Black Hawk Down: A Story

¶ … Black Hawk Down: A Story of Modern War by Mark Bowden. Specifically it will contain a critical review of the book. This book gained notoriety when it was made into a film, with the author writing the screenplay. The book is a detailed and emotional look into an unsuccessful U.S. mission in Somalia, and it poses the question of what we were doing there and what we actually accomplished.

Author Mark Bowden is a writer and journalist who has written several books, and writes for a variety of publications, including the Atlantic Monthly. He has won several awards, including the Overseas Press Club's Cornelius Ryan Award. He has a degree in English literature from Loyola College of Maryland, and is an adjunct professor of creative writing and journalism at Loyola, as well (Editors. "Mark Bowden: Biography." AtlanticMonthly.com. 2007. (http://www.theatlantic.com/about/people/mbbio.htm)."Black Hawk Down" was also a finalist for the National Book Award in 1999, and spent over a year on the New York Times Bestseller List.

Bowden relates the actions of several "chalks" of soldiers sent into Mogadishu to kidnap two high-ranking lieutenants in General Aidid's Habr Gidr Clan insurgent army. The Army Rangers assigned to the task seem well prepared and trained for the mission, but from the first, everything falls apart and the soldiers are stranded in Mogadishu without backup or rescue. The author's thesis for the book is simple, the mission was flawed from the start, and so was the command that led to the mission in the first place. He notes, "In Washington a whiff of failure is enough to induce widespread amnesia," (331), which indicates his cynicism regarding the mission and the Washington reaction to withdraw the troops just days after the Black Hawk Down raid. He shows the internal problems in the Army that led to the Rangers' stranding in Mogadishu, and generally portrays the Army and government as flawed for joining in the U.N. mission in Somalia at all. He writes, "He [Sergeant Howe] disdained the Rangers in part because he believed hard, realistic, stair-stepped training made good soldiers, not the bull***** macho attitude epitomized by the whole Hoo-ah esprit" (35). Thus, he makes it clear that two very separate commands make up the mission. It is clear they do not respect each other, and this makes it extremely difficult to create unity, teamwork, and good leadership, as the results in Mogadishu show.

The book supports this thesis in a variety of ways, from interviews with the participants to books, articles, and exhaustive notes that are all printed in the back of the book. Bowden interviewed Mogadishu residents as well as Army personnel to gain a more balanced view of what happened and why. Maps and photographs help make the situation more real, and so does background on the "real" lives of the soldiers - their families and loved ones back home, why they joined the Rangers, and more. In addition, the entire situation clearly supports the thesis. In the end, the chalks are stranded in the city overnight, two Black Hawk helicopters are lost, one pilot is captured, and eighteen Americans die. Their rescue is almost laughable, it is so poorly planned and executed.

The organization of the book is not chronological. The author opens right in the middle of the action, with the forces swooping into Mogadishu in the Black Hawks, ready to begin their mission. He then uses flashbacks to introduce the men and the situation, so the reader understands why they are attacking and what the purpose of the mission is. It uses a narrative style, and it reads like a novel or a work of fiction, rather than a history text, perhaps because the author is a journalist rather than a historian. He notes that was his purpose when he began the book. He says, "I wanted to combine the authority of a historical narrative with the emotion of the memoir" (331). He accomplishes this very well, making the book more exciting and compelling at the same time.

The author uses both primary and secondary sources, and many first-person accounts from soldiers who actually fought in Somalia, even though much of what these two units do is secret. He also took the time to interview Clan leaders from the insurgents, and Somalis who witnessed the battle. Thus, he covers both sides of the issue effectively, and notes that while eighteen Americans died, between 500 and 1,000 Somalis died on the ground. Thus, as a journalist, he uses balance and both sides of the issue to make his points and back up his reasoning. That is the mark of a good journalist, and probably one of the reasons the book was considered for a National Book Award. It is an emotional book, but it is also balanced and fair, leading the reader to make their own conclusions about what happened in Somalia.

One of the great strengths of the book is the way the author portrays the soldiers. They are more than a group of men fighting together, they are a team, a cohesive group that care about each other and will never leave another behind. That is one of the enduring themes of the book, and it is repeated often. Even after some are rescued, their only thought is to return to the city to help their fellow soldiers. Bowden writes, "Alive or dead, they were coming home. This fight wasn't over until every one of them was back" (300). He clearly shows their dedication to each other and their determination to save everyone. The leadership of the Army may be flawed, planning may be poor, but the individual soldiers take their work seriously and care about their fellows with a bond that is difficult to describe. The author manages to do that by showing their bravery in the face of battle and their courage when they rescue each other from the fight.

The author illustrates the utter devotion these soldiers have to their jobs and their country. He writes, "It was hard to imagine what interest the United States of America has in such a place. But Struecker was just twenty-four, and he was a soldier, so it wasn't his place to question such things" (51). By placing statements like these throughout the book, he shows the blind devotion of the soldiers, but also encourages the reader to contemplate how they feel about the involvement in Somalia (and other countries). Thus, the book is historical fact, but also encourages additional thought and debate on the reader's part.