First published 2014
Mitchell Zuckoff reconstructs the terrorist assault on American facilities in Benghazi, Libya on September 11, 2012. The book follows six security operators who defied stand down orders to protect US personnel at a State Department compound and CIA station. Zuckoff chronicles how these men battled escalating enemy forces and heavy weapons fire across thirteen hours of combat. The operators fought through smoke and sustained machine gun attacks to retake the compound. Four Americans died in the assault, including Ambassador Christopher Stevens. Zuckoff draws on firsthand accounts from the security team to detail what occurred on the ground during this controversial attack. The book cuts through political narratives to present the tactical reality of urban combat in one of the world's most dangerous regions. This personal testimony reveals the split second decisions and physical courage required when American lives hang in the balance.
Genres: history, military-fiction, action, non-fiction
Vibes: fast-paced, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family
Setting: Benghazi, Libya
Period: 2012, September 11
352 pages · Paperback · Ebury Press
Content warnings: death, graphic-violence, war