It's a great book. Everything is in exact detail as the movie. As I read, I picture the scene in the movie and I feel like I'm watching the movie all over again. It was written word for word, scene by scene. It even includes still photos and a full cast description of each character. It was everything I thought it would be. It was definitely worth the wait since ordering this book before it was even published.

Black Hawk's Autobiography is reframed in this edition to convey the true voice of the author despite Jacksonian influences of the original editor and interpreter (Patterson and LeClair) who published the first autobiography in 1833. Nichols muses in his introduction,"What is certain is that Black Hawk provided some narrative which has come down to the present...To what extent... does his product offer an authentic Indian voice?...Having worked on this text for some years, it seems to me that we can indeed 'tease out' the Indian's feelings and ideas from the Autobiography...the resulting prose still gives obvious examples of Sauk cultural practices and the warrior's individual attitudes." (p. xix) The value of such an edition is clear. For the first time a mid- 19th century Native American perspective of the experience of American/other territorial expansion, takeover, and ensuing treaties and conflicts between settlers and Native Americans is articulated. What emerges despite the cosmetic grooming efforts of Patterson or LeClair is not pretty or flattering to Americans in any way. Black Hawk is a formidable and resourceful enemy both with the pen and the arrow. What is valuable to Native Americans and other scholars today is both historical and current. Lost, forgotten, buried, disregarded, unperceived, and misunderstood Sauk values and outlooks can be discovered and explored. Perhaps the bitter battle of Wisconsin Heights can engender new insight from current audiences. What is clear and amazing is the evident skill and generalship of Black Hawk, as well as the loyalty and bravery of his band. Nichols begins with a chronology of important events in Black Hawk's life and a series of maps of parts of present day Illinois, Iowa and Wisconsin to clarify and illustrate the progress of the British Band with Black Hawk. It is very clear that Nichols is understating when he states "...modern readers using some care can indeed find much that was Sauk and that was Black Hawk in this account." I found many parts of Black Hawk's Autobiography to be deeply moving. At one part, Black Hawk describes his joy at doing battle with a worthy adversary, a leader who was careful with his men and cautious in the risk of death and injury as well as cunning and resourceful, by saying "I would have liked to shake his hand!" I have spent some time roaming and camping in the land where Black Hawk fought the battle of Wisconsin Heights. Reading his autobiography helps reanimate that haunted, proud and beautiful landscape with the brave members of the British Band and their leader. It makes you feel as though you want to shake his hand.

I read this book, and I am very excited about the Black Hawk now. I have a new understanding for the most important helicopter the US Army has. The book is very important to people who are interested in the Army, because I think that people should know about the Black Hawk helicopters.

I really enjoyed reading this story with my kids.Being from the area really made the story come to life and hard to put down.The conflicts of the Callahan family and predjitices of their era can still be related to our time.It is a wonderful story about love, honor, loyalty to ones beliefs and family. I highly recomend it !

This book is filled with photos of all the various versions of the Blackhawk/Seahawk. Interior and exterior shots of the UH-60A, SH-60B, -60F, -60H, -60L, and -60Q are all shown, and differences in the versions are shown and explained. There are also several good drawings and tables with stats.

I have never written a review for a book before, so bear with me. This is truly a book about some of the greatest heroes our country has seen. Not only Michael Durant, but every last one of those young men who were there. I was anxious to learn more about Durant's captivity than I had from Blackhawk Down, and I was not disappointed. I felt like I personally knew each of the people involved by the time I was through. If some parts of this book don't bring at least a small tear to your eyes, then you must not have a heart at all. Michael Durant and the others (especially the Delta guys) are the strongest, most courageous, and most patriotic men I have ever read about. If these traits are as strong in the rest of our military personnel, then our country should have no fears.

I was stationed at the Pentagon, when Gary Gordon and Randy Shughart's names were placed during a ceremony on the wall in the Medal of Honor room. I remember seeing men at the ceremony who were tough as nails with tears rolling down their eyes as the citations were read. The bravery of these two men always struck me because they truly lived and died for the creed that all in the service strive for, to not let their buddies behind and to risk their lives for those they served with. People wonder why people in the military put up with the lousy pay, the god forsaken bases, and the long periods of separation from families and loved ones. The answer is simple, we put up with those indignities because the military allows us to serve with some of the finest people it has been my privilige to have served with on active duty. Michael Durant's book pays the proper homage to these men. He makes them come alive as human and individuals, not as mythic warrior gods. When he describes their deaths, along with their lives, you truly mourn for them because you, too, feel the sense of loss. It should be a must read for our nation's leaders. That way, when they order our men and women into harm's way, they know the human cost of not properly supporting our troops with a clear mission and the right resources to carry out that mission. Well done, Mr. Durant!!!

IN THE COMPANY OF HEROES, by Mike Durant is an exceptional read ... heartbreaking and heroic and stunning in its honesty and humility. For those who don't remember (how could you not?), Durant was the Blackhawk pilot shot down over Mogadishu in 93 and held by Adid for 10 days. Although he contributed to Mark Bowden's BLACK HAWK DOWN (an exceptional piece of journalism, to be sure), this is the first time Durant has gone public with more than a perfunctory detailing of the events of his capture and his time as a POW in Mogadishu. It is an exceptional story of courage and the Human capacity to survive, as well as an extraordinary testament to the worth of intelligence, integrity, training and psychological/emotional strength under the most intense of circumstances.

Mike Durant, as he has proven time and time again, is a 100% class act with absolutely no delusions of grandeur. Though never shy about acknowledging his own skills and talents, Durant doesn't indulge in a single self-serving statement throughout the narrative, which includes extensive material on other special ops missions, as well as the Somalia fiasco. Neither does he lavish praise unduly on folks who were doing what they are trained and paid to do. What he does do is call it exactly as it happened to him, avoiding undue political rhetoric and unfailingly giving credit to those who kept him alive and brought him home.

Through his eyes, we see the men Donavan Briley and Cliff Wolcott and others lost in Somalia were -- not only as soldiers, but also as friends. By showing us the loss these men are to Durant personally, we begin to feel the loss such men always are to the country they serve at cost of life and limb. In recording this incident from an unprecedented POV and refusing to pander to the sensationalism that marked the media coverage or succumb to the self-aggrandizing agenda that usually mitigates such personal accounts of horrific events, Mike Durant offers insight into the unimaginable; and in doing so, creates a testament to both his own heroism and to the unsung heroism of others who willingly lay their lives on the line to protect our way of life.

Mike Durant doesn't consider himself a hero: The real heroes never do.

The story of a relatively small but deadly firefight brings to light USA's failed foreign policy regarding Africa's Somalia. Bowden's powerful description of the battle in Mogadishu over one 24 hour period is as captivating a story as I have read in years. Bowden tells his battle story from the viewpoints of its participants from the general down to the private. America's modernized military might was tested and it won, or did it.

I applaud Bowden's efforts, his book is excellently researched and heart rendering. He captured both the people and the events so vividly that when you read this story you can visualize the fire-fights, the wounded, and the horror. The fateful decisions made by the General Garrison will be assessed later by historians but Bowden leaves the success of the mission up to us to decide.

Since the book is labeled Military History I would like to point out that it is not strictly a text-book history. Bowden's work breathes life into his soldiers. This is no dry history, you hear the soldiers speak and behave as men (or as boys, as the case may be) during the attack. This is probably one of the best facets of his book, it reads like a novel.

This battle will be analyzed by historians 25 - 50 years from now and they can apply the true historical impact of this attack. Bowden makes no claim to be a historian and even shies away from assessing blame (which historians usually have no problem doing). Bowden's perspective is that of a journalist, a viewer of events and he makes no historical analysis but recounts the activities before, during and after October 3rd, 1993. He offers us an impartial view of this battle and for this he should be congratulated. Faced with the number of dead and wounded USA soldiers I think it must have been tough to stand on the sidelines.

This is excellent book.

This is an excellent piece of modern American history. Black Hawk Down is also a wake up call to any policy makers who have taken the Gulf War as proof positive that Military intervention will always work in the new century.

Mark Bowden manages to give the reader a good impression of the overall situation in Somalia in addition to the electrifying events of that ill fated mission in October. This is a very good aspect of the book, because it is here that the general reader and future policy maker will gain the most insight. Technological superiority does not insure an easy military success. Gunships and night vision goggles do not equal victory.

As the battle rages through the streets of Somalia, you will find yourself having to take some time off, in order to catch your breath. Bowden's writing is as telling as Spielburg's directing in Saving Private Ryan. Not only is there an honest and smooth account of combat, but the humor that manifests itself in these terrible situations is also brought out with ease.

I did find myself fliping to the index when a name came back that I recognized but could not remember exactly- that is one of the few shortfalls Bowden's tale posesses: an amazing quantity of characters. They are hard to keep track of. I needed to remind myself that I was reading history, and not an adventure novel. It shamed me to think that I could read like that, but you might find yourself falling into the same trap that Bowden's prose led me. All in all, I am glad that Bowden has give us the story the way he has, with as few as possible ommitted details and in a way that is so easy to access.

Bowden's account of the October 1993 Battle of Mogadishu in which eighteen American soldiers were slain is a gripping blow-by-blow account of this horrific fifteen-hour battle. He has interviewed dozens of Army Rangers, Delta force operators, pilots, and Somalis, combed through the archives and pieced together the battle in a running minute-by-minute chronology that puts the reader in harm's way. This is a tough book to put down. The soldiers are put into context, their lives, their training, their camaraderie, but are yanked out of any political picture. They are soldiers, doing their jobs and trying to stay alive and complete a mission. Aside from a brief epilogue, "Black Hawk Down" does not seek to characterize the broader mission in Somalia from start to finish nor frame the reason for these troops' presence in Mogadishu, nor engage in any real post-mortem. This is the story of a brief and now nearly-forgotten battle. It is gory and heart-wrenching and full of chaos and noise. It is a powerful book. Not a political analysis but a true story of war.

Joan Piper wrote a very well balanced and factual account of the black hawk tragedy. What kept me interested was the personalization of her story and her ability to remain unbiased...as hard as that must have been. As a blue-suiter myself, I salute the whole Piper family and encourage everyone to read this book!

On April 14, 1994, a tandem of U.S. Air Force F-15C Eagle fighters descended below their mandatory altitude restriction of 10,000 feet, proceeded to misidentify two Army Blackhawk helicopters flying a routine mission in the Iraqi northern no-fly zone, and fired on both aircraft without provocation, warning or permission. In ten short minutes, 26 peacekeepers -- American, British, French, and Kurdish -- died a horrible and tragic death.

Joan L. Piper, a fifth grade teacher from San Antonio and the mother of one of the victims, is also the spouse of a career Air Force officer. The experiences of 26 years of military service reflect a depth of knowledge and expertise with which few can compare. In A Chain of Events, she demonstrates a relentless thoroughness in finding the answers that always seemed just out of reach.

Far more than a tale of a mother's grief for her slain child, "A Chain of Events" is a touching, poignant portrait of a family's loss and their grim quest for the truth. It is a compelling story of a woman's search for closure after a tragic loss and a chronicle of a family's frustrating battle through the seemingly impenetrable walls of a stalwart bureaucracy. But, more than anything else, it is an account of the strength of a family in the face of tragedy. Her conclusions are emotionally charged, yet nonetheless valid.

This is a wonderful book that will prove invaluable to anyone who has experience the loss of a loved one.

This book is both a well told mother's story and an exceptionally well researched critique of the government's coverup of the widely publicized friendly fire tragedy which claimed this mother's daughter. Mrs. Piper's story will grab your attention from her opening sentence and you will quickly be drawn in as she skillfully weaves a tapestry of facts and feelings to keep you hooked until the very end. I have read other accounts of these events which were mostly regurgitations of the government's official account. Having some military flying experience myself, nothing I have read before had the ring of truth. If you want to know what really happened, you must read this book. It is meticulously researched and documented. In spite of this it is one of the most imminently readable books I have ever encountered. The author's chapter-by-chapter alternation between her family's personal reactions to unfolding events and factual accounts of what was occurring on the other side of the world, as her daughter's helicopter flight proceeded from ground planning to the shootdown, was a key ingredient in keeping me turning the pages!

"Friendly Fire" is the definitive account of the tragic incident that took place in 1994 in the skies of northern Iraq. If you ever wanted to know how the US Air Force managed to shoot down two US Army helicopters and kill 26 people this is the book for you.

However, this is not a book intended to be "popular." At times, its analysis of the event is extremely dense and difficult for someone to understand who does not know about complex models of behavior and perception.

This being said, I would definitely recommend it to someone who wants to understand how a terrible tragedy unfolded.

However, I wish that the author had written a book which put a good deal of the theorical aspects of the incident in appendices and given a straightforward narrative of the incident and subsequent fallout. Some passages of the book read very easily and dramatically, and I have a feeling such an account might have found a wider audience.

I went into this book thinking "how in the world could this happen" and finished it asking "how is it that this didn't occur before."

A fascinating book that has significance for all types of emergency responders, who need to understand how such "mistakes" might occur and thus how to potentially prevent such mistakes from occuring in the future.

Friendly Fire is a insightful, intriguing analysis of the 1994 incident that resulted in the needless deaths of 26 peacekeepers in the Iraqi Norther No Fly Zone. Snook presents a compelling tale of a complex system gone awry, an organization operating on the edge of chaos, and the ultimate result of a deterministic system spinning out of control. Drawing on his extensive knowledge of systems theory and organizational behavior, LTC Snook presents his thesis with exceptional clarity and depth of understanding; his conclusions are as disturbing as they are fascinating: a series of rational decisions made by equally rational human beings still failed to prevent the very incident the organization was designed to forestall. A concise, well-written account of and incident with lessons that we should all take to heart.

A fascinating read, especially for people with ties to Utah and for members of the LDS Church. How unfortunate that this story has remained largely untold until now. There were sections that could have used more solid references. I am a direct descendant of James Andrus who is mentioned several times in the book, and some of what was written in this volume contradicts some fairly well-documented family history, but overall this book is wonderfully presented. This is essential reading for anyone with an interest in the history of the American West.

Dr. Peterson has done a brilliant job of writing and teaching in this work. This book is a must for anyone interested in Mormon, Utah, Western or U.S. history. You will see Utah and the Mormon Church in a whole new light. Dr. Peterson is magnificant in his research, historical honesty, writing method and using original sources. this is a book I treasure. Thank you Dr. Peterson