It was an audacious daylight thrust into the “Black Sea,” the very heart of Habr Gidr territory in central Mogadishu and warlord Aidid’s stronghold. And the armada launched, lifting off from the shabby airport by the sea into an embracing blue vista of sky and Indian Ocean.

I read this immediately after watching the movie and was impressed how much the film followed the book.

By the time they reached the street, the D-boys would already be taking down the target house, rounding up Somali prisoners and shooting anyone foolish enough to fight back.

This is an authoritative picture of the Rangers and the men of Delta Force who think of themselves as ‘faster, stronger, smarter, and more experienced than any soldier in the world. If you have already seen the 'Black Hawk Down' movie, even then give this book a try and you will be amazed with the power of written words; as Bowden captures each and every moment of the engagement - happening in both air and ground - with such vividness. There are lessons here re the politics of "small engagements," that seem to speak volumes to contemporary warfare, and to the physical tactics as well.It´s not always within the Geneva Convention, but civil war is a different beast than conventional conflict and U. One sad note: He was killed when the Medivac helicopter taking him to his cancer checkup in Baghdad was shot down in November 2003.