Guns Books

I had high hopes for this book until I kept finding error after error in the text under the photos.

Here are some examples of the errors that I found in the text of the book:

Page 9: Book is about Air War over Europe but B-17 pictured is in the Pacific.

Page 15-16: Formation of A-20's are actually B-26 Marauders.

Page 85: Shootdown of Ju-88 is actually a Me-210 or ME-410.

Page 98: Shootdown of Me-109 fighter is actually a Arado AR-96 trainer.

Page 99: Me-163 Jet Aircraft should be a Me-163 Rocket Aircraft.

Page 102: He-111 is actually a He-177. Hint He-111's don't have four bladed propellers.

Page 113: German plane destroyed on ground is a captured French Dewoitine D 520 fighter.

Page 129: Square tailed Me-109 looks more like a Ju-87 Stuka and a FW-58 liason aircraft is not even listed in the text.

Page 130-131: Potez-63 is actually a former French LeO 451 Bomber.

This could have been a "Great Book" but it only rates as a "Good Book" due to all the textual errors. Buy it for the photos but don't put too much faith in the accuracy of the writing.

If you are interested in the history of aerial warfair you simpley must have this book. It shows the other side of the the stories of succesful aces. Some pictures do show the last seconds of the lives of maybe 10 to 12 crewmembers how simpley didn't even got a chance to escape. Imagine the panic which goes through the minds of these brave airmen in there often last moments. This book shows the real face of war, no glory just fear, suffering and sadness.

Looking at some of the pictures in this book is like looking at a horrifying car crash in slow-motion. Horrible and yet fascinating - you just can't pull your eyes away.

This is an absolutely incredible collection of unique action photos, and in some cases sequences of shots. As an example there is a series of photos showing one A20 actually getting hit by a bomb released by another, and then vearing off and colliding with another A-20. Absolutely incredible.

Another spine tingling shot shows what happens to a B-17 when it takes a direct hit from a heavy calibre AA gun. It's as if it was sliced into 3 components (tail, mid and forward sections) which have then been casually tossed hundreds of yards from each other. It is totally surreal.

There is simply nothing else like it out there. I can't recommend it highly enough to anyone with an interest in the European air war.

This book offers us a glimpse of the brutality of the Air War over Europe from the American perspective. Numerous photos of doomed aircraft with wings sheared off, gas tanks exploding, gaping holes caused by flak that are both spectacular and horrific. One cannot help but to wonder what these men were thinking in their last moments. Overall this is a good book; I think, though, that there aren't enough pictures (some I've seen quite often) to justify the cost, and the text was somewhat sparse and did not offer much in the way of background information.

This is an excellent book. The pictures are graphic to the max and bring the viewer as close to the action as is possible. They are guaranteed to bring one's emotions to the surface and are not for the squeamish. I know, because the picture on page 43 of the burning Douglas A-20 Havoc was piloted by my cousin, 1st. Lt. Gordon R. Argyle of Joliet, IL. The plane, Betty Ann II, was new and Gordy had borrowed it from his commanding officer, Major Arthur R. Milow (who had named it after his wife). The plane was hit over Bonnieres, France (not Nazi Germany)May 9, 1944 and crashed in the vicinity of Frevent, France. The photo was taken by a crew member of another Havoc on the raid and may be seen on the 409th Bomb Squadron's website. In addition to Gordy, his navagator-bombadier Lt. Corey, and his gunner, S/Sgt. W. H. Oglesbee, died in the crash. The other gunner, S/Sgt. L. W. Dirikson parachuted to saftey and spent the rest of the war in various prisoner-of-war camps. He died in 1999. Lt. Col. Milow is still alive and living in CA. He's 85. Gordy was a member of the 9th Air Force, 409 Bomb Group (L), 643rd Bomber Squadron. Shortly before our grandmother died she requested that if Gordy's remains were found that they be brought home to Joliet. In keeping with her wishes his remains were taken from the U.S. Military Cemetary in St. Andre, France and buried in Elmhurst Cemetary, Joliet, IL.
I still get a feeling of deep sadness when looking at the picture and realizing that Gordy is alive and in the pilot's seat with God-knows-what going through his mind. What a sacrifice those men made! I hope it is appreciated.

An amazing book ,it completely encompasses all the possible attributes of avery good novel.Highly thrilling and explosive, it starts of with a bang and carries on like an Express Train. A must read , is very difficult to put down.
(Personally I have read the book around 75 times and can still read it with the same enthusiasum as though it is the first time.)

I read this book as a teenager at the recommendation of a neighbor, a former English teacher. The book is enthralling account of what would now be considered "special forces" in World War II secretly landing on a German controlled island in the Mediteranian, crossing the island and eventually attacking the huge in-cliff gun implacements at Navarone. On the way they encounter various problems and surprises that must be dealt with. Highly recommended for teenagers (and adults) with an interest in adventure, the military or war history.

Thriller writer Alistair MacLean hit the big time with "The Guns of Navarone," his second novel, in 1957. It was made into a very successful movie with Gregory Peck, Anthony Quinn, and David Niven in the starring roles. The idea of the secret commando team consisting of a number of specialized operatives (Cpt. Mallory -- rock climber extraordinaire; Andrea -- incredibly strong, lethal fighter; Cpl. Miller -- explosives expert; Petty Ofc. Brown -- engineer and radio expert; Lt. Stevens -- rock climber) with a suicidal mission was duplicated in numerous incarnations ranging from "The Dirty Dozen" to "Mission: Impossible" (the TV series).

"The Guns of Navarone" is a fantastic adventure/war novel. It's tight and tense throughout, and there's an edge to it that is missing from a number of MacLean's later works. It comes across as more realistic than the fun to read "Where Eagles Dare."

The basic plot of "Guns" is that the, during World War II, the Germans have recaptured from the Allies a number of Greek islands; the last one left will be taken over soon, dooming over 1000 Allied soldiers. The British would evacuate the soliders, except they can't get through a channel covered by the Guns of Navarone. All previous aerial attacks on the guns have failed. So Mallory and company are sent on a mission to approach the island of Navarone by boat, climb a sheer wall face, infiltrate the German fortress, and blow up the guns.

"Force 10" is the sequel to "Guns," written eleven years later. It picks up from the ending of the movie, not the novel, so characters who were in the book but not the movie disappear. This time, there's another mission, and Mallory, Andrea, and Miller are paired with three young soldiers who are more eager and less experienced. It too has an edginess to it, but it's not as thrilling as "Guns."

Note that the movie version of "Force 10" starring Harrison Ford, Robert Shaw, and Edward Fox is based on the book in name only (well, except for one fight scene, sort of). Andrea isn't even in the movie. So don't expect the book to be anything like the movie. (Which may be good or bad depending on what you thought of the movie.)

In sum, these are prime examples of MacLean working at his peak. You can't go wrong here.

I first read 'Guns' about thirty five years ago. Thought it was great then, but enjoy it even more now. Some people find it simple; to me it is concise and focused. Longer is not necessarily better. Unbelievable? Only if you know nothing about what has actually happened in war. Truth is stranger than fiction. I don't want to give anything away, but I especially like how Alistair Maclean conveyed the feeling of deceptive peace rapidly changing to incredible violence during the boat journey to the island of Navarone. I once would have thought that the characters were somewhat sterotypical and larger than life, but when I served two years as a paratrooper in the 82d Airborne Division I found that some sterotypes are based on fact. What I enjoy even more now are the descriptions and the mental pictures that are conjured up of the islands and natural settings that the action is occurring in. I say this is the original 'Mission Impossible" because the storyline of the small team of highly trained professionals taking on the impossible mission has been done many times since('Dirty Dozen', for example), but I personally don't know of any story that pre-dates 'Guns'. I enjoyed the movie as well, but I find myself wondering why they had to give it the 'Hollywood' treatment and tamper with such an outstanding action tale. As far as 'Force 10', it is also an entertaining read, but not in the same league as 'Guns'. Still, a nice package for the money, well worth it!

Guns of Navarone was my introduction to Alistair MacLean a couple of decades back and what an introduction it was! A disparate team, each member picked for his particular expertise, united only by their enmity with the Germans, is deployed to attempt a near impossible task. The British sea borne retreat from the Aegean islands is prevented by the gun battery on Navarone that commands the sea route. Assault by air or sea is impossible and the land route to destroy the battery involves climbing a rock face that even the best rock climbers shudder at - but there is no other route! The team assembles, bonds as it approaches the deployment point (despite individual irritants) and makes the attempt. The outcome of course is successful but in spinning the yarn MacLean takes the reader on a roller coaster. From the calm of the Aegean cruise to the split-second timing of the finale, from the crude pettiness of small minded individuals, to the unsung heroism of a dying man, from the stereotyped Nazi villain to an individual's battle to overcome fear, MacLean holds the reader in thrall.

Force 10 merits a mixed review. Though billed as a sequel to Guns, it is actually a sequel to the movie version, which added the usual Hollywood froth to the book, and hence is a bit disorienting for the reader who has not seen the movie. Based in what used to be Yugoslavia, our team of heroes, now somewhat abridged, attempts a brilliant feint to fool the Nazis as to the direction of the main Allied attack into Europe. The feint also has a significant local impact of course. Again an excellent thriller (my only real beef is the discontinuity with the Guns novel) and in fact both Guns and Force 10 are MacLean at his early best, when his novels were concise doses of thrilling action. Among his early strengths were high quality dialog and terrific descriptions, especially of events of nature like storms and floods. Excellent suspense for the most part, fast paced action, believable yet wondrous storyline and gripping prose. Good for an air or train journey or even vacation reading.

This book is different from the other hunting dog training books I've read. It covers a puppy's early development as a whole dog. Joan Bailey takes you from your puppy's first day in your home, through adolescence, to early adulthood. It will show you how to help your dog become both a member of your family and an excellent hunting companion. This book explains why a particular training method might work and how to develop a cooperative relationship with your dog.

This is an awesome book for novice birddog people. I highly recommend it, and give it to my (Pointer) puppy buyers. My favorite feature is that at the back of the book there are lists of things to remember to expose your puppy to by a certain age so that you'll end up with a stable dog. I pull it out every time I raise a pup as a sort of checklist. I agree with the majority of what the author has to say, and the author tends not to take sides (like on the issue of force retrieving). The book does have some info that is geared towards versatile birddogs rather than just Pointing dogs, which is fine as long as you are able to seperate what your dog needs to know. This book is geared towards the first year of puppyhood, not training... which is great as there are not a whole lot of books out there for this. Helps you to remember they are just pups and to just let them grow up for a while.

This book is fine for the average person who has no experience with dogs. But for the average gun dog owner, the first half of the book is a waste of time. The last half does have some good ideas, but I would rather spend my money on something more informative such as the writings of Bill Tarrant, especially the Delmar Smith method. It's hard to argue with success and Smith's training methods earned him many national champions. As for this book, I found myself in disagreement with a couple of the training methods, especially gun conditioning. Overall, it's a good book with many great ideas for the beginner.

This book is a far reaching work that not only addresses the training of Gundogs but also any family pet...of importance is the sections on crate training to facilitate housebreaking and teaching the dog that there are restrictions on his activities...I also enjoyed her views on conditioning and letting the dog learn at its own pace with firm and consistent training by owner...and letting the dog learn to be a dog before pulling from its littermates and throwing it into a new environment. I have trained two dogs with her methods and let 4-5 friends borrow it when training their pets...all have been great successes. My copy is dog-eared (no pun) and hilighted throughout...but a great book for those that want to try a softer method with great results.

There are (too) many "how-to" sporting dog training books available, but I found this one to be different in how it focuses on first year conditioning of the pup rather than training, per se. I didn't agree with everything - not that you would - but I followed about 90% of the author's thoughts and found my dog's second year training to be MUCH EASIER. I think this is important if you have a sensitive breed that won't tolerate heavy handed training, such as mine. It also explained in considerable detail that way in which the puppy learns and this allowed me to sort of 'get inside' my dog's head to better understand how to do the conditioning and training so that he would be successful and the process would go faster and better.

Some folks may not like Bill's writing style. I do. It is not the "Earthier than Thou" style that some gun, dog, and hunting writers use. Nevertheless, he does relate some stories that any outdoorsman can relate to and enjoy. This book has become sort of a reference book for me whenever someone tells me about hunting some bird that I am not familiar with, somewhere I have never been, with dogs that I don't own.

I believe it was this book that first convinced me that it was OK to sleep with a dog. My dog made that decision long ago, but I always worried that I was making a mistake, or was simply being bullied by the dog.

Each page of this book will make you want to schedule a trip, get another dog, or buy another shotgun. Beware.

Mr. Tarrant has done a great job of giving out lots of information without making it drab. If you read his book carefully you will find plenty of hidden advice. He camoflages it as everyday knowledge but if you look, it's all there. Thank you sir, for an interesting and informative book.

This book is great especially if you are hunting with a bird dog. I have gained so much insight into the ways to hunt birds with my dog that I may never have considered without reading this book. I enjoy the way that Bill Tarrant writes and it is very catching. I had a hard time putting this book down.

Anyone who hunts birds with a bird dog will benefit from reading this book. Bill goes over the different types of birds and their common habits and characterisitics and where to look for them. It was very helpful to me.

Tarrant obviously knows what he is talking about. My hunting experiences will be a little more enjoyable after reading this book. Not only is he an accomplished hunter, but I like the way he writes.

This is a good book. It covers several bird species and explains their idiosyncracies. I do not care much for Mr. Tarrants writing style and find it a bit too flowery. A good read.

The writers are morons, and their ideas are moronic as well. As a grad student, you would think Mr. Rode would be a little more intelligent. How would the authors feel findind out a 15 year old wound up in the hospital E.R. with alcohol poisoning from making and using his/her own beer bong? Or another teen blowing half his or her face off from building a potato canon? This book is a pathetic joke written by a couple of sophmoric losers. I appreciate stupid humor when it's aimed at adults--because at least they know the difference between reading about junk like this, and the possible harm of actually undertaking the project. But these two haven't grown past 6 if they think that's their audience. No, it's young teenagers thinking this garbage is cool. I'm surprised they didn't add a few pages on how to use whip cream cartridges to experiment with nitrous oxide. For adults, it may be worth a chuckle or two AT MOST. And many of the projects are fairly innocuous. But, for teens, it's dangerous way to find out your body has limitations--with heavy risks.

The best project in the book is the foam gun. All of the inventions are pretty funny even if some are a little impractical. The stick notes and random jokes throughout made the whole thing a fun read.

This book is filled with build-it-yourselfs like the kegerator, the perfect beer bong, and a vibrating couch. It also has a bunch of funny made up facts and jokes to compliment the building steps. And it's full color. High quality book.

I heard about this book from my nephew, "B-rad" and immediately ordered three copies. What a fun book! My favorite is the ice shot glasses. We are going to have to try that one out! It absolutely is the perfect Christmas gift for anyone in college or anyone out of college who likes to have a good time (like Uncle Rob). Nice work guys!

I'm an alumni of the University of Wisconsin, Madison and I took my copy to the Badger Homecoming weekend and Halloween bash. All my friends loved it! A number of them said it would be a great Christmas present. Next year we have to have some of these projects complete for game day!

This is a very good overview of the North Korean special forces, and is an essential building block for anyone interested in the subject. Drawn mostly from Foreign Broadcast Infornation Service translated documents, it does suffer from a minor, but disturbing, error. My 1998 edition refers to Kim Il-sung's guerrilla clique as the "Kaspen Group", after their area of operations along the North Korean/Manchurian border. The actual place name is "Gapsan" or "Kapsan", depending upon the romanization system, so the clique is the Gapsan or Kapsan group. This error is repeated throughout the book. I would have also liked an explanation as to why North Koreans adopted the term "sniper" for their SF specific units. While everyone agrees that it is an honorific dating back to Kim Il-sung's Soviet 88th Sniper Brigade, the actual Soviet designation for that unit was 88th "Strelnaya" Bde, which had likewise been translated as the 88th Independent Infantry Brigade. I am told that the Soviet term "Strelnaya" (shooter) was used for all Soviet Infantry formations. My notes give the NK term as "Jeo Gyeok", which refers to a team of rifle toting snipers.

One is hard-pressed to find a well-researched material on North Korea's military forces, though there are some excellent research books written by military officers in "lessons learned" formats. The North Korean special operations force, according to South Korea's Defense White Paper, poses one of the most significant military threat in the region along with P'yongyang's chemical weapons and ballistic missiles. This book traces this formidable force from its inception through the present, revealing a significant facet of North Korea's overall military strategy. Despite the timeliness of this work and the depth of its research from one of the most well-known North Korea specialist, it suffers from somewhat poor readability.

Talk about tough... The NKSF are probably the best in the world. Although straight on comparison is impossible, they seem to be the best. The encounters with other special forces in 1953 doesn't qualify an objective comparison considering that in 1953 North Korea was very unorganized socially and militarily. Also they were in horrible economical shape with most of it's people starving. Things are kind of different now. Their military traing and organization is upgraded and soldiers are better fed. That would make a tremendous difference. Anyways, the book's great.

I really enjoyed this book. It is really the only book that authoritatively covers this topic. The book's sections on the different SF organizations in the DPRK are based on solid evidence. Some of the information seemed to me to be quite old (from the 60's), but nevertheless is convincing and still relevant considering that the DPRK seems to still operate in many of the same ways.

It is not surprising that some of the rhetoric in the book is right-of-center. For instance, Bermudez (like most other American authors on the DPRK) likes to point out atrocities committed by 'communist' guerillas while ignoring the fact that most atrocities committed during the period of 1945-1953 were committed by the Korean National Police, Army of the Republic of Korea, and right-wing youth groups. He mentions atrocities committed by communists during the Yosu-Sunchon Rebellion, but fails to mention the utter holocaust visited upon the residents of Cheju Island by the Korean Constabulary (Army), KNP, and violent right-wing youth groups; by the way, these forces were transported to the island with US assets and advised by US military advisors in the field. Bermudez doesn't seem to be interested in really addressing what motivated the guerillas of the South, but considering the scope of this book, this is just a minor detail.

Also rather annoying were the frequent and obvious spelling and grammar issues. I don't think there was much of an editing process! Check out page 22 where Bermudez says that communist partisans were to "ferment unrest". I didn't know you COULD "ferment" unrest(!) I believe the word he was looking for was "foment". These issues with his English are frequent enough to be somewhat of an annoyance, but don't really make the book any less interesting.

I had the privilege of interviewing Mr. Bermudez as well as reading this book while researching North Korean Special Forces. The book is highly informative and the author exceptionally knowledgeable. It would be interesting to see the latest information he has gathered considering the present economic/food situations.

At time of printing, NKSF were the best special forces in the world for their set of missions. Other special forces are better suited for different missions and have different resources available to them.

I would recommend this book to anyone looking for reliable background information on the specific topic, as well as anyone interested in the highly ideological and self sacrificial mentality instilled in these people.

The US government never goes to war for 'democracy', 'freedom' , against 'ethnic cleansing' ,or against'terrorism'. The US government goes to war for domination, markets, and profits, profits,profits.Profits for families that have hundreds of millions and billions of dollars.It is their government,not ours.In the Gulf in 1991 ( and in the region tomorrow ) war was,and is ,and will be, in the first place on behalf of Big Oil. The superrich send working-class youth to kill and die for their interests. Not our own.In this now classic workJack Barnes explains the Gulf War and the increased rivalries between the market giant ( imperialist )countries leading toward Depression, fascism, and a new world war. And what working class fighters have done and will do -- here and all over the world --to resist and win.

The US government never goes to war for 'democracy', 'freedom' , against 'ethnic cleansing' ,or against
'terrorism'. The US government goes to war for domination, markets, and profits, profits,
profits.Profits for families that have hundreds of millions and billions of dollars.It is their government,
not ours.In the Gulf in 1991 ( and in the region tomorrow ) war was,and is ,and will be, in the first place on behalf of Big
Oil. The superrich send working-class youth to kill and die for their interests. Not our own.In this now classic work
Jack Barnes explains the Gulf War and the increased rivalries between the market giant ( imperialist )
countries leading toward Depression, fascism, and a new world war. And what working class fighters
have done and will do -- here and all over the world --to resist and win.

I picked up this book at an antiwar rally last year, assuming that it was about the current mess in Iraq; much to my surprise, this book was written many years ago, during the first Gulf War. So I thought I'd see if its analysis held up; the answer: not at all. The book is full of erroneous predictions, rendered in mystifying rhetoric, which I assume can only be understood by a few loyal followers of the author. The book does have one virtue: it is howlingly funny at times, although of course only by accident - so if you weary of theonion.com and the Daily Show, you might find it useful.

Are the lives of your countrymen and women more valuable than the lives of Afghans, Iraquis, Palestinians, or those of the people of Northern Ireland? Should you support imperialist war against them? Should you restrain your struggle to improve your working conditions during today's "war on terrorism" or acquiesce to the restrictions on democratic rights for the "war effort"?

The authors of "Washington's Assault on Iraq: Opening Guns of World War II" say no, not if working people are going to advance and build a world free of inequality and war. This book is as relevant today as it was at the start of the Gulf War.

This book shows how the Gulf war of 1990-1991 war not only a product of the continued conflict US Imperialism has with the Iraqis and other peoples of the Middle East. It illustrates how the growing tension between the US ruling circles and the imperialist governments of Europe and Japan played a decisive role in the Gulf War. Those conflicts continue to deepen to this day. As such this book is not an abstract tool about dead history, nor is this book an abstract analysis for academic or journalistic voyeurs. It is a handbook on the realities of world politics for working people, youth, and oppressed people who want to struggle against wars, imperialism, and oppression.

This is the one best book on the subject! It covers the historical and philosophical backgrounds to the subject, and provides information that you find in newspapers.

This book explains why criminals will always have guns; why armed citizens reduce crime, and do not increase murders; and why gun prohibition would increase crime and create major new criminal activity. The history of "gun control" goes back thousands of years, long before guns were invented. Kings and the aristocracy have always tried to limit popular access to weapons in order to oppress the common people. The one exception is arming the people to avoid defeat by a foreign power; afterwards they are quickly disarmed.

Page 13 explains why the American militia differed from the English: all the men would be armed, and they elected their officers. Indian wars went on for 400 years, and there were wars with the French, Spanish, and Dutch empires. Hunting game was part of everyday life in America; game belonged to everyone. As noted in Aristotrle's 'Politics', armed citizens led to popular government in the colonies.

The Second Amendment, like the English Bill of Rights, rejected the idea of a collective right in favor of an individual right (p.32). Whenever the right of the people to keep and bear arms is prohibited, liberty is on the brink of destruction.

The book discusses many topics. Page 107 exposes the subtle lies put into the "Brady II" bill. By requiring a minimum weight for a pistol, and then restricting the number of cartridges in a magazine, it would outlaw almost all handguns. Page 111 tells how the Morton Grove Ill. ban on handguns originated as a way to keep out competition to an existing store! Page 118 tells how crime sky-rocketed after passage of the 1968 Gun Control Act. Guns are more common than swimming pools, but more drown in swimming pools than die in gun accidents (p.120).

"The Politics of Scaring the Public" (p.125) points out that TV news is always showing victims on TV, while most viewers may have never seen as much as a fistfight for years! The number of crime shows on TV may have resulted in the public's perception (not reality!) of polls reporting crime as the most important problem - or the feeling that there's too many lawyers!

What is the true effect of "gun control"? The worst homicide rates tend to be among the cities and states with the most restrictive laws; the states with no or few few gun laws (SD, VT) are the safest. The hidden agenda of the Gun Prohibitionists is to create more crime and violence in order to create a more oppressive society. Instead of a Reichstag fire, imagine a jumbo jet crashing into a Washington building?

Prior to 1977 Canada had almost no "gun control", and much lower homicide rate. After they severely restricted pistols, the Canadian homicide rate grew closer to the USA rate (p.247).

Stable societies with a fairly equitable distribution of wealth, and opportunities to advance, make a peaceful society (p.262). Nations with high homicide rates do not have these qualities. If you want America to be as peaceful as Sweden or Switzerland, you will need the same "gun control" laws as in these countries. The final chapter lists what must be done to reduce the crime rate. But the powerful special interests will prevent this from happening until more people unite to overcome these forces.

Mr Weir, while doing great work on the research end, has seemingly decided to use this important debate as yet another forum to advance socialist causes. The author uses both sides as "Boogey Men" and goes on to blame economic factors as the cause of all evil. I believe the author would have made his case better if he had concentrated more upon the spiritual, moral, and family decay that has occured over the last fourty years. Also, he may have wanted to review the "Federalist Papers" prior to writing his book. Thank You.

This book provides both a history of the second amendment, the role of the NRA and its relationship to the military and the police, and an excellent background to the various players in the controversy over gun control. If you are extremely pro or anti gun control you may not like this book. You will certainly question your position. It is a rational and calm analysis, and if your position cannot abide this you may find the book disturbing.

The book is nicely organized and is easy to read without being simplistic. It assumes a certain basic understanding of statistics, at least a middle-school level. Sources of quotes and numbers are well documented.

This is the one best book on the subject! It covers the historical and philosophical backgrounds to the subject, and provides information that you won't find in newspapers.

Patrick Seale's "Abu Nidal: A Gun For Hire" is addictive and non-stop reading. A book tracing the inner working and operations of Abu Nidal's terrorist organization. Abu Nidal started a resistance group which splintered from the mainstream palestinian opinion in the 70's. Abu Nidal's would transform his group from an extreme palestinian group into a work-for-hire organization that would carry out terrorist attacks against the enemies of his sponsor of the day. Most importantly Abu Nidal broke early on with the PLO and did everything he could to destroy the moderate palestinian voices.

The book recreates Abu Nidal's operations, its mode of operation and some missions it carried out by interviewing collaborators, defectors and opponents. The book starts by tracing the steps of a new recruit in the group, and then exploring the claim from a senior PLO officer: that either Abu Nidal's Organization was infiltrated by the Mossad or Abu Nidal himself was working for the Mossad. The exploration of this claim takes the rest of the book as Patrick Seale reconstructs the various terrorist strikes carried out by Abu Nidal. In this book, Lebanon appears only as a backdrop to the mainline story.

In any case, Abu Nidal's strikes consistently undermined the efforts of the PLO and the palestinian cause which he claimed to be assisting. Attacks would set back any attempts from the PLO to become a political force to represent the interests of the Palestinians in the exile and on the occupied territories.

It was Abu Nidal's group who carried out the attempt to assassinate the Israeli ambassador in London in 1982. This give Israel the excuse to start its long-planned invasion of Lebanon in 1982 by claiming that the the cease fire had been broken by the PLO.

In addition to the detective work, the interviews and the puzzle that the book tries to assemble there are various bits of insight on the events of the 80's and early 90's on the Middle East which will help understand the mood in the region.

The book is a very interesting account of this terrorist's career. It covers many of the different organizations he is part of or works with and the countries that use him or support him. The book also tried to give the reader a better understanding of the Israeli / Palestinians war and why it effects Nidal. I found the most interesting part was just the detailed accounts of what he has been involved in; this is a very sick person that is out for as much death and destruction as possible. The book is well written and detailed. The author keeps the books going in a straight timeline. I would say that it could use an update on what he has been up to the last ten years. If you are interested in terrorism, and right now who is not, then you should pick up a copy of this book.

Abu Nidal purportedly committed suicide in Baghdad a few months ago by shooting himself in the head a few times. As English author Patrick Seale probably would agree, Nidal's mysterious death was appropos of a murky life given to terrorism for profit from whatever financial source was available.

Abu Nidal: A Gun for Hire has many of the characteristics American readers find so grating about British journalism. Among these are the author's penchant for injecting himself into the story and then indulging in a baseless conspiracy theory which requires the writer to make every fact fit his premise (in this case, a far-fetched theory that Nidal worked for the Mossad). All that said, this book probably is more relevant in the aftermath of September 11th than it was when published a decade ago. The author gives textured explanations for the root causes of terrorism, and provides the mechanics of how these horrific crimes actually are implemented.

Seale also gives us a look into the sad history of Abu Nidal and other Palestinians who suffered at the hands of Israeli settlers. He follows Nidal as he evolves from a young expatriate into the recipient of patronage from the likes of Saddam Hussein, and finally into a quasi-businessman who becomes a freelance killer for profit. As an interesting aside, Nidal had been expelled from Iraq at the time this book was written. The terrorist Seale portrays is essentially a cowardly, bigoted man who loves money and whiskey more than radical politics and the Palestinian cause. In fact, as his career gains momentum Nidal murders far more Palestinians than he does Israelis and other Westerners. To underscore his actual motives, in one grimly amusing vignette Nidal has an in-law slain to settle a business dispute.

Abu Nidal: A Gun for Hire was published shortly before serial killers, terrorists and other criminals became media darlings and topics of the talk show circuit. It is interesting to read a relatively recent book that required the author to gather actual facts rather than rely on the self-serving declarations of his subject matter. Even with all its flaws, Seale's book is a valuable tool to understanding terrorism.

Seale, a noted expert on Middle East affairs, uses his expertise to create an engaging story about Abu Nidal and his terrorist organization. Not only does the book provide a detailed history of Abu Nidal, but it explains the whole of the Palestinian problem in relation to Abu Nidal and his efforts. With close ties to influential sources Seale is able to add a thread of authenticity to the tale. In some parts of the book, Seale acts out the role of a private detective, piecing together clues about Abu Nidal and his possible ties to Mossad. However, the book is entertaining and educational, a great addition to one's library.

The value of this book is not just the portrait it paints of its subject, Abu Nidal. His entire oranization is clearly and thoroughly documented: its structure, incidents (with dates), movements, and interworkings. Through his penetration into the organization and subsequent writing, Patrick Seale has written this remarkably detailed intelligence report. Anyone with any interest in international terrorism should go out of their way to procure a copy of this book.