First published 2004
Six American soldiers recount their experiences during the catastrophic 1993 mission in Mogadishu, Somalia. Matt Eversmann led the first Rangers to rappel from Black Hawk helicopters when his unit took the initial casualties. Raleigh Cash coordinated fire support while joining the ground convoy that attempted to rescue trapped comrades. Mike Kurth, one of only two African Americans in the battle, watched his closest friends die in the urban warfare. John Macejunas rappelled into the most intense firefight and witnessed tactical errors including the misuse of helicopters for sniper positions. Air Force pararescueman Tim Wilkinson embodied the PJ motto "That Others May Live" during desperate rescue attempts. Combat controller Dan Schilling helped plan the original deployment, survived the initial assault, then returned to the city to save two friends, earning the distinction of being "Last Out." These firsthand accounts reveal the brutal reality of a mission that began as a warlord capture operation and devolved into a deadly urban battle that influenced American foreign policy and reportedly motivated Osama bin Laden.
Genres: history, military-fiction, action, biography-memoir, military-history, african-american-historical-fiction, american-history
Vibes: emotional, fast-paced, thought-provoking
Tropes: based-on-true-events, ensemble-cast
Setting: Mogadishu, Somalia
Period: 1993
Mass Market Paperback · Ballantine Books
Content warnings: graphic-violence, war