Customer Reviews

Six Minutes to Freedom: How a Band of Heros Defied a Dictator and Helped Free a Nation

5 star:		(34)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

This is one of the best true life stories I've read in years. This is partly because my wife and I personally know one of the principal players in the rescue. One of the Delta Force members is a former neighbor who will remain unidentified and forever honored in my estimation of one of America's finest fighting men. The book keeps the reader on the edge of their seat as any good book should and every page turned is full of something unexpected! I wish I could meet Kurt Muse and get his personal feedback about my (our) friend. These are men who are the true definition of "Hero" and not some sports figure who cannot even spell! Once I finished the book, my wife grabbed it and is still enthralled with what she reads.
R. E. Beard, II

This is an awesome story and a book that I could not put down.

I was stationed in Panama at Ft Clayton serving in the Military Police and up to this time knew just bits and pieces of the Kurt Muse story. I can't imagine that anyone stationed in Panama during that time did not know about Kurt but to finally get a chance to read his story straight from him is an honor.

Don't be dissuaded by reviewers who haven't read this book!
This book is far from propaganda!
Authors Muse and Gilstrap have made clear criticisms of the political and military failures of U.S. administrations and the CIA in Panama. That being said, the sins of previous leadership eventually have to be fixed, 1989 was as good a time as any!
The story reads like a Clancy novel sans a volume of technical data. I couldn't set it down, selfishly burying myself in it for the better part of two days.
Muse's story is inspiring in all the right places: spiritually, patriotically, and emotionally.
I'm divided as to whether or not a movie would do it the justice it deserves, but a great read nonetheless.
Stories of Central American politics seldom catch my interest, on recommendation of a friend; I found the book quite enjoyable.
REVIEW EVERY BOOK YOU READ, AUTHORS DESERVE AND GENERALLY APPRECIATE YOUR OPINIONS!

I am from the Canal Zone but was not there when Noriega was in power. The book is very well written and I am glad I purchased it. I would recommend the book to anyone who wants a book that is exciting and historical. I think Kurt has accurately described this period in the history of Panama and the Canal Zone.

Without a doubt the most amazing action/suspense book I have ever read. Its fast-paced page-turner quality makes it difficult to believe it's all true, but it is. The story moves quickly, though I found it better when savored, chapter by chapter. It tells the remarkable tale of how a defiant, patriotic group of Panamanian businessmen was able to take over the official airwaves of an entire country and become a major thorn in the side of a detestable dictator. It provides the horrific details of the capture and imprisonment of one of the group's ring-leaders, and it gives a rare, first-hand account of a rescue operation by the super-elite Delta forces that despite careful planning and brilliant execution takes several unexpected, harrowing turns.

Through all of this, the true treasure to be found in this book is its heart-warming lesson of how love, courage, wisdom and faith in the Almighty can sustain and even strengthen a family under the worst of circumstances. One day, in the not-too-distant future, I will not be surprised to hear a Paul Harvey tell some aspect of this family's incredible story, ending with his famous words "and now you know the rest of the story!" Read this book, and you will.

I read just about everything that comes out having anything to do with Special Operations. This book is one of the best. It is, of course, not so much the tale of Military Special Operators as it is the overwhelming story of Kurt Muse and his family. His rescue and the unfolding saga that brought it about is absolutely fascinating. I highly recommend this book.

This book will grip you from page one and will keep you engaged till the very end.

This is a true story of true heroes. Not only is Kurt Muse, the author and subject an authentic hero, the F Team of Delta Force Assaulters that rescued him from certain death at the hands of the dictator Noriega are authentic as well. Muse fought the dictator with creativity, wit and humor. F Team fought him with bullets and grenades.

A measure of the man Muse is that on the anniversary of his rescue he calls each of his 23 rescuers on the anniversary of his liberation, to thank them and to update them on the life and family of the man they saved. A measure of the Delta operators is that even those gravely wounded returned to the service of our Nation.

This is a political thriller with a difference: the story is true; only the names have been changed to protect the victorious from the revenge of the defeated. I have had the privilege to meet one of the Delta operators that participated in the raid on Modelo Prison; no finer friend can you have, no fiercer enemy if you're an enemy of our Nation.

Read this book for insight into real people at the center of one of the geopolitical events of our time. It's not just history, it's humanity.

Six Minuts To Freedom is an accurate account of the events and climate in Panama during the reign of terror of General Manual Antonio Noreiga. During the stand off with Democracy, many Panamanians endured a life style similar ro the Russian occupancy of East Berlin and the PDF had similar tactics as the Stassi.Those who endured the suffering and survived as did Kurt Muse and his family and associates is depicted in an extremely revealing drama of the way society loses under a Dictator's rule of law.
I applaud Kurt and his family for having the courage to share those hardships with us in order to appreciate the Freedom we now have. Six Minutes also reminds us of the days when the United States Military had its Southern Command in the Panama Canal Zone and provided that absolute pease of security provided by their presence and professional stature. A Good Read!

I bought Six Minutes to Freedom last week(7/31/06)and finished it today (8/05/06). The first part of this book, perhaps the first 230 pages, cover Mr.Muse's perspective on his capture and detention by Noriega PDF thugs as well as his family's perspective. The last portion of the book covers how his rescue was executed by Delta in detail (as much as national security allows). The last pages covering his rescue are what make this book worth reading. You can almost hear and feel those "little birds" flying overhead. Muse and his coauthor (Gilstrap) do a great job of elaborating on the mental anguish heaped on Muse during his captivity. I only wish there was more coverage of the military and CIA preparation for his rescue, but then OPSEC would be violated to some extent. When the book was completely read, I came away awed by the heroism and bravery of those special ops soldiers (Delta and 160th pilots). I would have given 5-stars if more military and less familial perspective was mentioned in the book; nonetheless, a great book by a great American.

What John Gilstrap has done in telling Kurt Muse's story, is raise the true story into the realm of a well-paced thriller. Although it is all accurate, he tells the story of Muse's courageous fight to save his beloved country from a mentally unstable and murderous dictator, and how he gladly put his life on the line to do so. The book is filled with true-life heroes, of people who know the value of the freedoms we take for granted, and of brave souls who sacrificed so much in the pursuit of liberty. It is the story of Muse's rescue from prison by Delta Force making him the first civilian rescued in a major DF operation geared to accomplishing that goal and in a six minute window before the invasion of Panama began. It is the story of how America can and did put its efforts where its mouth is, and what can be acccomplished when bureaucrats are willing to put their careers on the line, others are willing to fight and die to do what is right and just, and when the intricate and complicated machinery of the nation moves to one purpose. This book covers Muse's dire and deadly situation, and follows the participants in this real-life drama at breakneck speed. Everybody from President Bush, who gave the nod, to the men who assaulted the prison, and those who worked behind the scenes to support them, had one ideal in their minds and hearts that drove them. From the moment I started this book until I set it down, my heart worked overtime. Six Minutes is a book that should be required reading in schools. This is what freedom is all about. This is what valor and patriotism look like in reality. An astounding story, told by an amazing author.