The Command: Deep Inside The President's Secret Army (2012) - Plot & Excerpts
NOTE: I received a copy of the book from the publisher.If you are looking for a Tom Clancy type of book with all kinds of action with Seal Team Six or Delta Force then this is not the book for you, but if you are interested in the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) this is a good book.While this book does have how Seal Team Six killed OBL it mainly was about what equipment, units and the political decisions about it. It also has some accounts about other actions taken by JSOC forces but again little to no action but what was used, why the actions was taken and things like that. It also details how JSOC forces went from being considered a wild cowboy unit which no one wanted to work with yo being considered one of the best units out there.It also talks about how JSOC is organized, what units are in it, what civilian forces and agencies are in it or associated with it. Who the commanders have been and what problems they are starting to have after so many deployments. All in all a good study of JSOC.The main problem I had with the book and what kept it from getting 5 stars is the fact it is so short. It feels like it is a condensed study of JSOC, written for some government entity. Of course the fact that so much of what JSOC does and who and what is in it is classified, this may have been all he could publish. If you're looking for thrilling tales of bravery and action, this is not your book. If you want a sober, factual account of one of the most secretive and significant elements in the US government today and the Global War on Terror, read on.Ambinder uses his unparalleled access to JSOC personnel to explain how JSOC pioneered a fast and lethal combination of intelligence and action that broke the back of the insurgency in Iraq and lead to the death of Osama bin Laden. Delta Force and the Navy SEALS are one of the success stories, adapting quickly to collect intelligence, share it across agencies and units, and use it to roll up terrorist networks. But beyond the Middle East, JSOC operators have conducted missions in China, Peru, and Africa.Ambinder is perhaps a little too favorable to JSOC, and minimizes the contributions of conventional forces and the CIA. He also believes that JSOC operations are legal, and that the peopel responsible for torturing detainees in 2003 and 2004 have been appropriately punished (yeah, right). But that aside, this is about as objective as anybody is going to get on America's shadow military force.
What do You think about The Command: Deep Inside The President's Secret Army (2012)?
Interesting and factual. The rebuild of our armed forces.A must read for military buffs.
—maria
Excellent read and resource for understanding special forces and their importance.
—ldelros
Acronyms. Acronyms everywhere. More about org.chart than acttion.
—Keith
