Mark Bowden, Black Hawk Down

Black Hawk Down is a great, real life action thriller that follows the young men of the US Army Rangers unit into, what is supposed to be a simple prisoner snatch. Alongside an elite team of Delta force operators, this book gets in close to all of the young men that were caught in this horrific downward spiral of death and destruction in Mogadishu, Somalia.

This story is a very sad story wherein the powers that be attempt to quell the rebel Somalian leader Mohammed Farrah Aidid and his ruthless thug faction, that had been stealing food from and killing UN peacekeeping forces.

The US military inserts a small Delta force unit into the Olympic Hotel to nab Aidids top men, while the Army Rangers provide security around all four corners of the building.

Things quickly deteriorate as the worlds most prepared military force is quickly outgunned and put on the run by thousands of angry, drugged up local Somali's-tired of the endless night and day, low flying American propaganda.

US support helicopters are shot out of the sky by RPG's and the unarmored us convoy, attempting to transport the prisoners out of the city, becomes a rolling target for local militiamen.

Soon, the convoy is carrying more dead/wounded than living and are constantly hounded by RPG and small arms fire. Every stree is a roadblock of burning tires and throngs of somali riflemen.

Mark Bowden does an excellent job of making this a two sided affair. How would you feel about the US military flying endless all night low flying helicopter routes and blowing the roofs off of your home? The locals could only take so much.

Soon the entire militia and anyone with access to a firearm was taking potshots at the US soldiers as they hurried across the city from one downed helo to the next. Many US soldiers underestimated this mission and didn't even bring water, some no body armor or night vision.

A modern masterpiece, this novel really brings home the reality of just how quickly a good plan can degrade into a fight for your life on the streets of Mogadishu.