From the Back Cover
"Joseph T. Stanik's clear and penetrating study of Operation El Dorado Canyon combines the breathless excitement of a Tom Clancy techno-thriller with real world geopolitical insight. This book is must reading for anyone who wishes to understand the origins and character of America's war against terrorism."--Craig L. Symonds, author of The Naval Institute Historical Atlas of the U.S. Navy"Mr. Stanik does an excellent job of telling the story of U.S. military operations between Libyan and the United States during the 1980s. I know of no other source that covers the period in such a comprehensive manner. In addition, his historical treatment of why and how the conflict emerged is of great interest and relevance to what is taking place in today's war on terrorism. This book should be of immense value to our war colleges and historians, and it will be enjoyed by the most casual reader who is interested in the operations of our armed forces."--Adm. Frank B. Kelso II, USN (Ret.), former Chief of Naval Operations"A significant contribution to our understanding of U.S. foreign policy regarding Libya and Colonel Qaddafi during the volatile 1970s and 1980s and the critical role played by the U.S. Navy in that interaction. The U.S. government's successful counter against state-sponsored terrorism during that era, and since, is a subject of enduring importance. Stanik's work is first-rate."--Edward J. Marolda, senior historian, Naval Historical Center
About the Author
Joseph T. Stanik is a 1978 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy with a master's in National Security Affairs from the Naval Postgraduate School. He studied Arabic at the Defense Language Institute. During his career as a U.S. Navy Surface Warfare Officer, he served in the John Young, Ticonderoga, and Fairfax County, and on the staff of the Commander of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command (now the U.S. Fifth Fleet).
From 1989 to 1992, Stanik taught several history courses, including the History of the Middle East, at the Naval Academy, where he also served as the associate chair of the history department. Prior to his 1994 retirement from the Navy with the rank of lieutenant commander, he worked as a historian in the Naval Historical Center's Contemporary History Branch, where he wrote a monograph on the U.S. Sixth Fleet's confrontation with Qaddafi. In 2000 he participated in the Fulbright-Hays Seminars Abroad Program, traveling and studying in Egypt and Israel. Stanik now teaches social studies at the Walbrook Maritime Academy in Baltimore, Maryland. He lives with his family in Arnold, Maryland.
