Disclosure: Mike Durant is a personal friend.The truth behind the movie Black Hawk Down, with the incredible true story by Mike Durant.If you saw the movie Black Hawk Down, you may recall the name of the man that they would not leave behind: Army Chief Warrant Officer 4 Michael Durant. If you watched national news broadcasts in October 1993, you saw the battered face of Michael Durant. America watched with shock as he was dragged through the streets of Mogadishu.The hostilities in Somalia have b...

This book is about Michael J Durrant. He is a pilot with the 160th SOAR or the Night Stalkers as they are known in the military. They are special forces helicopter pilots and are considered the "best of the best" as far as aviators are concerned. This book deals specifically with the events featured in the book and movie "Black Hawk Down".Michael Durrant is the pilot of one of the two blackhawk helicopters that were shot down over Mogadishu, Somalia in October of 1993. He is the only survior of

Great book, great story, solid writing.Okay, so here's one of my deep dark secrets: secretly, I really love army action movies like Black Hawk Down (my husband loves this about me). I'm a big fan of the movie. I always knew that I lived in the same town as Michael Durant, however until I was reviewing pictures of Facebook of a local speaking engagement he gave, I never realized that he had written a book about his time behind enemy lines in Mogadishu. I immediately put it on hold at the Library....

This was a really good first-hand account of the experiences of Mike Durant during his capture and captivity in Somalia after his Blackhawk went down. Durant doesn't shy away from telling it like it is/how he saw it. The author also gives you glimpses into the Night Stalkers and their intense camraderie which I really enjoyed. I did read Black Hawk Down before reading this book and would encourage other readers to do that as well because it gives you good context as to what was going on. I would...

Michael J Durant's personal story of survival provides only brief back story before delving into the actual battle. The account is told mainly as a first person narrative describing his experience with a limited number of broad picture overviews of the entire battle. He describes what happened to him. If you'd like a complementary and complete overview of the mission, read "Black Hawk Down" by Mark Bowden.Once Michael's Black Hawk Super Six Four is hit in the tail by an RPG, you go directly into...

This was, for the most part, an interesting straightforward account of Michael Durant's time in the military, focusing primarily on the downing of his Blackhawk over Mogadishu, Somalia, and his time spent in captivity as a prisoner of the Somali warlord Mohamed Aidid. What I liked about the book was the rather no-nonsense clarity of it. The big picture - especially America's involvement in Somalia - was (except for Durant's negative opinions regarding the Clinton administration) omitted. This wa...

I had been looking forward to this book for some time but it didn't live up to my expectations. If you're looking for a book about Mike's life as an SOF pilot then this does the job quite well. If, like myself, you're expecting a balanced account of Mike's experience in Somalia, you may be let down.About half the book is taken up with anecdotes and memories that have nothing to do with Somalia. That's no big deal as it is still an interesting read, but the description on the back cover doesn't p...

It's been a long time since I read this one; it's obviously time for a re-read...This is the story of Michael Durant. He was piloting one of the Blackhawk helicopters during the "Blackhawk Down" raid in Somalia, Africa in 1993. His was one of two choppers to go down that day, and a couple of Special Ops guys dropped-in to protect him until they could be rescued. But, the rescue didn't arrive in time. The two guys that dropped were Delta Force Operators Gary Gordon and Randy Shughart. They fought...

I read this book after reading Black Hawk Down (which in spite of it's lengthiness I was glued to). This book had the same effect on me, this book pulls you in and doesn't let go till the ride is over. Recommended for anyone who enjoys non-fiction,especially military fiction, or anyone who should pull their head out of the sand and learn about what really happened in Somalia 1993 and the sacrifices these heroic men made.

I just finished reading Black Hawk Down, and in some ways I liked this one even more. Durant was the only American POW, captured by Somalis after his Black Hawk Super Six-Four crashed in Mogadishu. He describes in great detail the battle from the view of his chopper, the crash, and the soldiers who were killed trying to protect him. He also describes being paraded through the streets by Somalis and his days in captivity.

There is a problem with helicopter pilots who decide to write books, which is that usually they are much better pilots than they are authors. Mr. Durant does not have that problem. This book is incredibly well-written, quick moving, and with an underlying sense of humor that ties it all together. Highly recommend.

I had friends in Mogadishu in October 1993 when the 'Blackhawk Down' incident, in which Mike Durant was shot down and captured, occured and so I have had a bit of an personal interest in the battle. In 2000, another friend attended a RAND urban ops seminar where some of the survivors of the battle also participated - he came home, having read Mark Bowden's 'Blackhawk Down' on the plane home, and told us all to buy a copy and read it. In 2002, Ridley Scott's movie of the same name came out. For m...

The movie Black Hawk Down portrayed a battle in the streets of Mogadishu between American forces and those of Somali warlords. Perhaps better than in any other film was its capture of modern urban warfare. Even more terrifying to some though, was its display of U.S. combat failure. Whilst the battle may have been indeterminant in "the war", and casualties massively higher on the Somalian side, to the US public - seeing the partially dismembered corpses of American soldiers dragged triumphantly t...

Very well written, detailed story of the events leading up to, the capture of Blackhawk pilot Micheal Durant. This is the third book I've read dealing with the details of the Battle of Mogadishu, and by far the best. Very humanized version written by a very professional man who was loyal to and cared deeply about his military family. This book is riveting and you sometimes feel you are right there with him. The only difference is, unless you were, you have no idea what he went through. One can o...

Shot down in Somalia, this is the story of a soldier's life in an unexpected situation. This is the personal story of what happened from the man who was there. You can not read this book without realizing the author and those in the story are true heroes.

Well-written, riveting true story from the man who lived it. The timeline jumps from his predicament to his home life, injecting the husband and father aspect of Durant's life. A great read for those interested in current events, military history, Army helicopters, and adventure.

Other than the horrible injuries, he had a very mild captivity.

Make sure you don’t skip the Afterword. Well, worth the read.

Ever since reading Black Hawk Down, I've wanted to know more about SOAR and Mike Durant. This book gave me exactly that! I'm looking forward to reading more books about SOAR and also Mike Durant's other book. It's hard to say I loved this book because the material is tough and emotional reading at times, but definitely worth reading. Mike Durant is certainly a stronger person than I am - I can't imagine living through captivity like that with the injuries he had sustained in the crash! I loved t...

This book increased the appreciation I have for those who serve in our military. It was interesting to hear Durant recall his experience and I would like to read "Blackhawk Down" and learn of the experience of everyone else on that fateful day in October. I could not give this book five stars because there were too many times that I found that vocabulary inconsistent as if a thesarus was used as an afterthought to edit. I also have to admit that I was disappointed to learn that his marriage ende...

The "Black Hawk Down" story from the view point of Micheal Durant. Durant was a blackhawk pilot who was shot down in Somalia and eventually captured. His back was broken and his leg was broken. Durant tells the story of his capture and captivity with a suprizing amount of humor, compassion, and raw truth. As war biographies go, this is one of the best I have ever read. Of course there is a great deal of action and pain that must be told, but Durant focuses on the character attributes of himself

This book was given to my husband, and one of the few books he has ever finished. I read it because he raves about it. I was amazed at the courage Michael Durant had while being a POW, and mire amazed with the courage it must have taken to share these details in a book. His story is one I will never forget. He is the reason I stand for the national anthem and thank the military men who serve our country. I did not say served as past tense because the sacrifices made by our military men and women...

An awesome companion for Bowden's Black Hawk Down. I admire not only Durant's strength during captivity but also his sense of humor. Anyway, I really have to read the Night Stalkers, because 160th SOAR(A) operations seem to be really interesting.

I have read Black Hawk Down at least once and seen the movie several times, so reading this book is a nice counterpoint to that story. He does get a little preachy about God, the heroism of his fellow soldiers and things like that, especially towards the end of the book. Some of that is to be understood and appropriate in this type of book, but he does take it a little too far.

A bit over my head for not having a miliatry background but he did a good job at explaining what every code or nickname means. GREAT humble inside view of special ops. I really enjoyed it. Thank you to all those who serve. You are amazing!

While reading the life story of Mike Durant, you'll also get a glimpse of 160th Special Operation Aviation Regiment. If you are into military history and covert special operations this book will worth your time.

An incredible story and a very fine book indeed. I could not put this book down. Thank you for your service sir.

'With any air assault, you pretty much always want to land into the wind. It increases your lift performance and helps with noise, reducing the time the enemy can hear you coming. It cuts down the dust cloud, blowing it to your rear.""When speaking to military helicopter pilots, I invariably encourage them to make sure to carry all the ammunition and water they can, including grenades and whatever else they can get their hands on. As an aviator, if you need your weapon, chances are you aren't fl...

This book is a perfect balance of aircraft information, tactical data, and personal experience. Durant does an excellent job of putting the reader in the midst of the action and the periods of inaction. He also brings his comrades to life; by the end of the book, I felt that I knew the incredibly brave people he served with, as well as his captors and jailers.

Similar to "If I die in a combat zone " (Vietnam) and "Pure Massacre " (Rwanda), "In the company of heroes" is the book of Black Hawk Down by one of the pilot's. Reading this 10 years after reading Black Hawk Down it was good to see this specific account, but I wasn't so keen on the recounts of other missions even if it did give context to the author