Madness in Mogadishu

by Michael Whetstone

On the afternoon of October 3, 1993, two Black Hawk helicopters were shot down over the Somali capital of Mogadishu, leaving a handful of U.S. Army Rangers and Delta Force operators at the mercy of several thousand approaching militants. Ordered to "go find the glow"--the burning wreckage--hard-charging Capt. Mike Whetstone, commander of a Quick Reaction Company in the 10th Mountain Division, led part of the convoy sent to rescue the survivors. This powerfully vivid story of modern war is the intense firsthand account of the mission to find the crash site and retrieve the downed soldiers.

*Raw descriptions of urban combat in the labyrinthine streets and shantytowns of Mogadishu
*Complements the bestselling book and Oscar-winning movie Black Hawk Down, which recounts these events primarily from the perspective of the Rangers and Delta Force
*Presents battle-tested lessons for young leaders

Genres: Military Fiction, Military History

272 pages, Hardcover

First published November 18, 2013

Reviews

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had to write a review since no one has yet! While this wasn’t my favorite Mogadishu book, it was still worth the read. The first half was very slow but understandable to get the background of this particular unit. Of course the rest was pretty well done and action packed giving a different perspective of the situation, being the rescue or more accurately the backup escort to the rangers. While I do appreciate the history of the 10 mountain, I think there was a lot of repetition in this story. But a solid military book it is.

[Hud · Rating 5 out of 5]

Glad I read this , captivating, educational , well written.

I've seen the movie and read a few books about Blackhawk Down. I wish I had read this one earlier along with my other readings. I also was a light infantry trooper 18 airborne corps 82nd but we never deployed during my time. Really remarkable what all these units were able to accomplish in 1993 and now I know more about what 10th Mtn did in this battle. I salute you all and this book tells it very well, exemplary unit and leadership. Thanks for sharing.

[John Converse · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exceptionally good combination of war story and leadership manual. Most of us have seen the movie "Blackhawk Down" and many of us have read the book. Whetstone's account tells the story of the 10th Mountain troops who went in to extract the Rangers and D-boys after the raid went wrong. He combines this with leadership guidance, primarily directed toward military personnel, but somewhat applicable elsewhere. Good read.