#shortBookReviews Task Force Black, Urban

By Jason Criss Howk

21 February 2019

These reviews serve a simple purpose: to tell you what is in the book and why you might want to read it.  All books selected for review are recommended reading…I’m not reviewing books just because they are new, but instead because they are valuable.

Task Force Black: The Explosive True Story of the SAS and the Secret War in Iraq, By: Mark Urban, Little Brown, 2010

In Iraq when the US led coalition needed to break the back of the AQ affiliates and their network they leaned on a US Special Operations Task Force.  The British added forces to this Task Force in such a way that they became an extension of this US organization.  They were one of the teams of teams.

This partnership between the US and the UK enabled the military and intelligence teams to more quickly overwhelm their enemies.  This partnership also enabled the commando forces of the two nations, that had trained together for decades, to perfect their ability to operate more seamlessly as one team on the most complex of missions.

The Special Air Service (SAS) was the model for many US special operations units and this combination of assets allowed both nations to refine their own skills and adopt techniques from their partners…their cousins.

If you have the chance to work beside the SAS you should take it.  You will improve as a leader and thinker.

This book is recommended for national security policy-makers and military, intelligence and diplomatic officers. Understanding how elite special operations forces can and should not be employed is critical to smart foreign intervention.

#iraq #taskForce #SOF #specialOperations #SAS #specialAirService #UKArmy #JIMM

#dfp #shortBookReviews

Dispatches from Pinehurst now offers #shortBookReviews for you.  These reviews will be concise and hopefully useful…no author critiquing, no opining on the shortcomings of the book, no literature reviews of similar books on the topic. 

These reviews serve a simple purpose: to tell you what is in the book and why you might want to read it.  All books selected for review are recommended reading…I’m not reviewing books just because they are new, but instead because they are valuable.

Some of these books challenged me and changed my thinking during my life—I hope they can help you.  Some taught me about issues I didn’t understand and others highlighted how great leaders make challenging decisions that shape history. Maybe most importantly, many books give examples of humans that disagree on policy issues (domestic and foreign) but work wisely with their ideological opponents to find solutions.

I hope you enjoy these reviews, and welcome your suggested books for review or your own short book reviews for publication here on DFP.          first.mentor14@gmail.com

Respectfully, Jason

Author of the Award-Winning Book– The Qur’an: A Chronological Modern English Interpretation.

https://oldstonepress.com/library/quran/