Best Laid Plans: The Inside Story of America's War Against Terrorism

by David C. Martin, John Walcott

Examines in detail the terrorist raids that have taken place during Reagan's presidency, and discusses what the U.S. government has done to combat world terrorism

Genres: Terrorism, Military Fiction

392 pages, Hardcover

First published June 1, 1988

Reviews

[Joseph Stieb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Old by this point, but solid reporting on Reagan's War on Terrorism. Covers hostage crises, the Lebanon intervention, U.S. strikes, hijackings, and other terrorist attacks on the era. Has a surprisingly good level of documentation of insider policy-making, as well as extensive interviews with major Reagan administration figures. Ends with an interesting argument that military force doesn't make a whole lot of sense for the terrorism of that era given the fiasco of Lebanon, the very partial success of El Dorado Canyon, and the failure of Iran-Contra to solve the hostage problem. Instead, the authors make a good case for a law enforcement paradigm for terrorism, which did make sense for that era. Worth reading if you are research terrorism in the 1980s, but it's a little bloated at times, like the 60 page chapter on the US strikes on Lebanon.

[Jacque · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a book I read long ago, it was about the failed attempt to rescue American embassy hostages held captive in Iran in the 1980's. That was a pretty fascinating and compelling true story. I finally found it and decided to post it here.

This book summarizes the dramas surrounding the U.S. attack on Libya leader Muammar al-QADHAFI (his baby son was killed, many years later, in fact only recently, he turned his back on his wicked terrorist ways and his pursuit of WMDs and missile programs to ally himself w/ the U.S.); the Beirut Barracks bombing; and the tragic attempt to rescue American hostages from Iran. Just an incredibly astonishing story that made me so proud that these rescuers were my countrymen.