Swords of Lightning
Green Beret Horse Soldiers and America's Response to 9/11
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Narrated by:
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Mike Chamberlain
About this listen
The first-person account of how a small band of Green Berets used horses and laser-guided bombs to overthrow the Taliban and al-Qaeda in Afghanistan after 9/11.
They landed in a dust storm so thick the chopper pilot used dead reckoning and a guess to find the ground. Welcomed by a band of heavily armed militiamen, they climbed a mountain on horseback to meet the most ferocious warlord in Asia. They plotted a war of nineteenth-century maneuvers against a twenty-first-century foe. They trekked through minefields, sometimes past the mangled bodies of local tribesmen who'd shared food with them hours before. They saved babies and treated fractures, sewed up wounded who'd been transported from the battlefield by donkey.
They found their enemy hiding in thick bunkers, dodged bullets from machine-gun-laden pickup trucks, and survived mass rocket attacks from vintage Soviet-era launchers. They battled the Taliban while mediating blood feuds between rival allies. They fought with everything they had, from smart bombs to AK-47s.
The men they helped called them brothers. Hollywood called them the Horse Soldiers.
They called themselves Green Berets—Special Forces ODA 595.
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- Narrated by: David Drummond
- Length: 11 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 979
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 786
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 787
This work offers a firsthand account of the Battle of Tora Bora and an insider's look at the extraordinary nature of America's supersecret counterterrorist unit---an elite and mysterious group known as Delta Force.
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5 out of 5 stars
-
Ex-military that can relate.
- By William on 02-10-15
By: Dalton Fury
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The Outpost
- An Untold Story of American Valor
- By: Jake Tapper
- Narrated by: Rob Shapiro
- Length: 22 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,901
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,710
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,711
At 6:00 a.m. on the morning of October 3, 2009, Combat Outpost Keating was viciously attacked by Taliban insurgents. The 53 U.S. troops, having been stationed at the bottom of three steep mountains, were severely outmanned by nearly 400 Taliban fighters. Though the Americans ultimately prevailed, their casualties made it one of the war's deadliest battles for U.S. forces. And after more than three years in that dangerous and vulnerable valley a mere 14 miles from the Pakistan border, the U.S. abandoned and bombed the camp.
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4 out of 5 stars
-
Good, could have been great.
- By Ryan on 01-22-13
By: Jake Tapper
-
Foxtrot in Kandahar
- A Memoir of a CIA Officer in Afghanistan at the Inception of America’s Longest War
- By: Duane Evans
- Narrated by: Eric Martin
- Length: 6 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 118
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 112
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 111
Kandahar. The ancient desert crossroads and, as of fall of 2001, ground zero for the Taliban and al-Qa'ida in southern Afghanistan. In the northern part of the country, the US-supported Northern Alliance has made progress on the battlefield, but in the south, the country is still under the Taliban's bloody hold and al-Qa'ida continues to operate there. With no "Southern Alliance" for the US to support, a new strategy is needed if victory is to be achieved. Veteran CIA officer Duane Evans is dispatched to Pakistan to "get something going in the South." Foxtrot in Kandahar is his story.
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5 out of 5 stars
-
Fascinating look into CIA ground forces in early Afghanistan
- By Invictus on 09-23-18
By: Duane Evans
-
No Better Friend, No Worse Enemy
- The Life of General James Mattis
- By: Jim Proser
- Narrated by: Joe Barrett
- Length: 7 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 829
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 720
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 715
The first in-depth look at the marine hero who has become one of the most beloved and admired men in America today: Secretary of Defense James Mattis. In this illuminating biography, Jim Proser looks beyond Mattis’ professional competence to focus on the driving element behind Mattis’ success: his unimpeachable character - a formidable personal integrity that fosters universal confidence. Proser carefully examines the events of Mattis’ life and career to reveal a man who leads with insight, humor, fighting courage, and fierce compassion.
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1 out of 5 stars
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Final 7 minutes is all that covers SecDef
- By jeffrey jones on 08-11-18
By: Jim Proser
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Not a Good Day to Die
- The Untold Story of Operation Anaconda
- By: Sean Naylor
- Narrated by: John Henry Cox
- Length: 19 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 690
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 615
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 613
At dawn on March 2, 2002, America's first major battle of the 21st century began. Over 200 soldiers of the 101st Airborne and 10th Mountain Division flew into Afghanistan's Shah-i-Kotvalley - and into the mouth of a buzz saw. They were about to pay a bloody price for strategic, high-level miscalculations that underestimated the enemy's strength and willingness to fight.
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4 out of 5 stars
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50/50
- By Kindle Customer on 11-14-16
By: Sean Naylor
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Jawbreaker
- The Attack on Bin Laden and Al Qaeda: A Personal Account by the CIA's Key Field Commander
- By: Gary Berntsen, Ralph Pezzullo
- Narrated by: Robertson Dean
- Length: 10 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 360
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 259
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 257
In Jawbreaker, Gary Berntsen, until recently one of the CIA's most decorated officers, comes out from under cover for the first time to describe his no-holds-barred pursuit of Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda.
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5 out of 5 stars
-
A great read (err - Listen)
- By Joshua on 07-01-08
By: Gary Berntsen, and others
-
Hammerhead Six
- How Green Berets Waged an Unconventional War Against the Taliban to Win in Afghanistan's Deadly Pech Valley
- By: Ronald Fry, Tad Tuleja - contributor
- Narrated by: Ronald Fry
- Length: 10 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 1,473
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 1,338
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 1,325
In 2003, the Special Forces soldiers entered an area later called "the most dangerous place in Afghanistan". Here, where the line between civilians and armed zealots was indistinct, they illustrated the Afghan proverb "I destroy my enemy by making him my friend." Fry recounts how they were seen as welcome guests rather than invaders. Soon after their deployment ended, the Pech Valley reverted to turmoil. Their success was never replicated.
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5 out of 5 stars
-
A compelling read from start to finish
- By Gregory on 03-05-16
By: Ronald Fry, and others
-
Pale Horse
- Hunting Terrorists and Commanding Heroes with the 101st Airborne Division
- By: Jimmy Blackmon
- Narrated by: Brian Troxell
- Length: 12 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 441
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 397
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 398
Pale Horse is the remarkable never-before-told true story of an army aviation task force during combat in the Afghan War, told by the commanding officer who was there. Set in the very valleys where the attacks of 9/11 were conceived and where 10 Medals of Honor have been earned since that fateful day the war began, the narrative races from ferocious firefights and bravery in battle to the quiet moments where the courageous men and women of Task Force Pale Horse catch their breath before they take to the skies again.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Pale Horse
- By Jason on 04-04-16
By: Jimmy Blackmon
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Eye of the Storm
- Twenty-Five Years in Action with the SAS
- By: Peter Ratcliffe, Noel Botham, Brian Hitchen
- Narrated by: Peter Kenny
- Length: 12 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 119
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 106
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 105
Peter Ratcliffe served in the SAS for 25 years. Blooded in Oman in the 1970s, he also saw action in Northern Ireland, in the Falklands War, and in the Gulf campaign. From his early days in the Paras to his time as Regimental Sergeant-Major in the Gulf, he has lived and fought by the motto 'who dares wins'. Eye of the Storm is his insider's account of that exceptional career.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Peter is the real deal
- By LARRY on 10-19-19
By: Peter Ratcliffe, and others
-
American Spartan
- The Promise, the Mission, and the Betrayal of Special Forces Major Jim Gant
- By: Ann Scott Tyson
- Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell, Danny Campbell
- Length: 15 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 570
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 512
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 511
Some have called him "Lawrence of Afghanistan". To the Pashtun tribesmen he is "Commander Jim", leader of the "bearded ones". He is Army Special Forces Major Jim Gant, one of the most charismatic and controversial U.S. commanders of modern memory, a man who changed the face of America's war in Afghanistan when his critical white paper, "One Tribe at a Time", went viral at the Pentagon, the White House, and on Capitol Hill in 2009.
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5 out of 5 stars
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THE TRUE ARMY OF ONE!!!"THE SPARTAN"
- By Hunter on 07-17-14
By: Ann Scott Tyson
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I Am Soldier of Fortune
- Dancing with Devils
- By: Robert K. Brown, Vann Spencer
- Narrated by: David Marantz
- Length: 16 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 65
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 60
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 59
Thirty-eight years ago Robert Brown launched an upstart magazine from his basement called Soldier of Fortune, which pushed the bounds of journalism to its limits with his untamed brand of reporting - - a camera in one hand, a gun in the other, and soon thereafter he discovered that he’d established a worldwide community. His wildly popular, notorious magazine became an icon for action-seekers in the U.S. and around the world. In this long-awaited book, Brown tells his own story.
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3 out of 5 stars
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Very interesting story
- By Amazon Customer on 03-07-24
By: Robert K. Brown, and others
-
Murphy's Law
- My Journey from Army Ranger and Green Beret to Investigative Journalist
- By: Jack Murphy
- Narrated by: Jack Murphy
- Length: 7 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,500
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,327
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,317
For fans of the New York Times best sellers The Last Punisher and Lone Survivor, a heart-pounding military memoir from a former Army Ranger sniper and Special Operations weapon sergeant turned journalist about the incredible highs and devastating lows of his career.
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5 out of 5 stars
-
Great book
- By NL_Guy on 04-26-19
By: Jack Murphy
-
Shadow Commander
- The Epic Story of Donald D. Blackburn - Guerrilla Leader and Special Forces Hero
- By: Mike Guardia
- Narrated by: Jason Huggins
- Length: 5 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 72
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 64
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 64
The fires on Bataan burned on the evening of April 9, 1942 - illuminating the white flags of surrender against the nighttime sky. Woefully outnumbered, outgunned, and ill-equipped, battered remnants of the American-Philippine army surrendered to the forces of the Rising Sun. Yet amongst the chaos and devastation of the American defeat, Army Captain Donald D. Blackburn refused to lay down his arms.
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5 out of 5 stars
-
A great tale of an unsung American hero and Special Forces legend.
- By Thomas Le Min on 08-21-16
By: Mike Guardia
-
Desert Redleg: Artillery Warfare in the First Gulf War
- American Warriors Series
- By: L. Scott Lingamfelter
- Narrated by: Bill Nevitt
- Length: 13 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 3
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 3
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 3
When Saddam Hussein's Iraq invaded Kuwait in August 1990, triggering the First Gulf War, a coalition of 35 countries led by the United States responded with Operation Desert Storm, which culminated in a 100-hour coordinated air strike and ground assault that repelled Iraqi forces from Kuwait. Though largely forgotten in descriptions of the war, an eight-day barrage of artillery fire made this seemingly rapid offensive possible. At the forefront of this offensive were the brave field artillerymen known as "redlegs".
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5 out of 5 stars
-
Excellent account of the Gulf War.
- By Tim on 02-22-24
-
American Soldier
- By: General Tommy R. Franks, Malcolm McConnell
- Narrated by: Eric Conger
- Length: 19 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 303
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 110
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 109
The Commander in Chief of the United States Central Command from July 2000 through July 2003, General Tommy Franks made history leading American and Coalition forces to victory in Afghanistan and Iraq, the decisive battles that launched the war on terrorism.
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5 out of 5 stars
-
even more proud of our military
- By Brian on 08-12-04
By: General Tommy R. Franks, and others
-
The Fighting 69th
- By: Sean Michael Flynn
- Narrated by: Erik Steele
- Length: 10 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 56
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 35
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 36
On the eve of September 11, 2001, New York City's famous National Guard regiment, the fighting 69th Infantry, was not fit for duty. Most of its soldiers were immigrant kids with no prior military experience, and their equipment was derelict. The thought of deploying such a unit was laughable. Sean Flynn, himself a member of the 69th, memorably chronicles the transformation of this motley band of amateur soldiers into a battle-hardened troop at work in one of the most lethal quarters of Baghdad.
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5 out of 5 stars
-
Impressive and inspiring
- By Gryphon on 02-23-08
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Until the war in Iraq, the Special Forces were the military's counterinsurgency experts. Their specialty was going behind enemy lines and training insurgent forces. In Afghanistan, they toppled the Taliban by transforming Northern Alliance fighters into cohesive units. But in the almost nine years since, Special Forces units have forgone their previous mission, instead focusing on offensive raids.
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First In
- An Insider’s Account of How the CIA Spearheaded the War on Terror in Afghanistan
- By: Gary C. Schroen
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While America held its breath in the days immediately following 9/11, a small but determined group of CIA agents covertly began to change history. This is the riveting first-person account of the treacherous top-secret mission inside Afghanistan to set the stage for the defeat of the Taliban and launch the war on terror. As thrilling as any novel, First In is a uniquely intimate look at a mission that began the US retaliation against terrorism - and reclaimed the country of Afghanistan for its people.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Interesting Insight
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Headhunter
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- By: Peter C. Svoboda, Lt. Gen William B. Caldwell (Ret.) - foreword
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 41
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Selected in 2005 by the army to be the first airborne reconnaissance squadron, 5th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, better known as 5-73 CAV, was formed from 3rd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment. The members of the squadron were hand-selected by the squadron command team, Lieutenant Colonel Poppas and Command Sergeant Major Edgar. With just more than 400 paratroopers, they were half the size of a full-strength battalion and the smallest unit in the Panther Brigade.
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5 out of 5 stars
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A great audible!
- By Justin Robinson on 09-12-22
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Delta Force
- A Memoir by the Founder of the U.S. Military's Most Secretive Special-Operations Unit
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Wanted: Volunteers for Project Delta. Will guarantee you a medal. A body bag. Or both. With this call to arms, Charlie Beckwith revolutionized American armed combat. Beckwith's acclaimed memoir tells the story of Delta Force as only its maverick creator could tell it - from the bloody baptism of Vietnam to the top-secret training grounds of North Carolina to political battles in the upper levels of the Pentagon itself. This is the heart-pounding, first-person insider's view of the missions that made Delta Force legendary.
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Good Military History
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Dagger 22
- U.S. Marine Corps Special Operations in Bala Murghab, Afghanistan
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 912
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The unforgiving Afghan winter settled upon the 22 men of Marine Special Operations Team 8222, call sign Dagger 22, in the remote and hostile river valley of Bala Murghab, Afghanistan. The Taliban fighters in the region would have liked nothing more than to once again go dormant and rest until the new spring fighting season began. No chance of that - this winter would be different.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Good Story, but...
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Gentlemen Bastards
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Until the war in Iraq, the Special Forces were the military's counterinsurgency experts. Their specialty was going behind enemy lines and training insurgent forces. In Afghanistan, they toppled the Taliban by transforming Northern Alliance fighters into cohesive units. But in the almost nine years since, Special Forces units have forgone their previous mission, instead focusing on offensive raids.
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2 out of 5 stars
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First In
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While America held its breath in the days immediately following 9/11, a small but determined group of CIA agents covertly began to change history. This is the riveting first-person account of the treacherous top-secret mission inside Afghanistan to set the stage for the defeat of the Taliban and launch the war on terror. As thrilling as any novel, First In is a uniquely intimate look at a mission that began the US retaliation against terrorism - and reclaimed the country of Afghanistan for its people.
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Interesting Insight
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Selected in 2005 by the army to be the first airborne reconnaissance squadron, 5th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, better known as 5-73 CAV, was formed from 3rd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment. The members of the squadron were hand-selected by the squadron command team, Lieutenant Colonel Poppas and Command Sergeant Major Edgar. With just more than 400 paratroopers, they were half the size of a full-strength battalion and the smallest unit in the Panther Brigade.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Dagger 22
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Good Story, but...
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House to House
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In one of the most compelling combat narratives ever written, Staff Sergeant David Bellavia, an Army infantry platoon leader in Iraq, gives a teeth-rattling, first-hand account of 11 straight days of heavy house-to-house fighting during the climactic second battle of Fallujah. His actions in the firefight, which included killing five insurgents in hand-to-hand combat, earned Bellavia the Bronze Star, the Silver Star, and New York state's highest military honor, the Conspicuous Service Cross.
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5 out of 5 stars
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As raw as it gets
- By Robert on 09-24-07
By: Staff Sergeant David Bellavia, and others
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Hunting the Jackal
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,742
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,535
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 1,525
For more than half a century, Special Forces and CIA legend Billy Waugh dedicated his life to tracking down and eliminating America's most virulent enemies. Operating from the darkest shadows and most desolate corners of the world, he made his mark in many of the most important operations in the annals of US Spec Ops. He spent seven and a half years behind enemy lines in Vietnam as a member of a covert group of elite commandos.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Hunting the Jackal - epic accounting of SOF/SOG and CIA IV
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The Warrior Elite
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- By: Dick Couch
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,206
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,067
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,072
With a postscript describing SEAL efforts in Afghanistan, The Warrior Elite takes you into the toughest, longest, and most relentless military training in the world. What does it take to become a Navy SEAL? What makes talented, intelligent young men volunteer for physical punishment, cold water, and days without sleep?
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5 out of 5 stars
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Riveting and Relevant
- By Steven on 03-01-12
By: Dick Couch
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The Finishing School
- Earning the Navy SEAL Trident
- By: Dick Couch
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- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 561
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 501
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 496
In America's new war, the first guns in the fight are special operations forces, including the Navy SEALs, specially trained warriors who operate with precision, swiftness, and lethal force. In the constantly shifting war on terror, SEAL units - small in number, flexible, stealthy, and efficient - are more vital than ever to America's security as they take the battle to an elusive enemy around the globe. This is essential listening for anyone who wants to know what goes into the making of America's best warriors.
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2 out of 5 stars
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I was expeting a lot but ...!
- By Terry J on 06-27-12
By: Dick Couch
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Foxtrot in Kandahar
- A Memoir of a CIA Officer in Afghanistan at the Inception of America’s Longest War
- By: Duane Evans
- Narrated by: Eric Martin
- Length: 6 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 118
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 112
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 111
Kandahar. The ancient desert crossroads and, as of fall of 2001, ground zero for the Taliban and al-Qa'ida in southern Afghanistan. In the northern part of the country, the US-supported Northern Alliance has made progress on the battlefield, but in the south, the country is still under the Taliban's bloody hold and al-Qa'ida continues to operate there. With no "Southern Alliance" for the US to support, a new strategy is needed if victory is to be achieved. Veteran CIA officer Duane Evans is dispatched to Pakistan to "get something going in the South." Foxtrot in Kandahar is his story.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Fascinating look into CIA ground forces in early Afghanistan
- By Invictus on 09-23-18
By: Duane Evans
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Chosen Soldier
- The Making of a Special Forces Warrior
- By: Dick Couch
- Narrated by: Kevin Foley
- Length: 14 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 565
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 499
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 502
In combating terror, America can no longer depend on its conventional military superiority and the use of sophisticated technology. More than ever, we need men like those of the Army Special Forces---the legendary Green Berets. In Chosen Soldier, Dick Couch draws on nearly a year spent at Special Forces training facilities and offers an unprecedented view of the education of these men.
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2 out of 5 stars
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Do You Have What It Takes To Be A Green Beret
- By Michael on 07-24-12
By: Dick Couch
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The Eyes of the Eagle
- F Company LRPs in Vietnam, 1968
- By: Gary A. Linderer
- Narrated by: David Colacci
- Length: 10 hrs
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 381
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 336
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Story5 out of 5 stars 335
Gary Linderer volunteered for the Army, then volunteered for Airborne training. When he reached Vietnam in 1968, he was assigned to the famous "Screaming Eagles," the 101st Airborne Division. Once there, he volunteered for training and duty with F Company 58th Inf, the Long Range Patrol company that was "the Eyes of the Eagle." The Eyes of the Eagle is an accurate, exciting look at the recon soldier's war. There are none better.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Loved it
- By Dan on 03-16-20
By: Gary A. Linderer
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Tango 1-1
- 9th Infantry Division LRPs in the Vietnam Delta
- By: Jim Thayer
- Narrated by: Corey M. Snow
- Length: 5 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 98
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 85
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Story5 out of 5 stars 85
LRPs were all volunteers. They were in the spine-tingling, brain-twisting, nerve-wracking business of Long Range Patrolling. They varied in age from eighteen to thirty. These men operated in precision movements, like walking through a jungle quietly and being able to tell whether a man or an animal is moving through the brush without seeing the cause of movement. They could sit in an ambush for hours without moving a muscle except to ease the safety off the automatic weapon in their hand at the first sign of trouble. These men were good because they had to be to survive.
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3 out of 5 stars
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Great book marred by the reader
- By Amazon Customer on 04-26-23
By: Jim Thayer
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The Guerrilla Factory
- The Making of Special Forces Officers, the Green Berets
- By: Tony Schwalm
- Narrated by: Corey Snow
- Length: 9 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 259
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 231
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 230
The Navy has the SEALS, and the Army has the Green Berets. They are masters of asymmetrical warfare, trained to immerse themselves in hostile territory, sleeping near their enemies and building relationships with people who may want to kill them. Retired lieutenant colonel Tony Schwalm knows this group well, because he is one of them and he trained them. In The Guerrilla Factory, he provides an unbelievably gripping inside look into the grueling training that every army officer must endure to become one of America's elite Green Berets.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Great Book for Future Officers or Enlisted
- By Amazon Customer on 01-12-16
By: Tony Schwalm
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Masters of Chaos
- The Secret History of Special Forces
- By: Linda Robinson
- Narrated by: Kirsten Potter
- Length: 14 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 299
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 256
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 251
Special Forces soldiers are daring, seasoned troops from America's heartland, selected in a tough competition and trained in an extraordinary range of skills. They know foreign languages and cultures and unconventional warfare better than any US fighters, and while they prefer to stay out of the limelight, veteran war correspondent Linda Robinson gained access to their closed world. She traveled with them on the frontlines, interviewed them at length on their home bases, and studied their doctrine, methods, and history.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Story of Special Forces
- By Austin Pearson on 02-28-18
By: Linda Robinson
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Death in the Highlands
- The Siege of Special Forces Camp Plei Me
- By: J. Keith Saliba
- Narrated by: Jim Seybert
- Length: 10 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 57
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 49
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 49
In fall 1965, North Vietnam's high command smelled blood in the water. The South Vietnamese republic was on the verge of collapse, and Hanoi resolved to crush it once and for all. The communists set their sights on South Vietnam's strategically vital West-Central Highlands. Their first target was the American Special Forces camp at Plei Me, remote and isolated along the Cambodian border.
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1 out of 5 stars
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Boting
- By William R. Todd-Mancillas (Name includes hyphen and capitalized M). on 06-05-23
By: J. Keith Saliba
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One Green Beret
- Bosnia, Kosovo, Iraq, and beyond: 15 Extraordinary years in the life - 1996-2011
- By: Mark Giaconia
- Narrated by: Virtual Voice
- Length: 7 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 24
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Performance3.5 out of 5 stars 23
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 23
3rd Edition. Before the Iraq war in 2003, Green Beret teams infiltrated Northern Iraq, linked up with the CIA, and embedded deeply with the Kurdish Peshmerga to prepare for war. These special missions were called “Advanced Force Operations.” Subsequently, these special teams brought in the rest of the Green Berets during an operation called "the Ugly Baby." Then, one of the most significant battles in Special Forces history occurred: "Operation Viking Hammer," where six Green Beret teams along with a handful of CIA and Air Force Special Ops personnel, combined with approximately 8000 ...
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4 out of 5 stars
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Good until the end
- By Anonymous User on 06-27-24
By: Mark Giaconia
What listeners say about Swords of Lightning
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Lurchy
- 08-20-22
Grateful American
Incredible story of what the initial months of America's war on terror looked like. This ODA Team's mission, against all odds was a heroic success. I loved it. Thank you for writing it.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- trish
- 10-09-23
Liked the format
Post 9/11 experiences of some very brave, well trained and emotionally intelligent men. The level of restraint and ego checking that this mission required would have been a disaster for 99% of the population. These men were exceptional men indeed.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- rockp2
- 05-29-22
Utterly fantastic!!!
If you have read and enjoyed "Horse Soldiers" or seen "12 Strong", you must listen to this book.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Greg Mather
- 12-12-22
Better understanding
This book help give me a better understanding of our last war. It helped me see that there could have been a better outcome.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Boyd
- 03-03-24
Presented an interesting, straight forward narrative of the adventure.
Presented a balanced assessment of the early SF contribution to the Afghan war. A must listen to the new legend of the Horse Soldiers.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Faith Watkins
- 12-13-24
The Real Experience of The Horse Soldiers
Great book! It’s nice to hear the story of the Horse Soldiers told from men that completed that mission. Great narration and great story
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- David W.
- 05-27-24
The story from the people there
This is a first hand account of 12 brave soldiers who supported their nation and helped free another. This is a great listen
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Mike
- 07-21-22
Admiration
I love these guys and respect and admire all combat vets especially the ODA’s that struck the terrorists right when we needed action. I wish I could go back in time and been a SPF soldier but I can’t so I just support. I saw legion of brothers as well great stuff..love the book
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Josh
- 10-18-23
Great Book
I enjoyed this telling of the 0DA 595 story just as much as I enjoyed the telling of the 0DA 574 story. All Certified Bad-a**es.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 03-01-24
First account
This is a great account of boots on the ground in Afghanistan and really hits home on how hard these 12 dudes had it
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