive Officer - in an excellent position to report key details. Little has been reported to-date on why Garner "failed" and was replaced.
I eagerly picked up "Iraq and Back," looking forward to learning what happened. Unfortunately, the book is almost entirely a short history of Olson's life as a female officer in the Air Force (she is WAY too full of herself), and the remaining material offers no explanations of Garner's frustrations.
That said, it is hard to not be sympathetic to Olson's explanation of how her career crashed, and the difficulties of even paying their African security force.
Iraq and Back.......2007-05-06
For a month after Baghdad's fall, Gen. Jay Garner's Office of Reconstruction and Humanitarian Assistance (ORHA) led Iraq. Because of length of tenure and also because his successor, Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) administrator L. Paul Bremer, cultivated the press which Garner eschewed, ORHA has become little more than a footnote in many accounts. Olson, a retired U.S. Air Force colonel, sheds light on this period with Iraq and Back, an account of her time as Garner's executive officer.
Olson's prose is straightforward and unpretentious. As she narrates events, her narrative illustrates ORHA's failure to coalesce. Uniformed military officers disliked civilian counterparts, and the State Department mistrusted anyone who did not hail from the Foreign Service. Olson, like many executive officers, makes instant judgments and boils personalities down into the briefest of descriptions. She noted how Larry DiRita, an aide to Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, spent hours on the phone reporting back to his boss but never executed an order for Garner. She had little patience for then-National Security Council official (and, later, ambassador to Baghdad) Zalmay Khalilzad, whom she suggests was an arrogant showboat unconcerned with those around him. State Department official Sherri Kraham, who later married Patriotic Union of Kurdistan leader Jalal Talabani's son, she depicts as fragile, sobbing with fear at the prospect of a helicopter flight.
As Garner's chief aide, Olson was attuned to her boss. She relates his impatience at ORHA's slow deployment to Iraq, at the problems surrounding the establishment of ORHA's palace headquarters, and Garner's subsequent scramble to pay Iraqi pensions. Without such basic equipment as telephones, the hurdles ORHA faced in completing its mission were huge.
However, ORHA's difficulties were not just an absence of equipment but also a lack of guidance. Olson says ORHA received no instructions about Iraqi governance from the White House, State Department, or the Defense Department. While this should lay to rest the canard that the Pentagon sought to impose Iraqi National Congress leader Ahmad Chalabi on Iraq, it does raise questions about Condoleezza Rice. Wasn't it the job of the national security advisor to oversee policy coordination and ensure that no vacuum developed? Because there had been interagency agreement on some policies, had Garner ignored these; did the National Security Council or Pentagon fail to transmit them; or had staff members under Olson simply disregarded them? Regardless, in the absence of instructions on his desk, Garner freelanced, inviting seven prominent Iraqi expatriate leaders into a council. Olson appears unaware that these were the Iraqi leaders chosen by the Iraqi expatriate community after years of negotiation and conferences.
Iraq and Back ends as abruptly as did Garner's tenure. Bremer--the "arrogant jerk" in Olson's words--arrived and casts ORHA aside. He dismisses Garner's fledgling government and orders the sweeping de-Baathification measures Garner had resisted.
While any account of ORHA fills a void, Olson's falls short. Her loyalty to Garner prevents her from asking tough questions about his tenure. How did he make decisions? Why did he publicly embrace high-level Baathists such as Saad al-Janabi, a former aid to Saddam Hussein's sons? Why did he start soliciting political advice from former CIA officials who had moved to Baghdad to form businesses with former Baathist contacts? How did Garner foresee his Iraqi leadership council enforcing decisions down to the municipality? And what interactions did Garner have with U.S. Central Command and U.S. military leaders still operating in Iraq? Nevertheless, Iraq and Back is a good first step at filling in the missing piece of Iraq' post-war narrative.
Michael Rubin
Middle East Quarterly
Summer 2007
THE LITTLE ENGINE THAT COULD.......2006-11-04
Kim Olson's memoir of ORHA, with the backstory of her own struggles in a man's military world, kept me enthralled by the sheer gumption of selfless men and woman who set out against odds. It is a wonder what Garner and his team, including Col. Olson, might have achieved, if only left alone to employ their experience, intelligence, and capture the moment. It wasn't to be, and Olson's account made this reader shake his head in dismay. I want my daughter to read this book as well. There are many lessons here for young women. My only quibble is with the author's purple prose, which somebody should have counseled Olson against. With her story to tell, she did not need to overwrite.
Average customer rating:
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Special Operations Forces and Enemy Ground Targets: Lessons from Vietnam and the Persian Gulf War
William Rosenau
Manufacturer: RAND Corporation
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 083303071X |
Book Description
Special operations forces can be effective where conventional gound units and air power alone cannot locate elusive or hidden ground targets, but there are limitations.
Download Description
In the Vietnam War and the Persian Gulf conflict, special operations forces (SOF) conducted reconnaissance operations to locate hidden targets when political and other considerations prevented the deployment of conventional ground units and air power alone was unable to locate and eliminate elusive objectives. In Vietnam, SOF teams crossed the border into Laos to search for truck parks, storage depots, and other assets along the Ho Chi Minh Trail that were obscured by jungle canopy and camouflage. In western Iraq, British and American SOF patrolled vast areas searching for mobile Scud launchers. In both cases, the nature of the terrain combined with adversary countermeasures made it extremely difficult for ground teams to achieve their objectives. There are a number of implications for future operations. Although new technology, such as mini- and micro-unmanned aerial vehicles, may make it easier to teams to reconnoiter wide areas, using SOF in this fashion is unlikely to achieve U.S. objectives. Concerns about casualties and prisoners of war are likely to limit the use of SOF to the most vital national interests. However, unattended ground sensors could play an enhanced role in future operations. Although most will be delivered by air, some will require hand emplacement in difficult enemy terrain, a mission well suited to SOF. SOF in a battle damage assessment role could help ensure that critical targets have been destroyed. Finally, SOF might disable, destroy, or recover nuclear, biological, or chemical weapons.
Customer Reviews:
Quality was also Elusive.......2003-05-19
Don't set aside too much for this one. Calling this report a book is a bit generous, more like a bound two part magazine article. I wrote longer papers in college. With that rant out of the way what about the "book". Lacking would sum it up in one word. Basically the level of detail here would be two good chapters in a larger book, there just was not enough meat. The authors give a high level overview of Special Forces operations in two similar missions in the Vietnam and Gulf War. Really though it covered only one operation from each war. In Vietnam it covered operations on locating transport trucks on the Ho Chi Min trail and in the Gulf War it covered the scud hunt in the desert.
It is not so much that the author did not bite off enough of a subject to write a decent book, but what he did produce was far two high to be anything other than an overview. Again it seamed like this was the opening chapters to a more detailed book on the subjects. Not to be too negative, the author did have a good writing style that was easy to read. It is just that that is the only positive I can come up with. Overall I was very disappointed and would not recommend this book.
Book Description
A valentine for one of the ugliest, albeit most lethally effective, warplanes ever built--as well as for the men who flew them during the Desert Storm campaign. Drawing on interviews with over one hundred A-10 pilots who served in the Persian Gulf during the 1990-91 hostilities, Smallwood (himself an aviator and Korean War vet) offers riveting perspectives on aerial combat. Setting the stage with an informative briefing on how, in the 70's, the Air Force developed the A-10 (a.k.a. ``Warthog'') as a means of supporting ground troops with massive firepower, he moves into anecdotal vignettes detailing the ways in which so-called ``hog drivers'' and their commanders whiled away the weary hours of the calm before the storm in Saudi Arabia's inhospitable clime. At the heart of his narrative, however, are vivid accounts of how A-10s accomplished their tank-busting missions and then some once the battle was joined. Tasked, among other objectives, to take out missile launchers and artillery emplacements far behind the front lines (assignments normally reserved for jet fighters), the slow-moving, heavily armed Warthogs were credited with over half the bomb damage inflicted on Iraqi forces and installations. Employing improvisational tactics, A-10s also flew reconnaissance and assisted in rescues of coalition pilots; they even scored air-to- air kills, downing a couple of enemy choppers. Indeed, the plane's ungainly Gatling-gun platform performed so well that pilots demanded their craft be redesignated ``RFOA-10'' (for ``reconnaissance/fighter/observation/attack'').
"An absorbing tale of how a decidedly ugly duckling became a military hero of some consequence." —Kirkus Reviews
Customer Reviews:
Great picture of the A-10 during the Gulf War.......2006-02-15
Quick, easy read about the role of the A-10 in the Gulf War. I'm a big fan of oral histories and this uses a lot of interviews with pilots and is written directly from those conversations. A great look into the buildup before Desert Storm and what the pilots did before and during the War in the Gulf area.
Excellent work!.......2004-09-06
The A-10 "Warthog" is a slow, ugly warplane but deadly efficient in battle given that it operates under complete air supremacy. The author has done a great job describing in vivid details this potent aerial weapon as well as the brave fliers who took it in the Gulf War for its battle debut. The destruction that A-10s achieved against the Iraqi Army was awesome and the enemy's armour was decimated by the combination of Maverick missiles and the GAU-8/A Anenger gun. Smallwood gives many behind the scenes details of improvisation regarding the use of weapons, the tactics and the ways the pilots used to bring more firepower on the enemy. The vast array of the iraqi air-defense weapons and the dangers that Warthog pilots faced are also presented. Highly recommended!
Flying the A-10 in the Gulf War.......2004-05-04
This is a nice little book that provides detailed and moving information about the A-10 pilots during the first Gulf War in 1991. It is a quick read. As the author has stated, it is strictly a snapshot about the A-10 during this war and not about the development of the A-10 program. The listing of the A-10 pilots that served during the war at the end of the book is a nice touch and the author did do very well in conducting extensive interviews with the pilots that participated in the war.
The only complaint that I have is that there is sometimes a little bit too much pilot lingo in describing some of the missions and there are no references listed for other books or articles. The references would have been good when descibing some of the unique features of the plane.
Great Book.......2002-10-06
This is a very entertaining and informative book. It tells the many interesting stories about the awesome plane, the A-10. I would recommend this book to anyone.
A Must-Read for Hog fans!.......2000-03-15
I am a former Comm/Nav troop from the 76th that got out before the Gulf War. This book really helped me see what our planes did over there when all the news footage and other specials only show other bases! It was great to "hear" from people I knew on their experiences! I couldn't put the book down!
Customer Reviews:
Amazing Changes in Fifteen Years.......2006-02-26
More than just a study of how the modern American military goes to war, this book is a study of the conflict in Iraq since Gulf I.
It covers the impact of the Goldwater-Nichols defense department reorganization that has worked wonders in reducing inter-service rivalry and which was first put to the test in Gulf I.
It covers the changes in munitions, equipment, training, recon that comprise the present day forces.
It is also the most complete story I've seen on what Saddam was doing during the gaps between Gulf I and Gulf II. You get the feeling that a local, not well educated or travelled person, focused on his own issues just couldn't see what his statements were saying to the rest of the world.
My only complaint is that the book ends just a little bit too early. There's not much on hos we are to get out of the mess that exists over there now. This is a book on how the military fights wars, not on how we conduct the peace afterwards.
Highly recommended.
Book Description
In 1950, Americans expected that the United States would wage another major war in the near future. Instead, over the course of the next half-century, they fought limited wars against minor powers: North Korea, North Vietnam, and Iraq. In Presidential Decisions for War, Gary R. Hess explores the ways in which Presidents Truman, Johnson, and Bush took America into these wars. He recreates the unfolding crises in Korea, Vietnam, and the Persian Gulf, explaining why the presidents and their advisers concluded that the use of military power was ultimately necessary to uphold U.S. security. The decisions for war are then evaluated in terms of how effectively the president assessed U.S. interests, explored alternatives to war, adhered to constitutional processes, and built congressional, popular, and international support.
Once at war, each president as commander in chief faced the challenge of waging a limited war, which imposes restrictions on military operations and objectives and on the extent to which popular emotions can be aroused. After tracing how Truman, Johnson, and Bush responded to unfolding military developments, Hess evaluates the wartime leadership of each president in terms of his effectiveness in coordinating political and military objectives, managing civilian-military relations, communicating objectives and sustaining popular and congressional support, gaining and sustaining international backing, and responding to diplomatic initiatives and opportunities for peace.
Presidential Decisions for War concludes that the quality of presidential leadership directly affected the different outcomes of these three wars, each of which remains a topic of ongoing controversy among historians and the public.
Amazon.com
"I've cast out my razor, divorced my soap, buried my manners, signed my socks to a two-year contract, and proved that you don't have to come in out of the rain." So wrote Corporal Thomas P. Noonan from Vietnam, proving that humor doesn't fail even in war. Noonan's letter is just one of over 50,000 that letter-enthusiast Andrew Carroll (Letters of a Nation) received after Abigail Van Buren publicized his Legacy Project in her Dear Abby column. Out of this treasure trove he selected 150, spanning 130 years of warfare from the Civil War to Bosnia. While there are letters from such notables as General William Tecumseh Sherman and even Julia Childs, most were written by uncelebrated but dearly loved soldiers from barracks, trenches, and flooded foxholes and by combat journalists, nurses, and family members on the home front.
While the letters are not unrelentingly grim, there is ample description of the rending agonies of war and the pain of separation. For instance, a recounting of horrors found in a Nazi concentration camp, or a tender letter to a just-born daughter who may never be seen. Private First Class Richard King describes the death of a Catholic chaplain blessing the foxholes: "An artillery shell cut him in half at the waist." Staff Sergeant Joe Sammarco tells how he crawled, wounded, across streams and into hills in order to escape the Chinese, propelled by the thought of his wife and his babies. Many of these are "last letters," often received after the news of the writer's death. Lieutenant Tommie Kennedy, a POW on a Japanese "hell ship," wrote his farewells on the only thing he had--the back of two family photographs, which were smuggled back to his parents.
These are, as Carroll writes, "the first, unfiltered drafts of history." His rich sample testifies to the universal and poignant themes of love and honor, courage and rage, duty and fear and mortality. The playful and heartfelt voices grant us the personal perspective all too often lost in news reports and government statements. Taken together, they remind us that, despite the playful good cheer, the human cost of war is far too high. A remarkable contribution to the understanding of war and its impact, and a powerful tribute to those undone by it. --Lesley Reed
Book Description
In 1998, Andrew Carroll founded the Legacy Project with the goal of remembering Americans who have served this nation and preserving their letters for posterity. Since then, more than 50,000 war letters discovered in basements, attics, scrapbooks, and old trunks have poured in from around the country. The best of these letters are assembled in this extraordinary collection, offering unprecedented insight into the Civil War, World Wars I and II, Vietnam, Korea, the Cold War, the Persian Gulf, and even the fighting in Somalia and the Balkans.
Featured here are dramatic accounts of combat written immediately after the most ferocious battles American troops have ever faced; poignant expressions of love by homesick husbands and sweethearts; humorous anecdotes and gripes about insufferable conditions; thoughtful reflections on the nature of warfare; and perhaps most devastating, a startling number of last letters, heartfelt messages penned just hours before the sender was killed.
War Letters is a testament to the heroic contributions and astonishing literary voices of common soldiers, marines, airmen, and sailors, as well as war nurses, journalists, spies, and chaplains. There are also previously unpublished letters by such legendary figures as William T. Sherman, Clara Barton, Theodore Roosevelt, Ernie Pyle, Helen Keller, Douglas MacArthur, Julia Child, Dwight Eisenhower, Norman Schwarzkopf, and America's first black general, Benjamin O. Davis Sr.
"Individually, the war letters collected here are distinct, finely cut works of art, some more polished, some rougher around the edges, but each one exquisite in its own right. Together, they create a larger narrative: the story of Americans at war against themselves and other nations," observes Carroll in his introduction. These historic letters capture the full fury and intensity of warfare, and they reveal in vivid detail what the servicemen and -women of this nation have experienced and sacrificed on the front lines. War Letters is a lasting tribute to those who have fought for this country, and a celebration of the enduring power and lyricism of personal letters.
Customer Reviews:
An incredibly profound book!.......2006-05-22
This book is a great read. It is refeshing to be able to read words, thoughts and dreams from people as they perform such honorable duty overseas. This book is powerful and should be required reading for all, especially Americans.
Some anti-war activist may think it is "pro-war" but it isn't just that. This book reveals personal thoughts and challenges faced by American military personnel in wars from the Civil War until the later conflicts in the 20th century. It is pro-war, anti-war and everything in between.
This book reminds me of the sacrifice that so many make for their country. It is a great tribute for those who have served.
A useful read.......2006-03-28
i only gave it three stars because many of the stories were more about patriotism than about the war themselves. Of course every book has its bias so its still a useful and moving read when taken with this grain of salt.
A wonderful, different type of war book, but . . . .......2006-03-19
I received this book as a gift because my family knows I love reading personal histories from those who lived it and "War Letters" seemed perfect for that. I enjoy learning what life was like for the average citizen in an era, whether its someone riding the Erie Canal in 1840, a foot soldier in the American revolution, or a journal from the Civil War.
This is a remarkable book and taken individually there are many, many heart-rending emotional stories that probably need to be read by many people. It does in fact put a personal face on war. Because it is a collection of letters, the book is easily read in short spurts; you don't want (and shouldn't) read this book quickly.
I only gave the book 4 stars because I actually found it hard to read. While the personal letters (the spelling, mannerisms of the authors) help tell their stories, it also keeps the book from developing any flow. Some letters are agonzingly slow to read and understand. I'm certainly not faulting the authors or their stories; but if you're looking for a great, well-written, smooth-flowing story that you can't put down, this isn't it.
Great book for history buffs and teachers too.......2006-02-20
I actually read a review about this book and gave it as a gift to my sister-in-law who teaches high school history. She LOVES it and told me it was an amazing collection of actual letters. She said all of the teachers that she works with have been borrowing it!!
TearJerker.......2005-07-20
This book is awesome, I have read it numerous times. My heart goes out to the letters writers and receivers... I urge you to spread the word of this book... It will really open your eyes to see that Military Personel and their signifigant others are real people, with real feelings... I really look forward to another book like this coming out. I will definately buy it.
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