Black Hawk Down

Executive Summary: I think this is a case of bad timing more than the quality of the book. I think choosing to read a nonfiction book about a lot of American soldiers dying near the holidays was a bad idea on my part.

Audiobook: Alan Sklar seemed to be a fine narrator. Unlike fiction books, I always prefer the narrator do as little as possible with nonfiction. He read clearly and with good inflection.

Full Review
I saw the movie adaptation of this book years ago when it first came out, and recalling thinking it a well told story. Well told doesn't necessarily translate to enjoyable however, especially when the subject matter is so dire.

Mr. Bowden seems to do a great job in gathering facts and input from a variety of people involved in what has come to be called The Battle of Mogadishu. This includes not only many of the soldiers who lived it, but a few of the Somalies as well.

I found the story slow and a bit dry at the beginning. I think Mr. Bowden wanted to ensure we knew whose these American soldiers were, and he goes into a lot of detail about many of them at the start.

Things really start to pick up as everything goes wrong. It's not really a story of American triumph however. That made for some hard listening at times.

Real life is always more fascinating than fiction, but I just never fully got into this book. I am glad I read it though, and I think it's an important story to have been told, especially at the time when it was released. If you enjoy military nonfiction, especially a fairly recent story, give this one a look.

Truly incredible.

I read this book from three perspectives. First, as a soldier, I was interested in the intricacies of the battle. The relationship between the command and control elements and the men on the ground particularly intrigued me. Second, I am a journalism student. As this account is written by a journalist with no military background, I carried a professional curiosity about the accuracy and integrity of the story. Finally, as many others have, I wanted to see how the cinematic depiction differed from the original account. My findings, on all counts, show this book worthy of its public spotlight and professional emphasis.

This book does not hesitate to recount the blunders alongside the triumphs of the operation. For this reason it is listed on many military professional development reading lists. As a student of the profession of arms, I endorse this perspective.

Journalistically, this narrative seems to fit within the bounds of ethics, professional inquiry, and a rare humility. I appreciated the author's willingness to parry accolade and redirect attention to those who truly deserve it; the soldiers, Rangers, operators, and SEALs. His actions appear to support his intentions.

Questions regarding the disparities between film and book should be placed at rest. Making concessions on backstory and character development (challenging in film) one can see the two align as closely as possible.

Great read. You get a real insight into the chaos and confusion of modern warfare. Read this before the movie came out, which is also highly recommended.