Mission: Blacklist #1: The Inside Story of the Search for Saddam Hussein---As Told by the Soldier Who Masterminded His Capture

by Eric Maddox, Bernie Mcinerney, Davin Seay

Everyone has seen the footage: a heavily bearded Saddam Hussein blinking under the bright lights of infantry cameras, dazed to find himself in U.S. Army custody. Yet while the breaking news was broadcast around the world, the story of the remarkable events leading up to that moment on December 13, 2003, has never before been fully told. "Mission: Black List #1" offers the complete, behind-the-scenes account of the search for Saddam Hussein, as related by the Army interrogator whose individual courage and sheer determination made the capture possible.

In July of 2003, Staff Sergeant Eric Maddox was deployed to Baghdad alongside intelligence analysts and fellow interrogators. Their assignment was clear: gather actionable intelligence--leads that could be used to launch raids on High Value Targets within the insurgency. But, as Maddox recounts, hunting for the hidden links in the terrorist network would require bold and untested tactics, and the ability to never lose sight of the target, often hiding in plain sight.

After months of chasing down leads, following hunches, and interrogating literally hundreds of detainees, Sergeant Maddox uncovered crucial details about the insurgency. In his final days in Iraq, he closed in on the dictator's inner circle and, within hours of his departure from the country, pinpointed the precise location of Saddam's Tikrit spider hole. Maddox's candid and compelling narrative reveals the logic behind the unique interrogation process he developed and provides an insider's look at his psychologically subtle, nonviolent methods. The result is a gripping, moment-by-moment account of the historic mission that brought down Black List #1.

Genres: Nonfiction, Military Fiction, History, Biography, War, Military History

MP3 Book

First published December 2, 2008

Reviews

[Eileen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I re-read the book to prepare myself for the movie based on this book that will be shot this spring in Morocco and Jordan.

***


The day I found out that Robert Pattinson was going to play the lead in the movie based on this book -that's going to be filmed in the fall of 2012- I immediately ordered the book. It was definitely hard to get a copy, I bought a second hand one on the internet and just hoped it
would be in a reasonably good state. When I finally received it, I couldn't believe my luck; it's a first edition signed by the author Eric Maddox himself!

Once I was a government official in my hometown in the Netherlands and studied public law. During my study I had to attend court and follow some law cases. Ever since then I have been interested in law, lawyers and interrogating witnesses, so this book is my cup of tea.

All praise for Eric Maddox who was absolutely no experienced interrogator when he went to Iraq. It was his first job in a strange country with a completely different culture. He had the drive to succeed, followed his own instincts and found his own way of interrogating prisoners without any violence involved. His way worked and led in the end to the capture of Saddam Hussein. Eric never gave up although sometimes he thought he wouldn't succeed.

This is not a novel and the writing language is not that special. It's more something like a documentary and a diary in one. Although we all know how the story ends it's still very captivating.

[CherryBlossom0301 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although I'm not really a fan of this type of books I've read it cause I was so curious about who Rob was going to play next. And I surprisingly really liked it! Although we all know how the story ends, the second half of the book is gripping like a thriller. I couldn't put it down. At first it's pretty confusing, since the Iraky names are pretty similar and I had problems remembering who was who. So I did a little chart where I wrote who was linked or related to whom and it prooved really useful. The second half of the book focuses on 4 or 5 major characters, so it got easier to follow. It was really great to get a glimps into history.

[Lucy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book and can't wait to see Rob play Eric Maddox :)

[RICK "SHAQ" GOLDSTEIN · Rating 5 out of 5]

RICK “SHAQ” GOLDSTEIN SAYS: “THE MAN WHO HELPED LEAD “U.S.” TO SADDAM’S SPIDER HOLE!”
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**ON SATURDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2003 AT 8:30 PM SADDAM HUSSEIN WAS CAPTURED IN A “SPIDER-HOLE” IN THE TOWN OF AD DAWR, WHICH IS SOME 15 KILOMETERS SOUTH OF TIKRIT.**

This is the amazing story of Staff Sergeant Eric Maddox of the United States Army who was instrumental in uncovering the information that helped lead to Saddam’s capture. The author was an interrogator and within twenty-four-hours of landing in Baghdad he was asked if he was willing to interrogate on “hits”… “raids that were conducted in Baghdad to search for High Value Targets (HVT) and round up suspected insurgents.” From there he was transferred to Tikrit, Saddam’s hometown. And that’s where this amazingly interesting and fast paced story unfolds. Within a very short period of time Eric is thrust into the duties of a top interrogator, even though he has no real interrogation experience, when the previously assigned experienced interrogator transfers out. Eric’s previous training amounted to an eight-week interrogation course he attended in Arizona in 1999. AND… “WHAT I DIDN’T LEARN WAS HOW TO ACTUALLY GET THE JOB DONE. MOST OF MY INSTRUCTORS HAD NEVER INTERROGATED A REAL LIVE PRISONER. THERE HAD BEEN VERY FEW PRISONERS SINCE VIET NAM.”

In addition to the *insider’s-peep-hole* into one of the most important historical events in recent history… the author’s unabashed honesty about his own shortcomings and fears… helps elevate this book above the horde of Middle East war books released in the last few years. An example of Eric’s forthright nature is displayed when detailing his first “boots-on-the-ground” “OUTSIDE-THE-WIRE” raid on a possible insurgent. On the way to the selected house, driving ONE-HUNDRED-MILES-PER-HOUR at night… in a Mercedes that had been owned by one of Saddam’s nieces… attacked by a FIFTY-CALIBER MACHINE GUN… the car spinned out of control… the driver jumped out the door… yelling U.S.A.! U.S.A.! … it turned out it was friendly fire. When Eric and the task force arrived, and entered the targeted house… and after one of the soldiers had secured the first suspect… they brought Eric into the room for his first interrogation with his new team… “WHY DON’T YOU TAKE THE BLINDFOLD OFF? I SUGGESTED. I WANTED TO BE EYE TO EYE WITH THIS GUY WHEN I QUESTIONED HIM. ONE OF THE GUARDS OBLIGED, PULLING BACK THE BLOOD-SOAKED CLOTH. I’D NEVER BEEN VERY GOOD WITH BLOOD, GOING BACK TO MY EARLY DAYS IN THE INFANTRY, WHEN TRAINING ACCIDENTS WERE NOT UNCOMMON. IT IS SOMETHING I’VE ALWAYS TRIED TO HIDE, WITH VARYING DEGREES OF SUCCESS. THIS WAS GOING TO BE HARDER THAN MOST. WHERE THE EYE SHOULD HAVE BEEN, THERE WAS AN EMPTY SOCKET.”

As the story progresses the reader grows right along with the author in the “art” of interrogation… including the overriding desire to find… capture… or kill… “HIGH-VALUE-TARGETS” (HVT). Though the author had literally no experience when he arrived, he quickly developed his own techniques as he tried very hard to impress the specialized task force that he held in the highest regard. Eric devised a detailed “link diagram” that would look like an organization chart of a Fortune 500 company to you and me… and developed a theory that the key to HVT’s was the relationship of Saddam’s former body guards and their families. In addition… always hovering above… like a proverbial “pot-of-gold”… was the Department Of Defense’s “PACK-OF-PLAYING-CARDS”… and “on the face of the cards were the fifty-five most wanted men in Iraq: *THE-BLACK-LIST*. SADDAM WAS BLACK LIST #1, THE ACE OF SPADES. HIS SONS, UDAY AND QUSAY WERE BL's #2 AND #3. THEY HAD ALREADY BEEN ACCOUNTED FOR, KILLED IN A BLOODY SHOOT-OUT IN MOSUL THE DAY BEFORE ERIC ARRIVED IN BAGHDAD.”

This is the behind the scenes story of the hunt for *THOSE-PLAYING-CARDS*.

Note 1: As an honorably discharged Viet Nam era veteran… and a man who yearns for a seat at the bar… I want to thank Eric for his dedication words to me and others at the beginning of the book.

**”TO ALL OF THOSE WHO HAVE SERVED, FOUGHT, AND SACRIFICED, AND TO ALL THOSE WHO YEARN FOR A SEAT AT THE BAR.”**

Note 2: You’ll have to read the book to know what a seat at the bar entails.

[Jeffrey Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having been deployed to Iraq at the same time that SSG Maddox was there (but 50 miles west of his location), his narrative fills in the knowledge gap that I've had from my own deployment.

There are things that he writes about that meshes with things that happened with us. Now I feel like I have been given enough intelligence that makes the overall picture more clear.

As for his intelligence work - it's top notch.

From a literary perspective, the writing could have been a little tighter, but it wasn't a bad read. I enjoyed reading this one. Recommend.

[Kelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always like reading books like this. How they find targets in the Middle East. How things came together.
Eric Maddox writes easily and it’s easy to understand for those that aren’t military.

I loved reading about how he interrogated or talked with all of Saddam’s servants/driver/cooks/cousins that worked for him. He was figuring out the lies they told — what was behind the lie was what mattered. Such a good way to look at it.
When he finally got the last man he needed to tell him where Saddam was, I was reading it so fast all the way to the end with finding Saddam in the hole.

[Alison · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book because I’ve heard Eric Maddox speak a few times in person and was blown away by his story and his passion for his work. I was curious to read the story for myself and it did not disappoint! It’s so mind boggling to find out what happened behind the scenes and what led to the capture of Saddam. We only hear certain things in the media so getting a behind the scenes look is so refreshing and really informative on how things really work. Great book. I’d definitely read it again.

[William · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very intense book without any politics. The manner in which the book is written leaves you wanting to find out what happens next. I had watched some documentaries about the capture of Saddam Hussein before that were interesting but not as informative. I knew the author because he had been interviewed for the documentaries. This book fills in the blanks and you get a sense of how important and time sensitive intel was in the search for Saddam.

[Kevin Demel · Rating 2 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading the book because I got some hints about how to get information from people. Interrogation or interviewing are both opportunities to learn about people and about the network they are involved in.

[Tommy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this. What an incredible story.

[Jcr · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very easy quick read about the Army interrogator who was sent to Tikrit by chance. Then by following up on a previous person there, he figured that by finding the people whom Saddam trusted the most, that would be the key to finding Saddam.

[Mike Hill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely stellar and a great reminder on the value of information.

[Mikedariano · Rating 3 out of 5]

A movie in book form. There are few big ideas in this book but lots of on the ground details from someone who was there. If there had been another 100 pages about what day to day life was like as an interrogator in Iraq I wouldn't have minded.

[Jerome Otte · Rating 5 out of 5]

An interesting and well-paced account by the soldier that headed all of the interrogations that led to Saddam's capture.

The book is an easy and quick read, maybe a little too rushed. There is little discussion of the actions of the special operations task force that actually hunted Saddam, but this doesn't hamper the story in any way.

Eric Maddox was the interrogator who focused on the path least traveled by our intelligence agencies, worked his way through Saddam Hussein's hierarchy of bodyguards and associates of the Iraqi insurgency to track down and capture Saddam Hussein. He did this in a surprisingly small amount of time, less than five months. He put together the last pieces of the puzzle in the final frantic hours of his rotation in Iraq, working around the clock to prevent his efforts from going to waste when he was ordered to return.

What's remarkable is that Maddox was able to accomplish this even though he had no real interrogation experience. Maddox devised a detailed "link diagram" that would look like an organization chart of a Fortune 500 company to you and me... and developed a theory that the key to HVTs was the relationship of Saddam's former bodyguards and their families.

See also Hunting Down Saddam: The Inside Story of the Search and Capture and We Got Him! A Memoir of the Hunt and Capture of Saddam Hussein

[Karen Klink · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not only is truth stranger than fiction but, in this case, it is much more exciting. Written in first person by the sergeant who masterminded the capture of Saddam Hussein, this story reads like a first-rate thriller. My husband couldn't put it down and neither could I.

Contrary to what he has learned, Maddox has his own method of interrogating prisoners, and it works. There is no torture here, merely the compiling of hundreds of hours of information from over a hundred detainees, many of whom are harmless. Maddox, who is new at the job, seems to have a photographic memory for names and connections.

The story moves like a line of dominoes from one raid and capture to the next, all seemingly failures, until Maddox manages to gain a little information here, a little information there, and we follow him along as he puts it all together like one amazing puzzle of family and friend connections that eventually lead him to Black List #1.

Like any good novel, there are numerous conflicts along the way, not least of which is the limited time he is allowed to get the job done. His eventual success runs right down to the last second, and it matters not that we know the ending because getting there is so exciting and full of surprises.

Great story. Fast read. One can only hope the intelligence community has learned something from Maddox's experience.

[Wennie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wouldn't have picked up this book, but when I heard it was going to be filmed with a certain actor in mind, I wanted to see what type of movie he would have signed up for.

The first few chapters of the book was a bit dragging, as the author laid the groundwork for his working hypothesis on how to find HVT#1. He went into t his chase, knowing nothing, with no preconceived notions. Because he started with a blank slate, he was able to determine which leads and informants were valuable to the search. The last few chapters were suspenseful. And as I was reading the book, I was visualizing how the scenes would translate into a movie. I am sure some creative license will be applied. Reality though is sometimes more of plodding along than heart stopping action ... But his contribution to finding Saddam cannot be discounted. I am looking forward to seeing how the magic of Hollywood can transcribe the work and action taken.
Towards the end, I could not put the book down. I wanted to see how he finally strung all the snippets of information together to find the man closest to Saddam, which eventually held them to Saddam himself.

[Neil · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this was an interesting book. It is from the perspective of the man instrumental in the capture of Saddam Hussein. It moves at a decent clip, and it held my interest throughout the entire book. The author was an interrogator who had his own method of questioning captured Iraqis, and his methods led to the capture of Hussein.

I liked how the author shared both his triumphs and his mistakes, the lessons he learned the hard way. He operated on his own, away from the chain of command looking over his shoulder, which allowed him to jump around and change his plan of attack [as it were] when it came to interrogations.

I thought it was a good book. It was well-written. I think it showed the need for flexibility, to being able to think differently than others and see patterns that would otherwise have remained hidden.

[L · Rating 4 out of 5]

strangely i found this book compelling. As a history graduate and due to the proximity of events it was enthralling to read the story behind the capture of Saddam Hussein.

I actually had a lump in my throat as I came to the end of the book.

The writing is nothing to write home about, but the tale itself; the reality of the situation makes the book a page turner.

For those of you in the fandom and know about the forthcoming film I recommend giving the book a read. I think the film will allow Rob a great opportunity to show the breadth of his range during the re-enactment of an actual event.

[Blake · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading this book gave me new insights and understanding of the war in Iraq and how intelligence was (and is) gathered. The story was interesting and fairly captivating. It was also pretty short -- the author didn't waste time on irrelevant facts and tangents (which I appreciated). Before reading, I had zero knowledge of how we found Saddam, and I had no idea how difficult it was, but this book tells a major part of the story as the author was apparently one of the key people in finding Hussein. I also appreciated that swearing in the book was pretty limited -- in many books about war it can be excessive.

[Shana Aaaa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This read like a thriller and I really enjoyed it until the very end when SPOILER


Eric doesn't even get to go on the final raid or even know what happens until several hours after the capture of Saddam. It was sort of anti-climatic, but since these are true events there is nothing that can be done about it.

Throughout the book I sensed a sort of ineptness of the military that there was no through line. Once someone leaves because their tour is over, all their work and gathered intelligence isn't passed on to someone else? Frustrating.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

WOW. Definitely not a book I would have picked up had a certain actor not been cast in the movie but that being said, I really, really enjoyed this book. I am fascinated at how Sgt. Maddox was able to use his skills as an interrogator to create this picture of the insurgency and how that picture lead to the capture of Black List #1. This was a surprisingly quick read, the story flowed well and really grabs you right off the bat. If you like stories about catching the bad guy and if you remotely like "detective" work, I would definitely recommend this book.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book but then I enjoy historical non-fiction and biographies. I found it interesting the way the puzzle pieces fit together for the capture to take place. You actually felt the intensity of Sgt. Maddox's race against time and the growing frustration with the military bureaucracy that he faced at times. It's amazing that Saddam was captured at all and I have no doubt that without this man's tenacity and determination, more American's and innocent Iraqi's would have died. We were simply barking up the wrong trees to find him.

[Linda Reads Audiobooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really good read - kept my interest throughout, and had me at the edge of my seat for the last few chapters. I'm not one for military stories, and this was military, through-and-through, so for me to enjoy it this much is really something. Not Rob-inspired, either. Honestly, I couldn't picture him as I was reading, so I guess that will have to wait for the film. It was really a fascinating story, almost incredible in the timing, skill, and luck involved. Loved it!

[Kristi Hampshire · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the book Not the type I usually read, but ass many people have or will do I read it because Rob is doing the movie It was very interesting learning about interrogations and how he learned to hone his craft to get information for the people he had deal with.

I like how he was pretty humble through out the book, admitting he was learning as he went and at times had no idea what he was doing He was not cocky, but was confident as time went on

[Mark Fallon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eric Maddox shares how he put together a matrix of relationships to track down the people who were supporting Saddam Hussein after the invasion, leading directly to the capture of Saddam himself. Maddox uses patience and personal needs, not torture, to get his prisoners to talk.

A real American hero.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Despite clearly knowing the outcome of this book I could not put it down. It was fast paced, funny, edge of your seat reading. The personality of Maddox shone through & you felt his anxiety at trying to do his job, to deliver the targets. His humor and determination painted a thoroughly entertaining picture of the quest for BlackList #1.

[Blake Hardy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an amazing book about the story of the search and capture of Saddam Hussein. I got to meet the author and hear him speak at a conference. Amazing story and an important event in our generation. The stories sometimes seem to drag, but are written in a way that makes you want to keep reading.

[Alicia · Rating 3 out of 5]

The prologue hooked me immediately. The guy who helped Eric Maddox write this book is a good writer. The story itself was interesting with good use of anecdotes and parallels. If you're at all interested in Operation Iraqi Freedom, this is a book you'll enjoy reading.

[Ben. Newland · Rating 3 out of 5]

Found this one through a footnote on Slate.com. What an amazing story, and a fascinating look at how military interrogation can work wonders without ever violating the Geneva conventions. Read this one in less than 24 hours.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just awesome. Fantastic ! One of those books that you just want to fininsh in one sitting. Eric manage to bring across to the reader moment by moment, heartbeat by heartbeat account of his interrogation.