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Mark Urban

Task Force Black: The Explosive True Story of the Secret Special Forces War in Iraq Paperback – June 5, 2012

by Mark Urban (Author)

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The true story of one of the most dramatic and sustained special operations in military history

When American and British forces invaded Iraq in March 2003, select teams of special forces and intelligence operatives got to work looking for the WMD their governments had promised were there. They quickly realized no such weapons existed. Instead they faced an insurgency―a soaring spiral of extremism and violence that was almost impossible to understand, let alone reverse.

Facing defeat, the Coalition waged a hidden war within a war. Major-General Stan McChrystal devised a campaign fusing special forces, aircraft, and the latest surveillance technology with the aim of taking down the enemy faster than it could regenerate. Guided by intelligence, British and American special forces conducted a relentless onslaught, night after night targeting al-Qaeda and other insurgent groups.

In Task Force Black, author Mark Urban reveals not only the intensity of the secret fight that turned the tide in Baghdad but the rivalries and personal battles that had to be overcome along the way. Incisive, dramatic, exceptionally revealing, the war in Iraq cannot be understood without this book.

Print length

336 pages
Language

English
Publisher

St. Martin's Griffin
Publication date

June 5, 2012
Dimensions

6 x 0.71 x 9 inches
ISBN-10

1250006961
ISBN-13

978-1250006967
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“This is an essential record of a remarkable military period. Too often Special Forces operations are shrouded in uncontextual mystery, rendering many works about them speculative homoerotic hagiographies. Urban is immune to such nonsense.” ―Sam Kiley, The Times (London)

“Urban's book catches the tensions which surfaced between various branches of the military and government departments.... what it does do is give human faces to a bunch of remarkable men.” ―The Independent

About the Author

Mark Urban is Diplomatic and Defense Editor of the BBC’s Newsnight. He has covered many of the world’s conflicts during the past twenty-five years, including the Iraq campaign that began in 2003. He lives in London.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ St. Martin's Griffin; Reprint edition (June 5, 2012)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 336 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1250006961
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1250006967
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 10.1 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 0.71 x 9 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #821,403 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #388 in Iraq History (Books)
- #927 in Iraq War History (Books)
- #1,455 in Intelligence & Espionage History

Customer Reviews:
648 ratings

About the author

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Mark Urban

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Mark Urban: born in London and educated there also, he graduated from the London School of Economics (1982). After a short period in the British Army, he worked for the BBC as a producer before becoming a founder member of The Independent newspaper, as its defence correspondent. His books evolved from current strategic analyses to narrative military history, investigations of some of the most secret aspects of intelligence and special operations, to short stories. As a long serving correspondent on the BBC's Newsnight, he has covered numerous conflicts around the world including most of the major wars of the past 25 years. Several of his books have been best sellers in the UK, including Task Force Black which reached No1 and Rifles, No4. He is married with three children.

Customer reviews

5 star		58%
4 star		23%
3 star		11%
2 star		4%
1 star		4%

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Top reviews from the United States

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Sam The Sham

Was There & Have the "T" Shirt

Reviewed in the United States on January 24, 2014

Verified Purchase

I was working in Iraq during much of the time covered by this book and was more than aware of the SAS "presence" in country. The book is written from a British viewpoint with the author being a well known English journalist. I found it very interesting and very accurate. There is some "British military jargon" that it takes time to get used to, such as calling the SAS troopers "Blades", etc. But overall it is a good read and accurately depicts the problems the SAS had with their own command structure as they tried to fit into General McCrystals overall game plan for countering the rising insurgency. I found it an easy read, but then again I was in Iraq at the time and was somewhat familiar with referenced events. I do believe, however, the average reader will enjoy the book as the events portrayed have been well researched and the books itself, well written.

10 people found this helpful

Helpful

Avid Reader

Mark Urban hits the target with Task Force Black!

Reviewed in the United States on July 29, 2014

Verified Purchase

Task Force Black is a true account of the anti-insurgent mission conducted by various special ops groups in Iraq, especially the US Delta Team and the UK's SAS under the polymath commander Stanley McCrystal. Combining technology, air and ground Black Ops and rapid systematic offenses, they were successful in taking down Al Qaeda's militant arm in Iraq. Well written, detailed and full of insightful material, this is a great read for both entertainment, research and insight into how modern wars are won. McCrystall should be honored and his methodology utilized in the future. Mark Urban;s book is a great addition to my collection of military history. As a avid history enthusiast and writer who incorporates historical facts, I highly recommend this book.

3 people found this helpful

Helpful

Richard S. Pappin

Top down view

Reviewed in the United States on June 24, 2016

Verified Purchase

Very well written but it was mostly an organizational history.There was a lot about the command srtuctures and very little about the actual combat engagements.I felt it did not do justice to the soldiers to omit details of the ops that would highlight their skills.

5 people found this helpful

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Robert B. Lloyd

An in depth study

Reviewed in the United States on May 23, 2020

Verified Purchase

I was in high school when the invasion of Iraq occurred, and only knew about what was going on in news reports. I am glad we have books like this that talk about what was going on behind the scenes.

One person found this helpful

Helpful

Gary Moore

UK ALLIES

Reviewed in the United States on August 23, 2019

Verified Purchase

Nice to know how well work together with our UK allies. We have to do better. It isTin our best interestd@
G Moore USN

Helpful

Jim w/ Amsoil

Great read from a different perspective

Reviewed in the United States on October 1, 2018

Verified Purchase

It came from a British author looking at the whole battle in the war on terror in the Middle East. I’ve read many books on the wars in Iraq & Afghanistan but this one stands our.

Reviewed in the United States on July 16, 2019

Verified Purchase

Great book tons of information

Reviewed in the United States on August 31, 2019

Verified Purchase

Good read

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Top reviews from other countries

Kindle Customer

Task force

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 31, 2020

Verified Purchase

It's difficult as a civilian to understand so many lives lost, a country now in shambles thousands of Iraqi people made homeless so many civilians dead and for what this book to me only shows how futile this was . I felt if Saddam Hussein had still been alive he would have kept this region of the world under control all we seem to have done in the West as in Libya Afghanistan syria have left these countries in complete mess thousands and thousands of innocent people whole families wiped out and thousands immigrated to the west and for what , so many brave soldiers dead who believed in freedom for all to a part of the world that does not recognise or want our way of life heart breaking. but my admiration to these warriors following orders without question and looking out for each other is what makes a soldier heroes all

2 people found this helpful

C P Currier

never got going

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 7, 2019

Verified Purchase

I expected an true and factual action-based book and in the first chapters it reads as a history book. Not in the least gripping and if it truly is an explosive story then sadly the fuse is too long. I closed the book before getting to the bang.

9 people found this helpful

Sean E. Nash

Dots all the i's crosses all the t's

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 24, 2013

Verified Purchase

For someone who had a very negative view of the iraq war because of all the media activity i wanted to know what was really going on behind the scenes, and in particular what our boys were up to and why our involvement lasted so long... it was clear the British army were almost fighting with one hand behind their backs and after reading Tim Collins' account of his time there- which turned into a farce where he was scapegoated by someone to save face -(thankfully exonerated and given an OBE), I was left with even more questions. Mark Urban's book gave a broader account which showed how our special forces worked flat out to put a lid on the insurgency and sectarian conflict which ripped Iraq apart after the fall of Hussain....

The book is very detailed both on a strategic level, shows the respect our cousins the US special forces have for the SAS at the highest levels, but also makes the very complex social, political and cultural issues facing US/UK forces, which were compounded by the problems in the UK at a political level understandable... there are eye witness accounts of Special forces raids by some of the operators involved, and the involvement of the main characters behind the planning, Graeme Lamb, Stanley McChrystal and General Petraeus are highlighted and explained....

The book was throughly checked out by the MOD so there are no banana skins to worry about. It has been informative, easy to read and at times gripping and has tranformed my view of the Iraqi conflict and our role there in a big way.

33 people found this helpful

Prof. Actualfactual

Hard going

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 16, 2020

Verified Purchase

Bought this as it was recommended by “Chris Ryan”. You’ve really got to be into the detail of the politics of the SF world to get to the end of it though and that’s coming from someone who has read most everything on the Special Forces.

4 people found this helpful

nidri

The true story of the Iraq war.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 9, 2021

Verified Purchase

This the true story of the Iraq war with the different factions.This war fort by the Americans & our forces is a war that can never be won .The different cultures in Iraq will never agree. As soon as one leader is taken out another pops up in his place. The Americans & the British forces fort well together,eventually.

One person found this helpful

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