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 enlarge | Author: Michael Smith
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Category: Book
List Price: $14.95
Buy New: $8.52
You Save: $6.43 (43%)
New (27) Used (10) from $8.34
Avg. Customer Rating:  33 reviews
Sales Rank: 4836
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 368
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1
Dimensions (in): 9.1 x 6.1 x 1.2
ISBN: 0312378262
Dewey Decimal Number: 356.1670973
EAN: 9780312378264
ASIN: 0312378262
Publication Date: March 4, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews:
 A very compelling work but not the best wrting style ever. Still, I recommend it only... May 6, 2008
0 out of 3 found this review helpful
if one can't find any Bo Gritz books
at Bo's site or here on amazon. Bo
gets good mention in here as well!
 A piercing, illuminating, and recent military history of the shadows and glimmers only touched on by Hollywood March 25, 2008
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
I can pretty well guarantee you that Tom Clancy has already read this book - it assures us that the people who need to die have been doing just that in the US/British war against terror worldwide. (I've personally thought about this theme of Clancy's re: playing God but it's a non-issue for me in the present context). The rules have changed for the military - mercilessly exposed are also the bureaucratic and cowardly butt covering bungling within the inner workings of the military organization proper. The one bright light is ironically the resurgence of a secret unit to serve this purpose via new support for it at the highest levels of government...post 9/11. If you're interested in how things really get done around the world, or if you know the significance of the word "special" when applied to the military, (another Clancyism), are interested in electronic communications, or possibly in politics, this book will broaden your horizons. Unless ofcourse you just don't want to know - as Jack Nicholson famously said on screen ... "You can't handle the truth ... we live in a world with walls lieutenant..."
 Constricted by security? January 17, 2008
1 out of 3 found this review helpful
One gets the feeling there might have been a good book here but for security restraints imposed on the writer. The title's claim of "Killer Elite" isn't borne out by the text inside. Elite or not, there is so little actual infomration the reader will never know.
A good read, but dry in places January 13, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I enjoyed Killer Elite, it is a very interesting look into a military unit many people don't even know exists. There are a myriad of books available on top secret commandos like Delta Force and the SAS, but precious little is written about the people who enable them to do their jobs.
That being said this book can be very dry in places and tough to get through. It is also written from a big picture view point, meaning you aren't going to get war stories from the grunts in the weeds doing the work. It is a good read if you are interested into the subject matter. But if you are looking for an exciting book detailing some amazing special forces stories that is a true page turner, this book isn't it.
 Unfortunately, much of the same old stories repackaged January 5, 2008
2 out of 3 found this review helpful
This book MAY be informative to a reader who is NOT familiar with Special Forces/Special Operations.
That said, I think there are other books that I would place MUCH higher on the list.
Smith writes on the stove piping of intelligence; the past 28 years of Special Forces/Ops developments; the Big Army dislike and distrust of Special Forces; SF's "audacity" to create the form of intell service to suit their needs; that the "Activity" would morph into a being unto itself; Rumsfeld's favor of SpecOps, etc.
Smith tries to portray a secret army. It's sanitized to the point where he fails to even elaborate on many of the more interesting participants who he does refer to. For example, Bill Cowan is brought up numerous times. Smith could devote a book just to him, but again, fails to draw out the character.
Of particular interest to me was Smith's assertion that The Activity's view was that Task Force Ranger was a success. For their mission, it might be construed as such, but I'm skeptical of Smith's conclusions.
I would have liked to have seen Task Force Ranger thru Garrison's eyes as the #1 guy...he was once with The Activity. Does HE share Smith's assessment of The Activity's definition of success...from ANY vantage???
A book like this is tough to write. Smith does do a good job placing events in chronological order and detailing some operational aspects.
But for the more informed reader, this is a dry re-read that I would not recommend. I have to question if this isn't just another book published to capitalize of the spotlight and popularity of Special Operations.
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