In the Company of HeroesIn the Company of Heroes
Title rated 4.05 out of 5 stars, based on 19 ratings(19 ratings)
Book, 2003
Current format, Book, 2003, , Available .Book, 2003
Current format, Book, 2003, , Available . Offered in 0 more formatsPublished on the tenth anniversary of the Somali conflict, the story of Black Hawk pilot Mike Durant recounts how he was shot down and taken prisoner in Somalia during a critical gunfight in October 1993, and describes his captivity and the heroic deeds of his fellow comrades. 100,000 first printing.
The story of Black Hawk pilot Mike Durant recounts how he was shot down and taken prisoner in Somalia during a critical gunfight in October 1993, and describes his captivity and the heroic deeds of his fellow comrades.
"Ranger, Ranger, you die Somalia!" shouted the enraged Somali voices surrounding Blackhawk helicopter pilot Michael J. Durant, his bird shot down by a well-placed rocket-propelled grenade. With his devastating injuries, Durant would be lucky to survive the night.
"Mike Durant ... Mike Durant ..." came the disembodied voice floating above the war-torn streets of Mogadishu, mixed in with the steady drone of a large U.S. Army helicopter. "Mike Durant ... We will not leave without you!"
Piloting a U.S. Army Special Operations Blackhawk, Durant was shot down and captured on October 3, 1993, in the battle depicted in Mark Bowden's bestselling book Black Hawk Down. Although saved by two valiant but doomed Delta Force operators from being torn apart, Durant became a prisoner of Somali warlord Mohammed Aidid - the man responsible for prolonging starvation in his country by hijacking United Nations food shipments. U.S. policy makers had determined that capturing Aidid was the only way to restore order. The simple snatch-and-grab plan, named Operation Gothic Serpent, turned into the biggest U.S. firefight since the Vietnam War.
Durant became one of the most famous POWs of all time while held captive by a seemingly backward yet media-savvy people. That he survived speaks to his tough training, his outstanding experience as an Army aviator, and his never-quit attitude. Durant had set his sights on flying helos while still in high school, and he excelled at a job he loved. His first posting was to the 377th Medevac Unit near Seoul, a job that entailed dangerous night flying close to the volatile 38th Parallel. He joined the secretive and elite 160th SOAR (A) Night Stalkers and saw combat in the Persian Gulf, Panama, Iraq, and Somalia. Throughout his career, Durant was surrounded by men who fought courageously for causes they whole-heartedly believed in, and died as heroes so that their comrades might live.
Durant's experience as a prisoner in Somalia grew increasingly bizarre over time, crystallizing a clash of cultures by turns frightening, melancholy, hilarious, and strangely familiar. Revealing never-before-told stories with the incisive thought and the emotion of one who was there, In the Company of Heroes is one man's unforgettable true story of going to hell and making it back alive.
His battered face appeared on the cover of Time, Newsweek, and U.S. News & World Report to the shock and horror of all Americans. Black Hawk pilot Mike Durant was shot down and taken prisoner during America's biggest firefight since the Vietnam War. Published in the tenth anniversary year of the Somali conflict, this gripping personal account at last tells the world about Durant's harrowing captivity and the heroic deeds of his doomed comrades. And, as readers will discover, Durant proves himself to be nothing less than a hero.
The story of Black Hawk pilot Mike Durant recounts how he was shot down and taken prisoner in Somalia during a critical gunfight in October 1993, and describes his captivity and the heroic deeds of his fellow comrades.
"Ranger, Ranger, you die Somalia!" shouted the enraged Somali voices surrounding Blackhawk helicopter pilot Michael J. Durant, his bird shot down by a well-placed rocket-propelled grenade. With his devastating injuries, Durant would be lucky to survive the night.
"Mike Durant ... Mike Durant ..." came the disembodied voice floating above the war-torn streets of Mogadishu, mixed in with the steady drone of a large U.S. Army helicopter. "Mike Durant ... We will not leave without you!"
Piloting a U.S. Army Special Operations Blackhawk, Durant was shot down and captured on October 3, 1993, in the battle depicted in Mark Bowden's bestselling book Black Hawk Down. Although saved by two valiant but doomed Delta Force operators from being torn apart, Durant became a prisoner of Somali warlord Mohammed Aidid - the man responsible for prolonging starvation in his country by hijacking United Nations food shipments. U.S. policy makers had determined that capturing Aidid was the only way to restore order. The simple snatch-and-grab plan, named Operation Gothic Serpent, turned into the biggest U.S. firefight since the Vietnam War.
Durant became one of the most famous POWs of all time while held captive by a seemingly backward yet media-savvy people. That he survived speaks to his tough training, his outstanding experience as an Army aviator, and his never-quit attitude. Durant had set his sights on flying helos while still in high school, and he excelled at a job he loved. His first posting was to the 377th Medevac Unit near Seoul, a job that entailed dangerous night flying close to the volatile 38th Parallel. He joined the secretive and elite 160th SOAR (A) Night Stalkers and saw combat in the Persian Gulf, Panama, Iraq, and Somalia. Throughout his career, Durant was surrounded by men who fought courageously for causes they whole-heartedly believed in, and died as heroes so that their comrades might live.
Durant's experience as a prisoner in Somalia grew increasingly bizarre over time, crystallizing a clash of cultures by turns frightening, melancholy, hilarious, and strangely familiar. Revealing never-before-told stories with the incisive thought and the emotion of one who was there, In the Company of Heroes is one man's unforgettable true story of going to hell and making it back alive.
His battered face appeared on the cover of Time, Newsweek, and U.S. News & World Report to the shock and horror of all Americans. Black Hawk pilot Mike Durant was shot down and taken prisoner during America's biggest firefight since the Vietnam War. Published in the tenth anniversary year of the Somali conflict, this gripping personal account at last tells the world about Durant's harrowing captivity and the heroic deeds of his doomed comrades. And, as readers will discover, Durant proves himself to be nothing less than a hero.
Title availability
About
Contributors
Subject and genre
Details
Publication
- New York : G.P. Putnam's Sons, c2003.
Opinion
More from the community
Community lists featuring this title
There are no community lists featuring this title
Community contributions
There are no quotations from this title
There are no quotations from this title
From the community