Masters of Chaos: The Secret History of the Special Forces

New York: PublicAffairs, 2004. First edition. Stated. First printing [stated]. Hardcover. Good. No dust jacket. Cover has some wear, scratches and soiling. Corners bumped and rubbed.. Sewn binding. Cloth over boards. xxii, 388, 1] p. Maps. Illustrations. Index. Special Forces soldiers are brave, seasoned soldiers from America's heartland, selected in a tough competition and trained in an extraordinary range of skills. They know the language, culture and rules of unconventional warfare better than anyone, including the CIA. They prefer to stay out of the limelight, but author Linda Robinson has found a way inside their special brotherhood and gained their trust. In Masters of Chaos, she tells their story through the experiences of a select group of commandos whose careers and missions exemplify heroism and mystique. Meet Rawhide, Colonel Charlie, Colonel Kevin, Captain Z, Wildman, Warren and Pete-and be grateful they are on your side. Robinson follows the Forces from their post-Vietnam resurrection through Panama, El Salvador, Desert Storm, Somalia, and the Balkans, and culminates with their recent trials and triumphs in Afghanistan and Iraq. In Iraq, she was the only reporter in the western desert to witness the eight-hour firefights of the war's opening days. The blow-by-blow story of the attack on Ansar al-Islam hideout on the Iranian border-by a single twelve-man Special Forces team-has never been told before, nor has anyone revealed in such depth the evidence of its use by Al Qaeda and other terrorists. The most comprehensive account ever of the Special Forces in action, Masters of Chaos is filled with riveting, intimate detail in the words of a close-knit band of soldiers who have done it all.