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| Killer Elite: The Inside Story of America's Most Secret Special Operations Team | 
 enlarge | Author: Michael Smith
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Category: Book
List Price: $24.95
Buy New: $5.75
You Save: $19.20 (77%)
New (33) Used (29) Collectible (1) from $3.98
Avg. Customer Rating:  33 reviews
Sales Rank: 63249
Media: Hardcover
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 352
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.2
Dimensions (in): 9.3 x 6.3 x 1.4
ISBN: 0312362722
Dewey Decimal Number: 356.1670973
EAN: 9780312362720
ASIN: 0312362722
Publication Date: March 6, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: New, unread, publisher over-stock copies. Ships out by NEXT Business Day. We have shipped TWO MILLION+ Amazon orders to-date. 100% Satisfaction Guarantee!
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| Customer Reviews:
 Not much killing April 25, 2007
11 out of 15 found this review helpful
For a book titled "Killer Elite" one would expect more action. This is not to say that the book doesn't provide interesting information on the secret unit the Activity, just that the book is perhaps mistitled. The author essentially rehashes the work of others going over once again Carter's failed attampt to rescue the hostages in Iran, the killing of Pablo Escobar, Kosovo and "Blackhawk Down." The book also accepts the premise of Richard Clarke that Clinton wanted to kill Bin Laden and that it was the military that was too scared to carry out the mission. For all that Clinton is, a tough warrior he is not. All in all a good overview of a secret unit. It is probably a good thing that the author couldn't find out more about the activites of the Activity.
interesting but lacking May 8, 2007
11 out of 12 found this review helpful
While being both entertaining and informative, the book is severely lacking. Filled with interesting tales, the book never really capitalizes on the term "killer elite". It is more of a story centered on those that gather intel rather than those charged with exploiting it. I would reccomend the new Robert Pelton book in place of this one.
 A no-holds-barred work on SOF May 12, 2007
10 out of 11 found this review helpful
I had the good fortune of segueing into Smith's book after reading Dick Couch's "Chosen Soldier: The Making of a Special Forces Warrior". Unknown to me at the time, Couch's book laid some excellent groundwork to provide a better understanding of the men in SOF.
Smith pulls no punches, revealing how SOF was considered by many, especially senior officers in the US Army, a renegade maverick group of fighters/warriors. Yet, clearly, the Special Operations Teams (Special Operations Forces) are critical to successful warfare. That is particularly true in this era of guerilla and insurgent style warfare.
These "behind-the-scenes" stealth warriors are essential and critical to strategic and tactical operations. They are the men in the shadows, often immersing themselves in the most hostile and dangerous elements of warfare.
This work is recommended to all US Military (and Allied) personnel, even if not considering SOF for their own journey. The good news is that in recent years these Teams have received greater respect, stronger support and more funding. Anyone interested in the "guts and grit" required within this less-revealed aspect of Military operations should take the time to read this book. That includes Military and Civilian alike.
 Not what I was looking for, but I ended up well informed July 23, 2006
8 out of 9 found this review helpful
The author takes you into the world of Special Operations Forces, including some of their deployments throughout Iran, Latin America, Afghanistan and Iraq; he exposes what an active role groups like the "Activity", Delta Force etc, played in those missions. Even though it gives you information about these missions, the author didn't go deep enough into the boots on the ground personal experience and fire fights details.
But having just said that, this book was so informative about the over all missions, and the infrastructure of the special operation world, their strategists, leadership, tactics, and the elements that form it. For example, the group called "Activity", was described by the author as an elite group that combines intelligence gathering and special operation forces all in one, kind of like training CIA officers to fight like Delta Force.
As well, as it gives you an inside look of their clashes with high ranking military officers that didn't fully see them as an effective or necessary force, and some government representatives that see them as a kind of trigger happy group, not easily manageable and hard to predictive in a conflict, with the potential of getting them in trouble, particularly after the Mogadishu experience.
Special Operations Forces are now finally getting the recognition and the support that they deserve, with the help of people like Donald Rumsfeld that is restructuring the military into a new fighting force where Special Forces are playing a mayor role.
The name of the book is a little misleading, because you learn how they don't necessarily go out to get a kill in every mission, and many times it's more about collecting intelligence on a particular target so they can direct the right force to neutralize it.
Even though the missions weren't detailed enough for my enjoyment, I'm glad I read it because it gave me a better understanding of the shadowy work and world of the elite Special Forces.
Received it in Iraq!! April 7, 2007
6 out of 14 found this review helpful
The book was what I expected and it was delivered to me while I'm deployed in Iraq. Thanks Amazon!!
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