Terror at Beslan: A Russian Tragedy with Lessons for America's Schools [Paperback]

John Giduck (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 2005

The complete and accurate story of the Beslan School Siege that occurred in Russia on September 1, 2004. This book tells the untold story about the victims, the soldiers who were there and the history of the events leading up to the tragic incident. But more than just the story, this book highlights the lessons America's school system can learn from the tragedy to protect itself from terrorism.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"An explosive expose of Russian failure and what America must do to protect its children." -- John A. Anderson, Sergeant Major, U.S. Army Special Forces (ret.)

"Don’t just read this book, study it and apply it." -- Lt. Col. Dave Grossman, author of "On Combat, On Killing and Stop Teaching Our Kids To Kill"

"This book should be required reading for law enforcement and school officials alike." -- Connie Bond, Editor of The Police Marksman Magazine

About the Author

Author John Giduck has a Bachelor’s Degree from Penn State and a law degree from the University of Denver. He also earned a Master’s Degree in International Affairs, specializing in Russian studies, from the University of Colorado, which included completion of the Russian Culture and Language Program at St. Petersburg State University in Russia. He has traveled extensively throughout Russia and the former Soviet Union, training with Russia’s elite Special Forces units for more than 10 years. Terror At Beslan is his first book.

Product Details

• Paperback: 392 pages
• Publisher: Archangel Group Inc; 1St Edition edition (March 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0976775301
• ISBN-13: 978-0976775300
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (68 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #69,115 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #90 in Books > History > Asia > Russia

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

53 of 63 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Waste of money, December 13, 2011

By 

Greg - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Terror at Beslan: A Russian Tragedy with Lessons for America's Schools (Paperback)

A breakdown of what happened from second and third hand information.

I take issue with the author lecturing on tactics.As he has no experience in hostage rescue.

The author was never a graduate of the US Army Special Forces Q course.Or has any training in hostage rescue.that makes him a FRAUD!I would take his suggestions with a grain of salt as he has no experience in hostage rescue.

He should not have falsified his bio.

Any Police who take the advice of this book is a fool.The author's other claims are also being challenged as being false.Until the author can produce documentation proving his credentials he should not be lecturing on this topic.

It is a shame he used this horrible tragedy to make a buck.Google the author to learn more on his false claims.

If he can prove his claims I will retract this review.

I want my money and time back.

75 of 96 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It can happen here!, September 24, 2005

By 

Chapulina R (Tovarischi Imports, USA/RUS) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Terror at Beslan: A Russian Tragedy with Lessons for America's Schools (Paperback)

When Chechen warlord Shamil Basayev sent his jihadists to slaughter schoolchildren in predominantly Christian North Ossetia, he expected to ignite a holy war throughout Russia. North Ossetia and neighboring Muslim republic Ingushetia had previously fought a bloody territorial war, and the truce was bitter. Basayev counted on Caucasus tradition, which would grant the bereaved men of Beslan blood-vengeance following their 40-day Orthodox rites of mourning. He believed that a massacre of children, which culminated the week of deadly terrorist attacks on Russian civilians, would spark massive retaliation against Chechnya. That innocent Ingush and Chechens would suffer meant little to Basayev, who has always gladly exploited the population as human shields and suicide-bombers. One out of every seven Russian citizens is a Muslim, but most practice the traditional Islam which is dispised as "kafir" by Basayev's Wahhabis. Basayev hoped a nationwide backlash against Islam would radicalize all of Russia's Muslims. That this did not occur was due to two things: the government's and media's restraint in not exploiting the atrocity to advance the war effort. And more importantly, the North Ossetians' own restraint in not taking indiscriminate revenge on their Muslim neighbors. But Basayev achieved at least one important goal: he showed the world that terrorists consider no targets off limits, not even the most innocent.

John Giduck, the author of "Terror at Beslan," is president of the Archangel Corporation, a US 501 (c)(3) non-profit NGO. Archangel provides anti-terrorism consulting and training to law-enforcement, military, and other government agencies. Mr. Giduck himself is a US Army Special Forces hand-to-hand combat and firearms instructor, tactical scuba and skydiving instructor, weightlifting champion, and has been inducted into several international martial arts halls of fame. He holds Masters Degrees in Russian Studies and International Affairs. And he holds our nation's highest level of security clearance. Archangel operates in over 20 countries; its membership includes elite SPEC-warriors from the US military, British SAS, Russian spetsnaz, and Israeli armed forces. Here is an impeccable, knowledgeable, and thoroughly credible source, to document this notorious terrorist act and apply its lessons to American schools.

Mr. Giduck with his Archangel team was on site in Beslan immediately following the firefight, researching step-by-step the deadly chronology of events. Archangel's professionals analysed the strategies and mistakes of the Russian Alpha and Vympel forces who responded to the desperate situation. But not only to get an accurate account (which the Russian government was obstructing): The author believes it is only a matter of time until terrorists commit a similar attack on an American school.

"Terror at Beslan" is not really intended for the reader who wants the victims' story. For that, there are several Beslan websites with personal accounts from survivors. The book does corraborate their memoirs by detailing what the American media was loathe to mention: the terrorists' slaughter of dozens of male faculty and teenaged boys, the repetitive rape of young girls, the beatings and psychological torment of captives. The author, like the residents of Beslan, is quick to credit the heroism of his spetsnaz colleagues, while criticizing the inaction of the government. This is imperative, because numerous rumors and outright falsehoods have arisen in both Western and Russian media in the year following the atrocity. Alpha and Vympel, who lost 12 of their members, have been wrongly accused of using excessive force and illegal weapons. At the same time, contradictorily, they are vilified for their unreadiness on the third day of the seige, when the terrorists began shooting and detonating their bombs. Mr. Giduck dispels all the lies, while honestly assessing his colleagues' true shortcomings.

The second half of the book deals with the defense of American schools from a Beslan-like terrorist attack. Archangel is not being paranoid in its assumption that such an attack is inevitable. Cleric Omar Bakri Mohammed, in a celebratory conference in London to commemorate the anniversaries of Beslan and 9-11, declared the targeting of children a "reasonable course of action" in jihad. Basayev, in a 2005 interview on the American ABC network, agreed that such an act did not "cross the line" for committed jihadists. Children and other civilians are viewed by such terrorists not as innocent noncombatants, but as "disarmed combatants." Mr. Giduck gives credible and frightening evidence that jihadists are already here -- some are "guests" of NGOs such as the inaptly-named National Endowment for Democracy! -- already threatening our most precious and vulnerable. Archangel's website provides information on upcoming seminars and training courses, designed to assist law-enforcement in techniques to prevent or handle the kind of horror these terrorists envision. It is encouraging to see from other reviews that this topic is being taken seriously! I recommend this book strongly for parents, teachers, and anyone concerned with the protection of schoolchildren. I wish it would be read by every lefty-lib and neocon loony in the N.E.D. and mainstream media who believes it "can't happen here."

28 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars This guy is a poser and fraud!!!, January 11, 2012

By 

todd - See all my reviews

This review is from: Terror at Beslan: A Russian Tragedy with Lessons for America's Schools (Paperback)

I had considered buying this book, and when I researched Giduck's name on several search engines, I kept being directed back to a web site called xxxxxx.com which was an eye opener to say the least. Had this P.O.S. just been happy with the fact of having some high speed friends and contacts to help research and write his book, I wouldnt be posting this review. This guy should be ashamed of himself. He has ridden the coat tails of those brave men who have, and still continue to protect our way of life silently without any kudos or atta boys. I too wish I was a bad ass like the guys he portrays, but Im not, and it is what it is. However, I am not for one minute embarrassed to have only been an infantryman. I did my part, and I am at peace with that. Dont waste your money on this POSER!!!!!