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Secret Soldiers: Special Forces in the War Against Terrorism
"Terrorism" describes the ways a band of fanatics bring an entire nation to its knees. Whether terrorism involves kidnapping, hijacking, bombing, or other threats, the response of civilized nations is the Special Forces. For the first time, the incredible story of today's newest form of warfare gets an authoritative treatment that chronicles how the forces are organized, armed, trained, and deployed, as well as their weapons and intelligence methods. Reports show Special Forces in action throughout the world, with detailed analyses that range from early victories at Entebbe to the more recent operation at the Iranian Embassy in London. A Selection of the Military Book Club.
Hardcover
First published March 1, 2001
37 people want to read
About the author
Peter Harclerode
18 books6 followersPeter Harclerode was commissioned into the Irish Guards in 1967, serving in the UK, Middle East and Far East. He has also served in the SAS and the Parachute Regiment.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
February 28, 2018
An exhaustive work on Political Terrorism in the 70s, 80s and 90s in the West and the Middle East. 575 pages of Bombs, Assassinations, Kidnappings and Rescues. Peter Harclerode, a chronicler of elite military units, takes us on a nonstop whirlwind tour of the the Bad Guys, the Forces the Good guys came up with to deal with the issue, and then the results, as state actors responded to this "new"form of warfare. The book was published in 2001, so its a good capsule of "the story so far..." before it kicked up another whole notch.
The pace and volume is torrential. The three decades are whipping by at a fast clip, violence everywhere, when we stop for a bit to see all the various units created to deal with the Crisis in the 70s. The SAS begats Germany's GSG-9, Italy's Carabinieri, and America's Delta Force. Israel's Sayeret Matkal begats other units at home and abroad. It is almost humorous how much larger America's effort is, starting with Col. Hackworth in 1978, their air wing being larger than many whole airforces. The author gives you unit TO&E for each unit as created originally, so there is alot of ground to cover.
Then we're off again through the Mid-80s and the 90s, when states had the capacity to counter terrorist ploys with their own strike forces. The battle joins again. The Killings, Bombings, Kidnappings, and Rescues continue apace. It's an amazing compilation of the most important events in the West.
The pace and depth of this book are daunting for a junior reader- they need to have a lot of time to digest this, although the prose is not too complex. But this is a treasure trove for the Military Enthusiast/Gamer/Modeller. Both on background and with a wealth of anecdotes that will improve or generate many scenarios or dioramas. The skirmish/gunfight gamer will find only the dearth of maps/diagrams annoying- the text is once gem after another.
The pace and volume is torrential. The three decades are whipping by at a fast clip, violence everywhere, when we stop for a bit to see all the various units created to deal with the Crisis in the 70s. The SAS begats Germany's GSG-9, Italy's Carabinieri, and America's Delta Force. Israel's Sayeret Matkal begats other units at home and abroad. It is almost humorous how much larger America's effort is, starting with Col. Hackworth in 1978, their air wing being larger than many whole airforces. The author gives you unit TO&E for each unit as created originally, so there is alot of ground to cover.
Then we're off again through the Mid-80s and the 90s, when states had the capacity to counter terrorist ploys with their own strike forces. The battle joins again. The Killings, Bombings, Kidnappings, and Rescues continue apace. It's an amazing compilation of the most important events in the West.
The pace and depth of this book are daunting for a junior reader- they need to have a lot of time to digest this, although the prose is not too complex. But this is a treasure trove for the Military Enthusiast/Gamer/Modeller. Both on background and with a wealth of anecdotes that will improve or generate many scenarios or dioramas. The skirmish/gunfight gamer will find only the dearth of maps/diagrams annoying- the text is once gem after another.
Displaying 1 of 1 review