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And no Randy. And then she focuses on the Iraq war. So, I tried to follow along. I did read the book all the way through, but found it difficult to stay focused on what was going on because it became boring, story lines were not finished, action was dulled down and truly (as another reviewer wrote) there is no real secrets here. Through most of the book it goes like this. I picked this book up in hardback at a discounted rate.
But Randy was not in at least half the book. Some great work there but very short and not very much detail. I expected to read about special forces missions, at least those that were not SECRET. You are left wondering, well, where is the rest of the story. We know most of this stuff already. It appears the author wanted to follow one particular SF soldier throughout, Randy.
When she talked about Randy in one particular case about training another country in parachuting, Randy was injured seriously, but never finished the story about the SF trying to teach the other country.
It seems the writer listened to a few stories and made do with what she had. Also, there were few citations or foot notes; you just have to take the authors word for it. I hate to say it but this book is not very well written. The empty space was filled with cliches. She wasted a perfect chance to get the real story. However, I will concede that it might be me. I would have liked to read about more of the action and "Chaos" these operators deal out.
The last half of the book deals extensively with the success special operations soldiers had in Afghanistan and Iraq, and the troubles once conventional units and the Pentagon bureaucracy took over. This book is a must read for those interested in Special Operations. It is easily one of the best written and encompassing books.
It wasn't. And the price was right in case it was a mistake. I bought this book as a gift for my brother who likes military truths and non fiction. He was thrilled.
Furthermore, the book is entertaining enough to hold the attention of readers that may not be interested in joining SF. The author chronicles the careers of several soldiers specifically throughout the book, but also writes more generally about a wide array of SF missions. For a good book on the training of Special Forces soldiers see Dick Couch's "Chosen Soldier." As someone interested in joining the Special Forces, this is one of the best books I've been able to find. In fact it is THE best as far as learning about the structure, missions, and operations of the Army Special Forces.
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