Customer Reviews

The Commandos

5 star:		(26)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is a very insightful book that is clearly well researched. The author really sheds light on the types of training and the selection process that American Special Forces soldiers must endure. The Green Beret training was particularly insightful because the author takes you along on some of the war games that the soldiers have to play. The author travels along to "Hell Week" that all Navy Seals have to endure. Where the author stands out, is that he successfully captures the personalities and emotions of the people that he follows. They all come from unique backgrounds, and the author really captures how their personalities affect their thinking as soldiers. I especially liked the fact that the author did a section on Air Force special forces pilots, the guys who fly the helicopters that deliver the more glamourous ground troops. They don't get enough recognition in the action world of hollywood. However, one wonders who designed such a complicated helicopter. REad the book, and all will be explained. The one big disappointment in the book (the reason I'm giving it three stars) is the limited look at Delta Force (the anti-terrorist force). Compared with the rest of the book, this section lacked the detail that made the other sections interesting. This was probably the section that I was most looking forward to so it was quite a disappointment. 3/4 of the book is hugely enjoyable but that one section was a bit lacking.

Commandos is the most in-depth and accurate book about special operations that I have ever read. It is refreshing, and surprising, to see this subject openly addressed, giving hard-earned credit to the men who have worked their tails off to become the absolute best, in the service of their country, while allowing uninitiated readers a realistic glimpse into a mysterious world. I don't claim to personally be completely knowledgeable about this field, but I have worked in the special ops community for a dozen years, in a support role. Based on my knowledge, I can say with confidence that Waller is right on target. I whole-heartedly recommend this book to anyone seriously interested in elite military forces. I also recommend Mark Bowden's Black Hawk Down, which deals specifically with the 1993 Task Force Ranger raid in Mogadishu, Somalia.

Reading Waller's book is like a print edition of a Discovery/History Channel TV special on an American elite force, focusing on the trials/tribulations of the process it takes to join the U.S. military's elite forces. In this, this book is invaluable and has placed itself in its own niche as a must-read book. What is exceptional is that Waller has placed the Air Force special operators in the same category as the ground grunt SOF types (SEALs, Green Berets etc) and this is fitting as it DOES take a special kind of courage to fly in aircraft at the edge of the envelope daily while popular perceptions do not reward you with the respect the ground-SOF types get as being "killers". Waller walked the ground and carried a rucksack to write his book and you have to respect his honesty and desire to get the truth. As an introduction to U.S. Special Operations, Waller achieves his purpose.

Airborne!

This book is about the best general overview of the various Special Forces units in the American arsenal from a "signal to noise" ratio that I have read to date. By that I mean what the book presumes to offer and what it actually delivers is pretty much on par. Everybody looks for different things in these kinds of books but generally I think people who read books about special ops are looking for organizational details of how these units do what they do and "sea stories" of them doing it for real.

Like any book that covers a lot of ground, however, it is more of a general look than an in-depth study. There are certainly better books that drill down on a particular service this book is the best I've read so far at wrapping them all up in a single package without skimping too much or misrepresenting the content. Now, there are some chapters that are just barley enough to whet one's appetite. For example, the chapter on Delta Force is not much more than what you'd find in an exclusive magazine article on the subject. This is simply because the author was not given the same level of access to Delta Force as he was able to gain for the SEALs or the Green Berets so it is not at all well balanced from a unit perspective.

What is balanced is the author's approach to explaining what the core mission is for the units he examines (namely the Army Green Berets, Delta Force and PSYOPS, Navy SEALs and the Air Force Special Operations chopper pilots) and a taste of what they do. The author takes a contemporary view of his subjects rather than bogging things down too much with the unit's past histories. Instead he focuses on what they were doing at the time the book was written (late 90's). The latter half of the book is a look at some of the ops that these units participated in during the Gulf War. I appreciated this approach since I feel that Special Ops is definitely an up-to-date topic meaning that I am more interested in what these units are doing now than what they did decades ago.

This then becomes the book's major downfall. Namely that it is out of date being written in the late `90s. Despite this disadvantage I think the basic mission parameters and operating styles of the units showcased are essentially the same so it is still a valid reference for general information on the special ops forces involved. Overall, though, I think the balance achieved was good and it is well worth a paperback price. I look forward to a similar book that covers the work that these units have done in Afghanistan.

This was a very informative book and an exciting read as well.
Through this book you are taken into the training program of the most elite fighting groups in the world today. You are give up close and concise looks at the rigorous training programs that the Special Forces troops go through. Delta Force,Army Rangers,
Air Force Special Forces, and Navy Seals are brought to front and center thanks to this book. The on the spot training process is very educational to the reader. You are given a better understanding why these are the best.This is a very good book.You
will be better informed after you read it. Buy it.

This is a fabulous book about the US Special Forces. It hits the main Special Forces groups such as the Green Berets, Navy SEAL's, 1st SFOD Delta and more. The author does not just give generalizations about the Special Forces groups, but he gives explicit, graphic and sharp descriptions of their missions, training and how their minds work. He begins his book with a true story of a team of Green Berets behind enemy lines in the Persian Gulf War and how they are compromised, must defend themselves and are finally rescued. The author's stories are not just breif, one-page stories, but detailed and thorough stories that make you feel like you could actually be there.

This book is great, attention-holding and informational and even during my busy schedule, I devoured this book in less than a week. I still like to flip to different sections and re-read chapters.

Waller gives good information in the book which covers too wide of a topic for specifics. I wish he would have included the Marine Force Recon and PJ's or CCT's to make it more complete. But he did a good job on those that he did. He makes valid points about their training and correlating it back to their combat roles.

I read this book a few years ago and would wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone intersted in the US Special Forces.

Douglas Waller puts you right into the heart of the action as if you were right there standing side by side America's elite soldiers.

The prologue is a great introduction to the book and recalls a botched Special Forces (Green Beret) mission during Desert Storm that--instead of resulting in catastrophe--showed how brightly a compromised A-Team shined against incredible odds.

The rest of the book is just as good. This is one of the best books I've read on US Special Forces. Read it now!

I gave this book four stars because it did not include other intresting units such as US Airborne Rangers, PJ's, and CCT's. The chapter on Robin Sage was intresting because not alot is written about SF training. I am a "pro" Army person, but I have to give it to the SEAL's, they are a tough and tight knit group that is ready to Jump, Dive, March into action at any time. The chapter on their training was very good. The part I was most intrested in was the chapter on the SF missions during Desert Sheild/Storm. It was very intresting to see how they prepare for clandestine operations. Even though it did not highlight my favorite SOF (Rangers), it was a VERY well written book. HARD TO PUT DOWN, A MUST BUY!

From Green Berets to SEALs this book goes through most of the special forces in the U.S. I found it very informative and entertaining. My only dislike is the fact that the Air Force special forces weren't mentioned enough. The CCT's and PJ's should have been included in this. All in all it's a great book though.