The Commandos-The Inside Story of America's Secret Soldiers [Paperback]

Douglas C. Waller (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Dell Publishing (1995)
• ASIN: B002KAITBK
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (43 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,475,873 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A rollicking ride that starts strong but finishes slow., October 14, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Commandos (Mass Market Paperback)

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.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Commandos goes "above and beyond", April 28, 2000

By 

Brian A McLaughlin (Tucson, Arizona, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Commandos (Mass Market Paperback)

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.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars If you are considering joining U.S. Special Operations....., September 6, 2000

By 

Sam Damon Jr. (Fort Bragg, NC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Commandos (Mass Market Paperback)

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!