Roughneck Nine-One: The Extraordinary Story of a Special Forces A-team at War (Paperback)

by Frank Antenori (Author), Hans Halberstadt (Author)
Key Phrases: combat lifesaver, team sergeant, javelin missiles, Special Forces, Green Line, Gerry Kirk (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Former Special Forces sergeant Antenori and writer Halberstadt (War Stories of the Green Berets) grippingly recreate the valor of Antenori's Special Forces A-Team in the battle at Debecka Pass in northern Iraq on April 6, 2003. Antenori's 12-man operational team (call sign: Roughneck Nine-One), along with more than a dozen other Green Berets, fought a major engagement with an Iraqi armored task force on Highway 2, a vital artery for moving troops and supplies. Despite being outmanned and outgunned, the Special Forces closed the highway and repelled an Iraqi counterattack spearheaded by four T-55 tanks and eight armored personnel carriers. The Special Forces suffered no casualties, but dozens of their Kurdish allies were killed or wounded by an errant American air strike. The authors highlight the skill and bravery of the Special Forces without overlooking their foibles and mistakes (or failing to lambaste the pesky, on-the-scene reporters who made their job harder). Though the book's second half speeds along with the battle's details, it's preceded by an overly long, familiar prologue—the selection and training of Special Forces soldiers and pre-deployment preparations. On balance, Antenori's memoir offers a gritty inside look at a Special Forces team at war. (July)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Booklist
This gripping account of combat in Iraq in 2003 follows a Special Forces A-Team with Kurdish allies pitted against a strong, well-armed, well-trained Iraqi force. After an initial defensive victory, the allies went on the offensive and drove the Iraqis off in what can justly be called a rout. But the cost was high, particularly in "friendly fire" casualties when a supporting flight of F-14s dropped bombs on the Kurds instead of the Iraqis. Veteran Special Forces NCO Antenori and experienced military writer Halberstadt have joined forces to produce this warts-and-all report that is strong in realistic detail and in paying tribute to the courage and endurance of the U.S. forces' Kurdish allies. A notable contribution to the literature on both the Iraq war and the capabilities of special-ops units. Roland Green
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin (July 24, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312353332
• ISBN-13: 978-0312353339
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (37 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #58,588 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Ego aside, the book was worth reading, August 4, 2006

By	Mike Shockley (WA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Roughneck Nine-One: The Extraordinary Story of a Special Forces A-team at War (Hardcover)

I spent six years in SF before being forced to get out after breaking my neck on a jump. It left a bad taste in my mouth, and to this day, I wish I were still in. I could have read this book and tore it apart and critiqued every move and decision the teams made, but I didn't. Mainly because I wasn't there and I wasn't going to stoop to the level of Monday morning quarterbacking something I wasn't part of. So I read the book and evaluated it for the content of the story. What I found was an intriguing book, with a great story and what clearly were great acts of valor by the men of the three ODAs.

They may have made mistakes and if the Gods hadn't been looking down on them they may not have survived, but the dynamics of the story and the descriptions of combat were simply riveting. I think the book did a great job of capturing team life and the personalities of Special Forces soldiers to a tee.

We in the military, whether we admit it or not, all have big egos and tend to critique everything, particularly things done by our fellow service members. However, if you set your ego aside, what you'll read is not only enjoyable, but gratifying to know our guys are out there doing great things, no matter how small or inconsequential others may portray them.

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This shows why the SF are so great, May 30, 2006

By	DRoberts (Al) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Roughneck Nine-One: The Extraordinary Story of a Special Forces A-team at War (Hardcover)

This is not your typical Special Forces story. The story is not a covert operation of any kind. The SF groups engage the enemy on an open battlefield. Sgt. Frank Antenori states this in the beginning of the book. He shares this story because it is a great accomplishment by a greatly outnumbered unit.

The intro into the book explains the great need our country has for Special Forces. I enjoyed this because he gives reasons why the U.S should have more elite soldiers to carry out missions.

The first part of the book explains the make-up of his team. He gives the details of each member as if they were family. This makes the team come to life in my opinion. He explains how each member came to be on his team and how they will help the make-up of the team.

The next part of the book goes extensively into the details of the their training. Sgt. Anteroni explains the preparations a SF team makes before they launch a mission. This is an excellent overview of the time that the unit puts in before they are ever deployed. They will train for months before they ever get a mission, and this is what the Roughnecks did. It is funny because Sgt. Anetroni and his team are gung-ho and ready to do some killing, yet they have to ait for a long time before they get a mission.

The last part explains the battle that has made Roughneck Nine-One a legend in the Special Forces comunity. I will not ruin the details of the story because it is so unbelievable they were able to accomplish their objective. I will say that they were outnumbered Five to One including tanks against them. The battle is definately worth the wait because it feels as if the reader is trained well enough to be there. The author makes the reader feel as if they were there fighting the battle with them. There are also some funny dialogues that go on during the mission.

This is an excellent book that goes right along with all the courage and bravery that one has heard about the U.S SPecial Forces. The author's tone is never egotistical as one would expect. Their is a certain arrogance that the author displays, but who would not be arrogant if you were one of the most elite soldiers in our country. To say the least I believe it comes with the territory. This book is a fast read, and the reader will be glad that they spent the time to read it.

26 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "THESE ARE MEN, AMERICA'S BEST!", June 1, 2006

By	Michael D. Rose "100% Disabled American Veteran" (Washington State, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Roughneck Nine-One: The Extraordinary Story of a Special Forces A-team at War (Hardcover)

There are lots of books out there on the US Army Special Forces and the war on terrorism, but nobody gets you into the action like Frank Antenori, former team sergeant of ODA-391 - ROUGHNECK NINE-ONE. Frank gives you a rare unvarnished look into how a group of diverse individuals comes together and is molded into America's most elite fighting force. He describes how his team meticulously prepared for war, but got caught up in petty SF group politics and turf battles before they fired their first shot. He gives it to you straight - the good, the bad, and the ugly. When ROUGHNECK NINE-ONE finally entered the frey against a vastly superior Iraqi force they gave an accounting of themselves that did themselves and our country proud. In the words of Barry Sadler, "These are men, America's best!" This is an ABSOLUTE MUST READ for anyone remotely interested in America's elite forces and the war on terrorism.