Book Description
A sweeping narrative history of the events leading to 9/11, a groundbreaking look at the people and ideas, the terrorist plans and the Western intelligence failures that culminated in the assault on America. Lawrence Wright’s remarkable book is based on five years of research and hundreds of interviews that he conducted in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Sudan, England, France, Germany, Spain, and the United States.
The Looming Tower achieves an unprecedented level of intimacy and insight by telling the story through the interweaving lives of four men: the two leaders of al-Qaeda, Osama bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri; the FBI’s counterterrorism chief, John O’Neill; and the former head of Saudi intelligence, Prince Turki al-Faisal.
As these lives unfold, we see revealed: the crosscurrents of modern Islam that helped to radicalize Zawahiri and bin Laden . . . the birth of al-Qaeda and its unsteady development into an organization capable of the American embassy bombings in Kenya and Tanzania and the attack on the USS Cole . . . O’Neill’s heroic efforts to track al-Qaeda before 9/11, and his tragic death in the World Trade towers . . . Prince Turki’s transformation from bin Laden’s ally to his enemy . . . the failures of the FBI, CIA, and NSA to share intelligence that might have prevented the 9/11 attacks.
The Looming Tower broadens and deepens our knowledge of these signal events by taking us behind the scenes. Here is Sayyid Qutb, founder of the modern Islamist movement, lonely and despairing as he meets Western culture up close in 1940s America; the privileged childhoods of bin Laden and Zawahiri; family life in the al-Qaeda compounds of Sudan and Afghanistan; O’Neill’s high-wire act in balancing his all-consuming career with his equally entangling personal life—he was living with three women, each of them unaware of the others’ existence—and the nitty-gritty of turf battles among U.S. intelligence agencies.
Brilliantly conceived and written, The Looming Tower draws all elements of the story into a galvanizing narrative that adds immeasurably to our understanding of how we arrived at September 11, 2001. The richness of its new information, and the depth of its perceptions, can help us deal more wisely and effectively with the continuing terrorist threat.
Customer Reviews:
Compelling and Heart-stopping Account of the Rise of Al Qaeda.......2007-10-16
Lawrence Wright has written what will be arguable the best book on the subject of the Al Qaeda and their war against the West. The Looming Tower is a monumental work on a grand scale not unlike many of the epic works about World War II.
This contribution to a growing body of literature on the subject of 9/11 and the rise of Islamic extremist/terrorism is a thorough, comprehensive narrative account of one of the critical junctures of history. Wright weaves a colorful tapestry of characters, from the little known Sayyid Qutib, founder of the modern Islamic movement, circa 1940's, to Public Enemy Number One- Osama bin Laden.
Wright gives insight and background into these characters and humanizes them. We see their faults, their sophistry,their cynicysm and opportunism, but also their cunning and ruthlessness. On the American side there is the cynical Michael Scheurer (CIA), the insufferable John O'Neill--perfect charicature of an FBI/G-man, and the wily Richard Clark; bureaucractic infighters all; desparate to catch this elusive figure, this cave dweller intent on making mischief, taking innocent life.
The Looming Tower is an exhilerating, heart-stopping account of the events that led up to 9/11. After reading this book, you will have a better appreciation of what this country is facing in the War on Terror.
History that reads like a novel!.......2007-10-14
It's an enjoyable and informative read. Historians in the future will certainly cite Wright's book. Their is no need for me to say anymore as the Pulitzer says it all!
must read for every educated american.......2007-10-14
If you are an American wondering what happened to our country and why, you must read this book. It provides an unbiased perspective on what happened and why on 9/11 and who the people behind it were. I whole heartedly recommend this book
Muslims and al-Qaeda 101.......2007-10-10
The Looming Tower is a must read for anyone wanting to know why world events have brought us to today. Lawrence Wright also makes it clear how difficult it will be to negotiate any type of peace with certain Muslim sects. Very factual. Well-researched and documented.
Excellent.......2007-10-10
This book, The Looming Towers, is an excellent portrayal of the genesis of the Muslim feelings of denigration and disgrace at the hands of the leaders of Western world. This book is sobering and frightening. It is well written and extremely interesting with excellent references.
Book Description
Brigitte Gabriel lost her childhood to militant Islam. In 1975 she was ten years old and living in Southern Lebanon when militant Muslims from throughout the Middle East poured into her country and declared jihad against the Lebanese Christians. Lebanon was the only Christian influenced country in the Middle East, and the Lebanese Civil War was the first front in what has become the worldwide jihad of fundamentalist Islam against non-Muslim peoples. For seven years, Brigitte and her parents lived in an underground bomb shelter. They had no running water or electricity and very little food; at times they were reduced to boiling grass to survive. Because They Hate is a political wake-up call told through a very personal memoir frame. Brigitte warns that the US is threatened by fundamentalist Islamic theology in the same way Lebanon was- radical Islam will stop at nothing short of domination of all non-Muslim countries. Gabriel saw this mission start in Lebanon, and she refuses to stand silently by while it happens here. Gabriel sees in the West a lack of understanding and a blatant ignorance of the ways and thinking of the Middle East. She also points out mistakes the West has made in consistently underestimating the single-mindedness with which fundamentalist Islam has pursued its goals over the past thirty years. Fiercely articulate and passionately committed, Gabriel tells her own story as well as outlines the history, social movements, and religious divisions that have led to this critical historical conflict.
Customer Reviews:
Truly Informed!!!.......2007-10-19
It is refreshing to read a book that is written by a person who experienced first-hand the things to which she addressed. I consider myself a person who is well educated (3 masters degrees), well traveled (67 countries), and a lifetime of experience (approaching 80 years). Brigette's book should be read by every person who appreciates living in the United States. The book is truly an "eye-opener!" I encourage you to get the book, read it, and take the time to comprehend what it says. It will probably change your life!!! Rev. Floyd Lewis
Arresting autobiography and a warning to the West.......2007-10-18
This disturbing book is similar in structure to Infidel by Ayaan Hirsi Ali and Now They Call Me Infidel by Nonie Darwish, being part autobiography and part warning to the West. The autobiographical section deals with the author's childhood in Lebanon which was happy and idyllic until the war broke out in 1975. Her family experienced seven years of hell as the political war soon became a religious war against Christians waged by the PLO and Lebanese radical Islamists.
It became a nightmare of murder, atrocity and destruction. She also witnessed at first hand how the terrorists manipulate the media, for example by deliberately launching missiles from amongst civilians then blaming Israel for the retaliation that followed. They played the victim card very well, exploiting the clueless or complicit mass media at every turn. A good analysis of this phenomenon is available in The Other War: Israelis, Palestinians and the Struggle for Media Supremacy by Stephanie Gutmann. When the Israelis invaded in 1982, the family finally managed to escape the horror by finding refuge in Israel. There they experienced kindness and compassion; she eventually became a journalist, married an American and moved to the USA.
The second part examines the history of the global jihad and how its hydra heads are sprouting in the West. The author considers Lebanon the early testing ground for the global ambitions of the Jihadis. In this section she delves into the Koran and compares the Western with the Islamist concepts of, among others: truth, life and human dignity. Pointing out the major differences, she shows how the radicals are using Western values like tolerance, the rule of law and free speech against the West. What happened in Lebanon is starting to happen in Europe and the USA while the demonization of Israel and the USA is getting worse in the mass media of the Islamic world. For gruesome examples of this, please see Peace: The Arabian Caricature of Anti-Semitic Imagery by Arieh Stav.
Ignorance and political correctness are contributing to the escalating danger and the fifth column in our midst are those self-loathing westerners - mostly tenured termites in academia - who blame the democracies and talk piously of the "legitimate" grievances of the terrorists. The author says we must not appease but face facts: their grievances include our freedom of speech and religion, democracy, the rule of law and the gender equality in our societies. She also claims that moderate Muslim organizations in the USA are not as moderate as they pretend. A very important point Gabriel makes is that although most Muslims are peaceful, the religion is not. Islamic Imperialism: A History by Efraim Karsh and The Truth About Muhammad by Robert Spencer explore the historical facts in more detail.
The book concludes with recommendations for policymakers in the West, such as the banning of hate education where it is occurring now, vigilant border and immigration controls, security profiling of radical organizations and a serious effort to find and harness alternative energy sources. Other warnings to the West include The Force of Reason by Oriana Fallaci, Londonistan by Melanie Phillips, Unholy Alliance: Radical Islam and the American Left by David Horowitz, Menace in Europe by Claire Berlinski and While Europe Slept: How Radical Islam is Destroying the West from Within by Bruce Bawer. On account of her first hand experience, Brigitte Gabriel's book is a must-read for all those who care about the future of our civilization.
A MUST read for every American who lives his country!.......2007-10-17
I challenge every American to view this book diligently with an open mind as to how quickly this hate has invaded our country already and now that it's here how sudden an attack will happen. We must stand up and do our part to stop this subtle killer by making our voice heard in our government, our schools our churches. This message MUST be heard! Briggett tells her story without fancy proper grammar, but with simplicity for any age to read. There's no doubt she is real, her story is real and her heart is not about selling a book, it's about you, your family and this country. May we wake up and take back our freedom to love and live.
Glad I Don't Live In A Moslem Country.......2007-10-14
"Because They Hate" is one eye opening book regarding the real agenda of the militant Moslems. The Koran is not now and never was a peaceful book and neither was the Moslem faith ever a peaceful religion.The "militant" Moslems are out to conquor the whole world and make it Moslem. The big Satan (the United States) and the Little Satan (Israel) are first on it's list to destroy.
A women definately doesn't want to live in a radical Moslem country. They can't go anywhere with out their husband's approval. Also, they have to have their whole body covered when in public. Beating your wife black and blue when she disobeys you is endorsed by the clerics or religeous leaders and is often shown on television as a good thing to do. Also, if a women is suspected of not being a virgin, she is to be killed to save the family's honor.
The author, Brigette Gabriel is a Southern Lebonese Christian, who married an American and now lives in the United States. The author lived amongst the Moslems in Lebonon, which makes the book an insider's look at the Moslem agenda. That fact alone made it the best book I have read on the subject of the Moslem religion. The well written readable style of the book added to it's appeal.
Gabriel tells about the horrors of the cival war in Lebonon and how she lived with her parents in a bomb shelter for seven years. She tells how the kind but naive Lebonese tried to help the Palestinian Moslem refugees only to have them go through Christian towns slaughtering Christians and bombing their homes. Finally the Christians had enough and fought back, which stated the Cival War. When Israel came to the aid of the Lebonese Christians and brought an end to the war, most of the world criticised her humanitarian actions.
This book made me to glad to be an American. While we haven't been perfect on the cival rights front, we have had our plantations and still have reservations, which are not to be downplayed, our worst abuses are nothing in comparison to the hate filled brutality of the Moslems who follow the Koran. As the author makes so clear, Americans with our western civilized way of thinking and value system, have a very difficult time understanding the insanely brutal mindset of the militant Moslems. When giving the reason for their brutality, the author explained that it was becuase they are taught to hate from the moment of birth that they are so sadistic. Even though many Moslems claim to be more moderate in their beliefs, they rarely if ever oppose the radical's viewpoints or actions. This is true even of the moderate Moslems who live in American where it would be safe to take stand.
good, impressive story.......2007-10-14
Brigitte makes an outstandig job telling about what happened, to her, her family and the christian communities in South Lebanon. I always knew the story as the christian being the mean and holding the economics, this what we have been told in Italy in the 70's and 80's. There is much more behind all this, Brigitte brings some facts and accounts in such a natural and practical way. What happened in Lebanon in the 70's is the natural birth of the wave of hate and killing that caused the infamous 9/11.
Average customer rating:
- A Guru for the 21st Century
- Something that will keep us pondering for a long time
- Harris dares to imagine no religion
- About the same as fellow atheists Dawkins and Hitchens but a tad more reasonable
- The End of Bad Arguments? Unfortunately Not
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The End of Faith: Religion, Terror, and the Future of Reason
Sam Harris
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Atheist Universe: The Thinking Person's Answer to Christian Fundamentalism
ASIN: 0393327655 |
Amazon.com
Sam Harris cranks out blunt, hard-hitting chapters to make his case for why faith itself is the most dangerous element of modern life. And if the devil's in the details, then you'll find Satan waiting at the back of the book in the very substantial notes section where Harris saves his more esoteric discussions to avoid sidetracking the urgency of his message.
Interestingly, Harris is not just focused on debunking religious faith, though he makes his compelling arguments with verve and intellectual clarity. The End of Faith is also a bit of a philosophical Swiss Army knife. Once he has presented his arguments on why, in an age of Weapons of Mass Destruction, belief is now a hazard of great proportions, he focuses on proposing alternate approaches to the mysteries of life. Harris recognizes the truth of the human condition, that we fear death, and we often crave "something more" we cannot easily define, and which is not met by accumulating more material possessions. But by attempting to provide the cure for the ills it defines, the book bites off a bit more than it can comfortably chew in its modest page count (however the rich Bibliography provides more than enough background for an intrigued reader to follow up for months on any particular strand of the author' musings.)
Harris' heart is not as much in the latter chapters, though, but in presenting his main premise. Simply stated, any belief system that speaks with assurance about the hereafter has the potential to place far less value on the here and now. And thus the corollary -- when death is simply a door translating us from one existence to another, it loses its sting and finality. Harris pointedly asks us to consider that those who do not fear death for themselves, and who also revere ancient scriptures instructing them to mete it out generously to others, may soon have these weapons in their own hands. If thoughts along the same line haunt you, this is your book.--Ed Dobeas
Book Description
An impassioned plea for reason in a world divided by faith.
This important and timely book delivers a startling analysis of the clash of faith and reason in today's world. Harris offers a vivid historical tour of mankind's willingness to suspend reason in favor of religious beliefs, even when those beliefs are used to justify harmful behavior and sometimes-heinous crimes. He asserts that in the shadow of weapons of mass destruction, we can no longer tolerate views that pit one true god against another. Most controversially, he argues that we cannot afford moderate lip service to religion—an accommodation that only blinds us to the real perils of fundamentalism. While warning against the encroachment of organized religion into world politics, Harris also draws on new evidence from neuroscience and insights from philosophy to explore spirituality as a biological, brain-based need. He calls on us to invoke that need in taking a secular humanistic approach to solving the problems of this world.
Natalie Angier wrote in the New York Times: "The End of Faith articulates the dangers and absurdities of organized religion so fiercely and so fearlessly that I felt relieved as I read it, vindicated….Harris writes what a sizable number of us think, but few are willing to say."
Customer Reviews:
A Guru for the 21st Century.......2007-10-08
Morally speaking, are Bronze-Age myths as good as it gets?
Sam Harris doesn't think so and he argues brilliantly for a
new religious paradigm to shepherd us through the 21st Century.
Like a Spanish Inquisitor Harris ruthlessly examines the shaky philosophical justification for Abrahamic theism and finds it wanting.
But Harris doesn't just convince us that there really is no Santa Claus, he offers us a new way forward. He proves conclusively that science and reason do not necessarily have to be divorced from spiritual inquiry and revelation.
Some of his detractors have said that Harris is angry at God, but
that of course assumes a fact not in evidence (the existence of God).
After hearing him speak at Aspen Colorado,
'angry' is not quite the adjective that comes to mind.
http://svayam8.blogspot.com/2007/07/sam-harris-at-aspen-ideas-festival.html
As hard as it may be for theists to accept, many disbelievers really are being intellectually honest.
Sam Harris is one of those. He isn't angry, he's just right.
Thank you Sam for being a beacon of reason in a dangerously
darkened world.
Letter to a Christian Nation
Something that will keep us pondering for a long time.......2007-10-07
Well, this book is one of those that you come across with an argument so solid that you cannot stop pondering about its ideas. Mr. Harris has laid down a set of ideas that for a long time will haunt us, and the generations to come. Mr. Harris exposition of his thesis is simply monumental. His lurid writing style and his exquisite manners have brought forth a fundamental issue.
Mr. Harris as in the moving The Kingdom have presented us a sordid reality. Either we continue with religions and destroy humanity or we dispose of religion and avoid genocide. Muslims wants us dead and we do not want Islamic doctrines in our life. Further, more 9-11 have presented us with the issue of Abrahamic Religions and their stupidity. Because of them we lost 500 years, The Dark Ages and because of them we are losing our freedom and technological progress.
Some rabble-rouser long ago hid truth from us. [...] God created man. [...] men create God. That is the way it is in the world - men make gods and worship their creation. It would be fitting for the gods to worship men! Gospel of Philip 71:34; 72:1-4 Nag Hammadi Texts
Fanaticism and Fundamentalism of the religious realm have ruin freedom and life itself! Both should be eliminated and replaced by logical processes, which will warrant freedom, progress, technological development, world peace and happiness to every single human being. Religious moral varies from religion to religion. Logical morality does not need to vary! 1+1=2 in USA and in China too! Morals should be in the same manner.
Mr. Harris has begun a movement that will be here long after he parts. It is a movement of personal right to live a life as one please and not as a few wants you to live. It is also a movement toward World Peace!
I do recommend this book to everyone!
Harris dares to imagine no religion.......2007-09-26
This book is so much fun to read I read it twice. Harris writes with passion, erudition, and razor-sharp wit. His book has forced so-called religious moderates to begin taking responsibility for the zealots they unintentionally shelter, and he has demonstrated that a world with powerfully destructive technologies, such as ours, can no longer afford the luxury of basing policy on tribal superstitions and on supernatural claims that cannot possibly be substantiated with evidence. Highly recommended.
About the same as fellow atheists Dawkins and Hitchens but a tad more reasonable.......2007-09-22
Sam Harris like Hitchens and Dawkins is a master at setting up religious straw-men and then knocking them down. It is more fun and sells more books than taking on the real thing. Then it becomes balanced and boring. The author looks at the great evils in the world, the cause of which many others have attributed to nationalism, capitalism, lack of "lebensraum" etc. and claims that religion was the real cause. "Knowingly or not Nazis were agents of religion."... "Stalin and Mao killed millions because "communism was little more than a political religion." Why are the millions killed by Paul Pot not mentioned was he not trying to please God like Stalin, Mao and Hitler? Looking at Webster's definition of religion it is clear that these three ruthless dictators were not great religious leaders.
The author is using words incorrectly to make false accusations. A "political religion" is not religion if it does not profess a belief in an after life and God. But the author ignores that fact, because he is out to pin as many bad things on the word "religion" as possible..
Unlike Hitchens Sam Harris is an atheist who does see bigger differences among religions. He thinks Islam, for example, is especially bad ("cult of death").
I did not know that Noam Chomsky was any kind of religious thinker but the author takes a swipe at Noam by stating that Chomsky's view of moral equivalence is a big mistake." It is not clear how that fits in with his attacks on religion, but he gets the third star for that anyway.
The End of Bad Arguments? Unfortunately Not.......2007-09-19
Sam Harris's "The End of Faith" is an assault upon religion, blind faith, and fundamentalist violence. However, clear thinking Christians have little to fear from Harris's social critique.
The majority of the book is an exposition of the evils, real or imagined, produced by religion. Harris discusses current atrocities, including September 11 and suicide bombings in Israel, as well as past atrocities, including the Inquisition and the Salem Witch Trials. This leads to the natural question- if Harris (an atheist) is so critical of religious horrors, how can he explain the atheistic regimes of Hitler, Stalin, Mao, and Pol Pot, which collectively were responsible for millions of deaths? Harris claims that, while they may not have been explicitly religious, these evil regimes were the result of poor thinking. He states in his afterword-
"While some of the most despicable political movements in human history have been explicitly irreligious, they were not especially rational. The public pronouncements of these regimes have been mere litanies of delusion- about race, economics, national identity, the march of history, or the moral dangers of intellectualism." [231]
Thus, we see that The End of Faith does not really support atheism or oppose religion, it simply supports reason and opposes blind faith. Otherwise, his critique of religion is completely arbitrary, as he admits in this quoted passage that the real enemy is not simply religious faith, but irrationality itself. Thus, Harris needs to demonstrate that Christianity inherently necessitates irrational faith if he wishes to demonstrate that it should be rejected. Throughout the book, Harris merely assumes that so-called "fundamentalist" Christians can only exist through blind faith, but his assumption is both unproven and incorrect. Despite railing on about the supposed irrationality of religion, Harris never once deals with any of the arguments offered by Christians either historically or in the present day. There is no critique of the Cosmological Argument, no consideration of the evidence for the empty tomb, no critique of biblical passages or doctrines. Harris simply assumes that Christianity requires blind faith, argues that blind faith is both stupid and dangerous, and declares victory. The problem is that he has never shown that Christianity requires blind faith.
The other problem with Harris's approach is a common one- he assumes that the misdeeds of religious followers invalidates the religion itself.
Thus, the majority of Harris's book is simply not relevant for intelligent Christians. Surprisingly, however, there is some value in The End of Faith. For example, he discusses morality and makes a good case for charitable giving, and discusses politics and law, and makes a good case for the legalization of (some) drugs as a matter of public policy. However, as a critique of religion in general, and Christianity in particular, "The End of Faith" fails quite miserably.
Book Description
So says Fox News military analyst Colonel David Hunt in a book that cuts like a buzz saw through the half-measures and half-truths, the dangerous timidity, and the outright stupidity that—if left unchecked—will lead America to lose the War on Terror.
In the hard-hitting On the Hunt, Colonel Hunt draws on his twenty-nine years of active military service and his high-level military and intelligence contacts to give an inside perspective on this global struggle, setting him far apart from the usual pundits and talking heads. Here he presents fifty pages of previously unpublished documents that reveal the chillingly detailed plans of the terrorists and insurgents who target Americans, as well as U.S. tactics to stop our enemies.
From the Department of Homeland Security (“Get rid of it. Scrap it.”) to military leaders who have almost zero combat experience to risk-averse, politically correct strategic decision-making, Colonel Hunt pinpoints dire problems that need to be fixed before it’s too late (which it nearly is). Offering real solutions that most politicians and pundits are too timid to talk about, On the Hunt lays out specific steps to:
• Win the war in Iraq by changing the way we fight—by taking the gloves off and, in doing so, honoring the sacrifices our soldiers are making
• Deal with Iran, North Korea, and other dangerous threats
• Solve the illegal immigration crisis and keep America’s enemies from breaching our borders (both of them)
• Make our towns and cities more secure—not by looking to the federal bureaucracy but by taking responsibility ourselves
• Protect the liberties of American citizens at home
• Ensure that our soldiers are trained and equipped to fight today’s and tomorrow’s wars
As Colonel Hunt’s millions of viewers on Fox News and all the readers of his bestselling book They Just Don’t Get It will expect, he pulls no punches while incisively analyzing a war unlike any other. In On the Hunt, Colonel Hunt reveals exactly how high the stakes really are in the War on Terror. He condemns failed policies and the people who made them (and, yes, he names names). And most important, he clearly identifies the strategies, tactics, and qualities of leadership that we must bring to bear to ensure the survival of the proud and free nation we love.
Customer Reviews:
Hunt for President!.......2007-06-13
...or at least Secretary of Defense. Colonel Hunt doesn't hold back at all in this book, its not your typical academic style book.
I loved his style eg page 8 he says that all that matters is "killing the bad guys and bringing our boys home in 1 piece.F*** the rest" He's prepared to lay the smackdown on terrorists and the hopeless politicians in charge in D.C whom he calls "pantywaists" and says they need to 'grow a pair" ha ha love it! Finally a no BS look at the War and what needs to be done.
Essentially the Colonel says its quite simple:kill the bad guys, it doesn't matter what the politicians think, what the world thinks, how much it costs or who gets the credit. Any leader who can't handle this and is more concerned with their career is a girleyman who needs to be sacked. PC types won't like this book, heck they probably wouldn't be able to pick it up with their limp wrists, the stuff in this book is enough to make Ted Kennedy drive off a(nother) bridge.
The only criticism I would have is that the Colonel also advocates showering baddie countries like North Korea with aid and goodwill in return for them giving up their nukes and support for terrorists. The problem with this is that these baddie countries are unlikely to abide by the terms of such deals, eg North Korea got such a deal from America in 1994 only to reveal in 2002 that they had been cheating on it all along.
All in all a great book that pulls no punches and has the balls to say what needs to be said,its very easy to simply write off the Colonel as a trigger happy cowboy but that's overlooking the serious failings in this war on terrorism and the solutions to fix them, President Bush must read this book and so should you if you don't then you may as well as the Colonel says "bend over and starting praying towards Mecca"
A lesson in character this nation sorely needs.......2007-06-08
When one reads the news, and listens to the expert opinions of "talking heads" on TV, it's all too easy to believe that the free world is facing complex problems that allow for no reasonable or successful solutions. The messages we receive include the following: we face 1.3 billion Muslims who blame us for all the ills of the world, and we should understand that it's their world and not ours; nobody in Europe or Britain loves us any more, so we must be terribly wrong; every time we try and react, we only make things worse; we had our run, and now it's time for us to step aside; western civilization is obsolete and on the way out.
Reading Colonel David Hunt's "On the Hunt" tells us: No, we're still in the game; and now's the time for us to kick some butt, make no excuses, offer no explanations, come back home a victor, and marry the prom queen.
My experience, as just one reader, is that I sleep better when I read Hunt right at bedtime. It makes me feel safe knowing that somebody, somewhere, understands it the way he does. If I become discouraged by current events and find myself starting to whimp out and despair, a couple of pages of Hunt gets me back on track. You may have exactly the opposite reaction, and, if that's the case, I'd suggest you leave it alone because "On The Hunt" is pretty potent stuff, and not everyone can handle it.
Maybe the most reassuring part of "On The Hunt" is the author's attitude: David Hunt simply was not born to die as an enemy collaborator. His prose is personal, conversational, and expressive, and communicates his attitude and feelings as well as his ideas. When "his time comes" I suspect he'll go out a warrior, having never surrendered or submitted. That's a character lesson this country sorely needs.
If we heed Hunt's advice and follow his example, and he is wrong, at least we won't go down whimpering, soiling our drawers, and apologizing.
Much like I thought it would be........2007-06-01
No ground breaking here, just some enlightenment. The best part of the book deals with the kind of leadership we have and the leadership we are sorely missing.
On The Money.......2007-05-12
Col Hunt is right on the money. Until America puts the conduct of the war in the hands of field commanders with combat experience, we will not win. I do not believe in a cut and run philosophy, but politician must remove themselves from the tactical decision making. I recommend this book.
Jerry Berry
Salida, Colorado
The way it should have been.......2007-05-12
Just finished reading the book and it was a great read and told what should have been done during the Iraq War. It again proves to me that peacetime can be a badtime for the military in that many individuals rise up to leadership positions that are unqualified in the time of war.
Book Description
Welcome to the Custer Hill Club - a men's club set in an Adirondack hunting lodge whose members include some of America's most powerful business leaders, military men, and government officials. Ostensibly, the club is a place to relax with old friends. But one fall weekend, the club's Executive Board gathers to talk about 9/11 - and finalize a retaliation plan, known only by its code name: WILD FIRE. That same weekend, a member of the Federal Anti-Terrorist Task Force is found dead. Soon it's up to Detective John Corey and his wife, FBI Agent Kate Mayfield, to unravel a plot that starts with the Custer Hill Club and ends with American cities locked in the crosshairs of a nuclear device. Only Corey and Mayfield can stop the button from being pushed, and global chaos from being unleashed... More chilling than yesterday's headlines and as prophetic as tomorrow's, Wild Fire will challenge you to question everything you thought you knew about your leaders and your country while thrilling you with suspense that builds with every page.
Customer Reviews:
Not Worth It.......2007-10-16
This was the first book by DeMille that I have read and I wasn't impressed. The basic plot was good, however, the incessant wisecracking by the main charactor was overbearing and obnoxious. And his prolific use of the f-word was crass and left the book severely lacking in terms of intelligent dialogue. Don't waste your money on this one; I'm sorry I did.
A must read.......2007-09-29
Wild Fire is the most powerful what-if scenario I've ever read in fiction. The intrigue and action are non-stop, and the novel is peppered with first class comic-relief. Not only was I unable to put Wild Fire down, but I also found it impossible to avoid laughing out loud every time the protagonist, John Corey, came up with another quip.
DeMille's view into the minds of fictional dangerous people at the top is frightening. He gives you the impression that this could happen. God help us all if it does, and pray that there's a Detective John Corey out there to stop it. This novel is a must-read.
not this time.......2007-09-27
I really wanted to like this book, but it was actually annoying. I really liked John Corey in Plum Island, less so in the Lion's Game, and hated him in Wildfire. the wisecracking was way over the top, and his wife came off as a lame straightman/sidekick.
I hope Mr. Demille doesnt do this in the sequel to his greatest work: The Gold Coast. That was the first book I read by him- luckily it wasnt this one!
The Usual Suspects.......2007-09-24
I read this book several months ago but held off writing a review, hoping my first impressions would improve with time. Alas, not so. De Mille's books are usually a reliable mixture of snappy dialogue and fast paced plots. The snappy dialogue is here in spades; John Corey is married and he and Kate engage in the usual banter. However, de Mille seems to think this is a substitute for a well thought-out plot. In this book we meet the bad guys (more on that later) and they proceed to lay out their plans in endless detail. In fact, the first 100 pages (at least it seemed that long) consist of the evil doers explaining all in a meeting that is laughable. We find that the bad guys (no spoiler here) intend to nuke one of our major cities. Just which one requires pages of discussion.
Once this meeting concludes the pace does pick up, but the "action" seems to consist of John and Kate driving around the countryside.
Now a word about the perps. Every author is entitled to his or her choice of bad guys. Is does help, however, if the choices are plausible and don't require too much of a stretch of ones imagination. In this case the proposed deed is the setting off of a nuclear device in one of our cities. Given recent history, one might suppose that this might be the work of Arab terrorists, etc. Not so. Here we have members of the FBI, CIA, and State Department. Heading up this group is, of course, a representative of the most evil group of all - - big oil.
De Mille can do much better than this sad sffort.
Wild Fier.......2007-09-23
Fun read interesting plot. It's a page tuner. If you are a fan of DeMille's other John Cory novels you will like this one. I read it in about a day and a half while on vacation.
Book Description
CIA operative Mitch Rapp follows a trail of contract killers leading directly to the heart of our nation's capital in New York Times bestselling author Vince Flynn's eighth explosive thriller.
It's a gorgeous autumn day in Georgetown. The Democratic candidates for president and vice president of the United States are dutifully glad-handing voters and the media outside a grand estate where a national security conference has just been held, bringing together the world's greatest minds to discuss the issues that are threatening the country. It's American politicking at its best. That's when all hell breaks loose.
When presidential candidate Josh Alexander's motorcade is ambushed by a group of terrorists, the nation is thrown into turmoil. Two weeks following the attack, Alexander is carried to victory by a sympathy vote, but his assailants have not been found. On the surface it appears to be the work of al-Qaeda, despite the tremendous job that the U.S. and her allies have done eliminating terrorist cells within the heart of America. While the FBI and the rest of the government begin scouring the world for jihadists, CIA director Irene Kennedy and Special Agent Skip McMahon are presented with classified information so toxic that they consider destroying it altogether, as it contains intelligence pointing to some of the most powerful players in Washington.
Enter Mitch Rapp, the one man reckless enough to follow the evidence to its explosive conclusion. His journey takes him through the shadowy world of contract killers, into the darkest corners of the globe, and eventually back to Washington, where the fragile pillars of power are shaken to their core.
Customer Reviews:
Move over Jack Ryan.......2007-10-07
If you are thinking about venturing into this spy series you may as well start from the beginning. Mitch Rapp is an exciting character and his exploits over the years are page turning. Start at the beginning and read in order for the best roller coaster.
Weakest of Flynn's Novels.......2007-09-17
I have enjoyed Flynn's novels since Term Limits, but I hate to admit that I think this was his weakest moment. The story seemed to be put together too fast, and the characters would appear extremely one dimensional if a reader had not read the previous Mitch Rapp novels. Here, Rapp appears as a stereotypical gung-ho "do things my way" agent with little or no thought process. While he was always anti-politician, Flynn drills it into the reader's head at every opportunity.
While the twist of who the terrorists are is a nice departure, the bad guys also did not have much depth. Of course Flynn always makes his politicians the most unsavory characters, (and in his previous efforts it is usually enjoyable) but the characters in Act of Treason are way too cookie cutter, even for Flynn.
The ending sealed the deal for me, which I thought extremely unrealistic and a fantastic departure of the usual rationalism Flynn evokes; the ending seemed to be the least thought out segment of the book. Disappointing.
Another Great Mitch Rapp Novel.......2007-09-03
Vince Flynn has done it again with another amazing Mitch Rapp Novel. Act of Treason like the other's would make a great movie, however it would be too realistic and cause the American people to truly see how corrupt our own government really is. Thanks Vince Flynn
Rapp is the man!.......2007-08-31
You see a news story involving a corrupt politician, known terrorist, or murderer getting candy-coated treatment - your immediate thought is "why can't someone just take this guy out back and deal with him?". If you sometimes have the itch to skip the formalities and skip straight to the "justice" in due process, then Vince Flynn's Mitch Rapp is a man need to know.
I picked up the first book in this series a couple of years ago and have since waited for new releases with the same anticipation I used to have for Tom Clancy to share the latest Jack Ryan/John Clark exploits. Who knows at this point whether Clancy will ever give us another in that series, but in the meantime the Rapp character is filling a void for me. Flynn's writing is crisp and fast-moving, allows you to put yourself in Rapp's shoes and thought process and, as noted, satisfies your internal need to sometimes "just deal with the problem". Compared to Clancy's characters, Rapp is definitely more Clark, and Flynn skips the multi-layered plots and techno-thriller language and moves straight to the action. The closest character comparison I see for Rapp is Jack Bauer on "24", which probably explains why Flynn has been involved on story-line development for recent seasons of "24". I could easily see Flynn's efforts one day turning into a series of Rapp movies in the Bourne vein - interestingly, there now seems to be some chatter about doing just that.
For me, Flynn is one of the few writers who make me say "just one more chapter" before hitting the sack or taking care of chores. I think "Act of Treason" is another solid effort in the Rapp series and very satisfying for a Rapp devotee, but will be much more enjoyable to a new Flynn reader if you go back and pick the series up from the beginning to see how the character has been developed over the first seven books (see FAQ's at [...] for the chronological order).
Keeps moving.......2007-08-28
Corridors of Power as seen from the third cubicle on the left.
Nice simplistic plot and characters. Good guys are good, bad guys are evil, sexually perverted, and probably vote Democrat. No ambiguity. Good guys get to kill the bad guys, exercising god-like powers of assassination. That evil NY Times gets its comeuppance too.
Really, its good because Flynn is a good writer. Even his filler, descriptions of DC neighborhoods, thoughts and bios of irrelevant characters, etc. are unobtrusive, I even read a few.
First, but probably not the last of the series I will read.
Book Description
Conspiracy theories about Sept. 11, 2001 continue to spread. Now, in a meticulous, scientific and groundbreaking new book, Popular Mechanics puts these rumors to rest. The magazine’s editors analyze the 20 most persistent claims underlying 9/11 conspiracy theories—and conclusively disprove each one. The result is a triumph of hard fact over conspiratorial fantasy.
Customer Reviews:
The truth shines through........2007-10-17
This book wades through all the crazy ideas out there and puts the nuts to shame. If you want to know the facts and not crazy ideas this is the book for you.
hey.......2007-09-20
so i haven't read the book, i will tell you that, but i think it's funny how John McCain helped write it. That guy needs to be off the balot and in jail for sure. Not all CT's are crazy either. They are family memebers who didn't get a proper investigation from the gov't. The Gov't doesn't care about them or the investigation and they call it a horrible attack on America. Bin Laden isn't even wanted for it. He i wanted for bombing in 198 or something on an american embassy killing maybe 200.
Anyway, read "Debunking 9/11 Debunking" wesome "truther" book
Propaganda and a waste of money. .......2007-09-20
Buy a copy of Debunking 9/11 Debunking by David Ray Griffin before buying this pack of lies. You can save your time and money and learn what Popular Mechanics says and OMITS in building their case against the truth. Hearst Publishing is still in the business of propaganda. Wake Up.
Reads like propaganda.......2007-09-14
I wish just once somebody would publish an objective book or collection of writings about this topic. The afterward is particularly insulting to the millions of concerned citizens with legitimate questions. Anyone can see that this book was written with an agenda. If this book doesn't give you ammo for you hate-spewing debunking arsenal, it might actually convince you that there are suspicious circumstances to consider.
Junk Science.......2007-08-29
This analysis doesn't even rise to the level of being wrong. You don't have to be a structural engineer to know that a steel-framed building cannot "pancake" at free-fall speed. You don't have to be a metallurgist to know that jet fuel won't leave pools of molten metal weeks after the fire is out. If you cherry-pick your "facts" you can make Stalin look like a boy scout or Mother Theresa look like the devil. This book starts with the conclusion and then tries to prove it. If you want an analysis that starts with the facts and works towards a logical conclusion, try any (or all) of David Ray Griffin's books.
Book Description
Donald Rumsfeld, who as secretary of defense oversaw the army, navy, air force, and marines from 2001 to December 2006, is widely blamed for the catastrophic state of America's involvement in Iraq. In his groundbreaking book Rumsfeld, Washington insider Andrew Cockburn details Rumsfeld's decisions in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and also shows how his political legacy stretches back decades and will reach far into the future.
Relying on sources that include high-ranking officials in the Pentagon and the White House, Rumsfeld goes far beyond previous accounts to reveal a man consumed with the urge to dominate each and every human encounter, and whose aggressive ambition has long been matched by his inability to display genuine leadership or accept responsibility for egregious error. Cockburn exposes Rumsfeld's early career as an Illinois congressman, his rise to prominence as an official in the Nixon White House, his careful maneuvering to avoid the fallout of the Watergate scandal, and his skillful infighting as secretary of defense under President Ford. Cockburn also chronicles for the very first time Rumsfeld's subsequent tenure as CEO of G. D. Searle (and his devoted efforts to get governmental approval for the controversial artificial sweetener aspartame) as well as his interesting behavior in secret high-level government nuclear war games in the years he was out of power.
President George W. Bush's hasty elevation of Rumsfeld as his secretary of defense proved historic, for it was the triumvirate of Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney, and Rumsfeld who plunged America into the disastrous quagmire of the war in Iraq. Cockburn reveals how Rumsfeld's habits of intimidation, indecision, ignoring awkward realities, destructive micromanagement, and bureaucratic manipulation all helped doom America's military adventure. The book challenges the notion that Rumsfeld was an effective manager driven to transform the American military, examines the reasons that Rumsfeld was removed from office, and shows how his second appointment as secretary of defense reflects a deep conflict between President Bush and his father, former president George H. W. Bush.
Brimming with powerful revelations, Rumsfeld is sure to emerge as the must-have piece of investigative journalism as America grapples with its difficult involvement in Iraq and the uncertain path the country faces today.
Customer Reviews:
Rumsfeld.......2007-10-10
An excellent book describing the egomaniac called Donald Rumsfeld, he is just one of the crimminals that have taken over control of the United States and should be tried for being a war crimminal. America wake up you are ruled by gangsters-he is just one of them. Does RICCO apply here?
Sadly Accurate.......2007-09-11
What have we become as a nation, when a man as insidious as Rumsfeld can attain such power and cause such damage and harm? It is perhaps time that we as a people pay closer attention to the politics of the day, and not concern ourselves with Brittany's paunch. Democracy requires a well informed, literate, and discriminating citizenry. We do not live on ANIMAL FARM, and we do not have to mindlessly accept and bleat the mantra of the Neo-Cons.
Rumsfeld = Nazi by another name.......2007-09-07
Rumsfeld would have made Hitler so proud. America is much less of a nation thanks to him and the other malicious pirates in the Oval Office.
Republocrat zombies on the march
Heil Bush! they chant with glassy eyes
Subvert the Constitution for their corporate masters
Force their fascist god-book down everybody's throats
Stare at the tv, it'll all be ok they say
Turn off your mind and be a good zombie
Become infantile like us
Soulless neo-con automatons
Mindless Flag wavers
Hypnotized by the endless drone of propaganda
Memetic slaves of the Dark Lord Bush
Fine study of a 'ruthless little b******' and failure.......2007-07-20
Investigative journalist Andrew Cockburn shows how Rumsfeld has helped to push the US state into political and military disaster.
Cockburn introduces us to Rumsfeld's business career, which depended on promoting aspartame, a sweetener suspected of causing brain tumours. He swung a compliant Food and Drug Administration into approving it anyway and bought enough Senators to amend the Drug Act to extend its patent, yielding the company $3 billion extra revenue.
Rumsfeld played a key role in fixing the intelligence to fit the policy of attacking Iraq. Saddam's son-in-law Hussein Kamel told US officials about Iraq's arms build-up in the 1980s and also told them that in 1991 "all weapons - biological, chemical, missile, nuclear - were destroyed." The US state shouted worldwide about the build-up, but hid the destruction.
Bush appointed Rumsfeld the US Secretary for Defense in January 2001. Cockburn details Rumsfeld's catastrophic decisions in the disastrous wars against Iraq and Afghanistan. The US state has failed to focus on defeating Al Qa'ida, widening the wars into attacks on the Iraqi and Afghan peoples. So Iraq lost to the invader but is defeating the occupier. The Taliban lost Kabul but is winning the war.
Rumsfeld claimed that he could occupy Iraq with a small force. He apparently believed the crook Chalabi who told him there would be no postwar guerrilla resistance and that Iraq would quickly become a stable capitalist ally.
The US has the largest military spending ever and has spent $500 billion so far on the Iraq war, yet US soldiers' families have to buy them body armour and the soldiers try to protect their unarmoured Humvees with salvaged bits of plywood. No wonder the US army is at breaking point.
What was Secretary for Defense Rumsfeld doing meanwhile? He was calling Guantanamo Bay every week for reports on the torture of Mohammed al-Qahtani. He was personally specifying the torture techniques at Abu Ghraib - the use of dogs, stress positions, and deprivation of food and sleep.
Throughout his squalid career, Rumsfeld bullied, lied and cheated to get his own way. Richard Nixon, no mean judge, called him `a ruthless little bastard'. But as with all reactionaries, his scheming has brought only disaster to his cause.
It Proved It Was Worse Than Thought........2007-07-08
I'm sure the publisher blanched with the use of the word "Catastrophic" in the title, but it is a true description of the legacy, as noted and well-laid out in the book.
A definite keeper to help bridge gaps of other writings about the Bush Administration and its concept of what "Republic" and "Government" mean.
Rumsfeld was there from the beginning of the "Neo-Con Coupe" and following his many "snowflakes" in life will definitely bring the whole "grand plan" to light of public scrutiny.
It leaves the feeling of knowing you know now definitely what you really know you now don't know.
Book Description
Whatever happened to Iraq's weapons of mass destruction? In this thriller ripped from tomorrow's headlines, a divided America has overcommitted its armed forces to foreign lands-and has a ruthless enemy bent on crushing its soul.
Matt Garrett, a former Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) operative, is recovering from the death of his brother and his own wounds received during combat in the global war on terror. The Vice President sends him to Fort Bragg, North Carolina, to meet with special operations forces to discuss missing Predator Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, only to have his air force jet commandeered by an enemy combatant.
Held captive by a terrorist mastermind and former Iraqi general with a startling link to his brother, Garrett struggles for survival. His successful escape leads him to the unnerving discovery that the terrorists have kidnapped the world's expert on nanotechnology-and to new questions about his brother's death. The enemy unleashes a series of powerful attacks across the country, cutting at the very fabric of the nation, while Garrett uncovers a conspiracy dating back to the first Gulf War.
Has the rogue threat targeting the United States marshaled the capability to deal a devastating blow to the country using weapons of mass destruction?
Download Description
Whatever happened to Iraq's weapons of mass destruction? In this thriller ripped from tomorrow's headlines, a divided America has overcommitted its armed forces to foreign lands-and has a ruthless enemy bent on crushing its soul.
Matt Garrett, a former Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) operative, is recovering from the death of his brother and his own wounds received during combat in the global war on terror. The Vice President sends him to Fort Bragg, North Carolina, to meet with special operations forces to discuss missing Predator Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, only to have his air force jet commandeered by an enemy combatant.
Held captive by a terrorist mastermind and former Iraqi general with a startling link to his brother, Garrett struggles for survival. His successful escape leads him to the unnerving discovery that the terrorists have kidnapped the world's expert on nanotechnology-and to new questions about his brother's death. The enemy unleashes a series of powerful attacks across the country, cutting at the very fabric of the nation, while Garrett uncovers a conspiracy dating back to the first Gulf War.
Has the rogue threat targeting the United States marshaled the capability to deal a devastating blow to the country using weapons of mass destruction?
Customer Reviews:
Rogue Threat: a real page turner. .......2007-06-26
Title says it all. Contemporary topic, some obviously bad guys and good guys, but some uncertain until the last chapter. Had to remember it was FICTION, but an interesting hypothesis of what happened to those missing WMDs.
Second to None !.......2007-06-17
I am an avid reader of novels written by Forsythe, Vince Flynn, Clancy and others in the business, however, I have never personally enjoyed reading ANY other similar novel as much as Rogue Threat! I am retired military and this novel was the BEST yet! The writer has my attention and I look forward to purchasing every novel he writes in the future, as a matter of fact, I am getting impatient for the sequel that I understand is on the way. You don't know what you are missing until you read this well written novel. I started reading it and did not, could not and would not for any purpose but it down until I finished reading the entire book! I do not exagerate one bit, the story is THAT GOOD!
Amazing.......2007-05-24
I have never been so captured by a book before reading this one. Aiden Rocke truly gives us things to think about. The scenarios he puts forth are chilling to think about.
This book will take the reader on a spine chilling journey and keep the reader on the edge of the seat.
I cannot say enough about this book other than Mr. Rocke has truly written a book that will leave the reader gasping.
Good.......2007-05-08
Found the book interesting and have forwarded it to a friend. Wish their was more about the author included.
Don't be fooled.......2007-05-03
This is the only book I have stopped reading halfway through and thrown in the trash. I love military thrillers, but this reads like a parody of the genre. I began to make a list of the repeated cliches, factual errors related to military aviation, and common errors in phrasing, but lost interest. Seriously, it reads like a parody, as if an accomplished author tried to write as bad a book as possible. Any editor or even a proof-reader would have had a field day with this. Certainly self-published.
(Oddly, the first chapter is excellent, and the second acceptable.)
Book Description
Robert Young Pelton first became aware of the phenomenon of hired guns in the War on Terror when he met a covert team of contractors on the Afghanistan/Pakistan border in the fall of 2003. Pelton soon embarked on a globe-spanning odyssey to penetrate and understand this shadowy world, ultimately delivering stunning insights into the way private soldiers are used.
Enter a blood-soaked world of South African mercenaries and tribal fighters backed by ruthless financiers. Drop into Baghdad’s Green Zone, strap on body armor, and take a daily high-speed ride with a doomed crew of security contractors who dodge car bombs and snipers just to get their charges to the airport. Share a drink in a chic hotel bar with wealthy owners of private armies who debate the best way to stay alive in war zones.
Licensed to Kill spans four continents and three years, taking us inside the CIA’s dirty wars; the brutal contractor murders in Fallujah and the Alamo-like sieges in Najaf and Al Kut; the Deep South contractor training camps where ex–Special Operations soldiers and even small town cops learn the ropes; the contractor conventions where macho attendees swap bullet-punctuated tales and discuss upcoming gigs; and the grim Central African prison where contractors turned failed mercenaries pay a steep price.
The United States has encouraged the use of the private sector in all facets of the War on Terror, placing contractors outside the bounds of functional legal constraints. With the shocking clarity that can come only from firsthand observation, Licensed to Kill painstakingly deconstructs the most controversial events and introduces the pivotal players. Most disturbingly, it shows that there are indeed thousands of contractors—with hundreds more being produced every month—who’ve been given a license to kill, their services available to the highest bidder.
Customer Reviews:
Perfect book on an intriguing subject.......2007-09-22
I bought Pelton's 'World's most dangerous places' a few years ago. I'm always interested in the shady world of mercenaries, contractors and hired guns so of course I wanted to buy this book as soon as it was out. And it was spot-on. This is a very well written book, it gives you a no-nonsense look into the world of the contractors and after you have read it, you know a lot more about the matter than the average newsreader. What I liked most was the parts about Sandline and Executives Outcomes. Definetely a must-read if you want to know something more about contractors and 'mercenaries', or better put: the difference between those two. I recommend it highly.
Contract Rifles.......2007-08-13
Robert Young Pelton's Licensed to Kill is a book well worthy of the time invested in reading it. Pelton illuminates the world of modern private security contracting both from the inside and from an historical perspective. He draws a distinction between the security contractor, who is essentially a defensive fighter, and a mercenary, who undertakes offensive actions. The reader meets individual contractors and a few of the men behind the organizations. Tales of trial by fire mix with broader-perspective cautionary tales about where the trend in security contracting may be headed and the gray zone between the private security company and the mercenary army. Pelton's work offers valuable perspective on a phenomenon that has erupted since the start of the War on Terror and which deserves serious attention.
Licensed to Kill is many things at once. Pelton's book is a jigsaw puzzle of personal experiences with contractors on the ground, small-picture stories about individuals in the post-9/11 world of gun-for-hire opportunities, and big-picture stories that serve to frame the pre- and post-9/11 world of security contracting. A literary critic might argue that Licensed to Kill is a postmoderist work that lacks central direction or a single message. I believe that Pelton's book is a creditworthy effort at giving a human face to security contractors while creating a context for the world in which the War on Terror contractor operates.
At the personal level, Pelton devotes several chapters to his experiences in Iraq and North Carolina with contractors. Based on his subjects, Pelton to enjoys the closest contact with the American company Blackwater--one of post-9/11 private security success stories and one of the big winners of the outsourcing of security in Iraq. Pelton describes the Blackwater people in detail. The reader is imparted the knowledge that these are real people. The author sees most of them as men of (surprisingly) complex motives: they want to fight for their country; they want to support wives, children, etc.; they don't want to put up with the Big Army's bureaucratic nonsense; they want better pay than an Army junior enlisted man gets for putting his life on the line; they fear they have no other skills, so they want to earn a living marketing what they have; many are too old to go active duty, anyway; they crave the high that comes from danger.
As a mid-thirties National Guardsman and junior NCO who served in Baghdad in 2005, I understand the men Pelton describes reasonably well. Pelton describes a run down Route Irish to BIAP (Baghdad International Airport) and back to the Green Zone. I've made that run more than once myself. Although I find Pelton's description a touch dramatic, he's very authentic when he describes the hazards of the situation. I understand completely why these men hate the Big Army way of doing business. Soldiers in Iraq--NCOs included--are treated like irresponsible children, forbidden any sort of liberties, and subjected to the attentions of bored sergeants major who think the insurgency will be defeated by proper uniforms and correctly-laced boots. The contractors Pelton describes have found a way to get into the fight while avoiding the Army's less-attractive aspects. Many of my fellow soldiers talked about trying to come back as contractors so they could make twice as much money (or more) and be treated like men into the bargain. Pelton gives the reader an idea of who the contractors, mostly prior military, really are. Seemn through Pelton's eyes, contractors are not predominantly bloodthirsty raiders looking to spill as much innocent blood as possible. They are men being paid to carry a rifle to accomplish specific tasks and trying to survive while doing it.
Pelton is clearly in the trenches with the contractors physically and sympathetically. He acknowledges as much, so we are free to take his anecdotal experience as exactly that: anecdotal.
That much said, Pelton is not a mindless promoter in Licensed to Kill. He raises questions about the legal framework of contracting. To whom do the contractors really answer? Soldiers are clearly representatives of their nation, and they are held to well-published standards of conduct. Contractors, though as former soldiers may be guided by the same moral and ethical compass as their uniformed brethren, are not bound by the Uniform Code of Military Justice. Pelton points out that contractors exist in a sort of legal and ethical limbo. This, Pelton claims, is what the US government wants. When a contractor messes up and is called to task for it, the US government can claim that the contractor does not represent the policies and intent of the United States. The contractor can be dismissed out of hand, Pelton tells us, and the government thereafter washes its hands of the whole thing. Deniability, the author claims, is one of the chief virtues of the contractor and, by extension, one of the chief moral pitfalls. What does it say about the United States of America when we engage disposable men to fight for our causes? Soldiers are expendable in that their lives may be sacrificed to accomplish a mission. However, soldiers receive a host of benefits and long-term investment as part of their service. Contractors receive pay and nothing more. Currently, they are mostly immune from legal consequences in Iraq; but when and if they do start to be charged with crimes for their activities, the US government can give them up with a clean conscience--no harm, no foul to the government. Compare this to the fallout associated with Abu Ghraib and other poor conduct by American troops, and one can see the allure of disposable, deniable contractors. Whether or not the rest of the world will buy the argument that the actions of contractors do not reflect on the government sponsoring the contract remains to be seen. Pelton's point is that the US government has been entranced by the prospect and is likely to remain so until circumstances invalidate the idea.
Pelton devotes some narrative to the world of security contracting prior to 9/11. The main point of doing so seems to be to illustrate the fact that while private security contracting is by no means a new activity, the War on Terror has completely transformed contracting and contracting companies. He also points out that the more mercenary activities of private contracting that occurred in the 1990's still exist as possibilities in the 2000's and beyond. Pelton tells us that the leadership of Blackwater in particular is interested in building a force larger, more capable, and much more powerful than the armies of a number of Third World countries. Pelton seems assured that the Blackwater leadership assumes a priori that a Blackwater army would be used only in support of American foreign interests and that this fact creates a satisfactory moral and ethical framework for the use of said force. At the same time, Pelton raises the question of what will happen when the bounties of the War on Terror cease to provide satisfactory employ for the growing mass of men and companies under arms by contract. Men like the men Pelton describes in detail in Iraq, Afghanistan, and North Carolina may find that having decided to live by the rifle in their post-military careers they are unable to resist bending their codes of conduct to take jobs that are neither entirely in nor out of line with American foreign policy and interests once the ratio of contractors-to-contracts starts to become more competitive. (Sooner or later, this will happen. The market makes it inevitable.) Where in the gray zone between security contractor and mercenary will these men then operate? This is no academic question. As Pelton points out, it is a reality being rushed along by the decision of the US government to privatize much of the security force of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Licensed to Kill is a worthy read. The men are real. The world in which they operate is filled with dangers, rewards, and uncertainties. The national policies unfolding today lead us down a road fraught with hazard and paved with the bodies and rifles of security contractors and those they have been engaged to fight. Pelton provides the reader with an interesting, informative read. Whether one agrees with him or not, Pelton paints a fascinating picture and raises important questions.
Pelton Explores the Rise of Military Privitization.......2007-08-13
Robert Young Pelton has been reporting from global hotspots for the past 15 + years. His record of reporting from far a field is impeccable, including stints in Afghanistan, Columbia, Kashmir, Algeria, and now Iraq. Having long been acquainted with private military contractors throughout his travels, Pelton ventures to Iraq to experience first hand the move towards privatization in the US military.
Pelton spends the majority of his time in Iraq with the controversial Blackwater USA; making runs along the "highway of death" between Baghdad Airport and the Green Zone. He gives a good description of the life of a military contractor in one the world's most dangerous zones. Pelton refrains from painting a too glorified picture of contractor life, and seems more to concentrate on the motivations of men working in the field.
Pelton also describes the history of the military contractor beginning in the early 1980s with such firms as the South African Executive Outcomes, and the British Sandline. He illustrates both the perceived benefits of private military intervention, such as quelling the RUF in Sierra Leone, to the not so clean interventions in Equatorial Guinea sponsored by the wealth-seeking interests of international business and finance.
All in all, I think Pelton does an excellent job refraining from the political bias which clouds much of the recent work on military contractors. Licensed to Kill serves as a readable description of the unstoppable move towards the expansion of private military contractors, and provokes thought and discussion on this new Pandora's Box.
Fascinating read that explores the implications of private security forces.......2007-08-07
This book reflects on the history and modern evolution of private security forces, their influences on the war on terror and the implications of the acceptance of private security forces in society's future.
Beyond just a dry assessment of private security contractors in Iraq, Pelton, adds dramatic personal narratives of his interactions with security contractors, aptly painting a picture of their experiences in Iraq.
This is a must read for anyone interested in the blurring of the line between the military and privately fielded armed forces, which raises interesting questions regarding the US Military's self-sufficiency, the allegiances of private forces, the skill-drain occurring in the armed forces and the future of warfare.
Bull's Eye!.......2007-05-22
In his book, Licensed to Kill, Robert Young Pelton hits the bull's eye with a sweeping, crash course in the explosive growth of private security contractors.
Thrust from the sweltering groins of Africa, Papua New Guinea and other trouble spots around the globe where hidden treasures of oil and minerals tempt buccaneering entrepreneurs, the private security industry is now bursting in full multi-billion-dollar glory on the bloody streets of Iraq.
Pelton chronicles it all with gritty first-hand experience and a keen, knowing vision: the past is prologue and the present boom in Iraq screams a cautionary tale for tomorrow. We may be witnessing the birth of a roving, freelance warrior class in constant search for new wars. (On second thought, the world may already have one. It's called the global war on terror.)
Licensed to Kill, proves once again that Pelton gets the interviews and access that few writers even dream about. He gallops into the secret mud brick camps of Afghanistan; lifts glasses with big wheels while toasting back-room money deals; sweats through a Triple Canopy training camp in Arkansas; barrels down the dangerous highways of Iraq; explores the twisted life of a self-aggrandizing bounty hunter searching for bin Laden; and lives the daily tensions of retired cops and veterans struggling to make a living for their families back home as hired guns.
Although these blue-collar workers may earn $600 a day, they work 24/7. It is grueling and deadly work. Just ask Miyagi, one of the many characters percolating through the book. Sent home by Blackwater to his wife and nine-year-old son in Santa Barbara, an IED drove a gash through his arm and left a fist-sized hole in his [..]. Now, he's waiting for a new assignment. He says it's too tough to make ends meet for his family as a cop in California.
Others, like Erik Prince, a politically-connected former Navy SEAL, never faced those worries. As the founder of the North Carolina-based Blackwater, USA, Prince hit the jackpot a long time ago with a multimillion-dollar family fortune. Today, his company banks on government security contracts totaling $750 million or more won after the Sept.11, 2001, attack on the World Trade Center. Blackwater's success may be only the beginning. Prince envisions taking part in contracts all over the world with Blackwater's own private air force. The company claims it can deploy a private regiment of 1,700 anywhere within a 24-hour notice.
"Prince likes to think of Blackwater's relationship to the traditional military as something akin to FedEx's relationship to the U.S. Post office," Pelton observes after meeting with Prince on several occasions.
Then there's Col. Tim Spicer, a former Scots Guardsman, who first plied his mercenary trade on the outskirts of the developed world by getting mixed up with coups, mineral rights and guns for cold hard cash. Today, Spicer has reinvented himself with the newly-formed Aegis Defence Services. His company holds the largest security contract in Iraq and is charged with coordinating the chaos among tens of thousands of gun-slinging contractors working for scores of companies.
But who will coordinate the chaos of private security companies after Iraq? The business is already on the prowl for new work. "The thing to watch," Pelton cautions, is if hired guns become a permanent fixture in foreign policy.
Even more troubling, is the prospect that the private warriors will begin to freelance in backing political coups -- sometimes unknowingly -- because their mission can be disguised by contracts to protect oil fields, gold mines and other corporate property.
Pelton recounts chilling incidents of this already happening before Iraq sucked up the talent from around the world and then went begging for new recruits. No one knows how many trained and battle-hardened private warriors are working in Iraq. Some estimate 30,000, others say 50,000 or more. Most of these fighters will have few crossover job skills once they leave, but they will have proven resumes showing they carry guns for hire and answer to no one but their company boss.
Licensed to Kill may be just the first chapter in what leads us to ask: what monster is this that the world has created?
Books:
- The Mapmaker's Eye: David Thompson on the Columbia Plateau
- The Middle Ground: Indians, Empires, and Republics in the Great Lakes Region, 1650-1815 (Studies in North American Indian History)
- The Papers of Martin Luther King, Jr.: Volume VI: Advocate of the Social Gospel, September 1948-March 1963 (Papers of Martin Luther King, Jr)
- The Rebel: An Essay on Man in Revolt
- The Secret Garden (HarperClassics)
- The Time Traveler's Wife
- The Toyota Way
- The United States and Canada: The Land and the People
Fiasco: The American Military Adventure in Iraq
State of Denial: Bush at War, Part III
America Alone: The End of the World as We Know It
The Shia Revival: How Conflicts within Islam Will Shape the Future
The One Percent Doctrine: Deep Inside America's Pursuit of Its Enemies Since 9/11
