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| ![Blackwater: The Rise of the World's Most Powerful Mercenary Army [Revised and Updated]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41ZopVuqGsL._SL160_.jpg)
 enlarge | Author: Jeremy Scahill
Publisher: Nation Books
Category: Book
List Price: $16.95
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Avg. Customer Rating:  255 reviews
Sales Rank: 5729
Media: Paperback
Edition: Rev Upd
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 452
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.2
Dimensions (in): 8.3 x 5.6 x 2
ISBN: 156858394X
Dewey Decimal Number: 355.3540973
EAN: 9781568583945
ASIN: 156858394X
Publication Date: May 26, 2008
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| Customer Reviews:
 Excellent as a Companion Book to PMC Memoirs December 12, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
A solid book on a hugely important subject, and it should be read by anyone wishing to educate themselves on the changing landscape of war (no matter your political ideology).
To those that dismiss Private Military Contractors/Companies (PMCs) as mercenary barbarians and to those that refuse to open their mind to possibility that firms like Blackwater are indeed dangerous, I encourage you to read this book as companion piece to the personal accounts of PMCs in Iraq, such as Making a Killing or Highway to Hell: Dispatches from a Mercenary in Iraq. Both works shed light on the positive things that PMCs have done in Iraq... and both uniformly savage Blackwater for their conduct (especially "Highway to Hell"). These companion works are (adequately) written by PMCs... a former British Officer in once case and a former SAS operator in the other... so they do not form their perspective from anything approaching "the left" or "anti-American" (in fact, Geddes is devoutly pro-American). And yet it is fascinating to note that they, their firms, and others in the international PMC community view Blackwater as an absolute cancer to their profession. They are roundly seen as the worst of the worst, employing unsound tactics with disastrous consequences. More disturbing, Blackwater operators are trained to behave in this fashion.
PMCs are the future (and, ironically, the past) of warfare, and you would be doing yourself a disservice to dismiss this book out of hand because of a perceived political bias. It is an important work. PMCs will shoulder the future burden (and financial gain) of war zones where the UN and US can't or won't go. But one must come to understand that, if properly regulated by governments and international bodies, PMCs are in a position to thwart genocide and right instability in a fashion that a government military simply can not. There will come a day when the UN deploys PMCs to trouble spots... so the question is, what kind of firm will be there waiting for that contract? This book does an excellent job of detailing "The Blackwater" approach to running a PMC... and it is plain to see that Blackwater approach is a most troubling approach indeed.
Gripping tale of mercenary politics December 10, 2008
The Iraq war has seen a vast expansion in the use of private security contractors to complement the U.S. military. But who are these contractors? Who pays them? And how did one contractor, Blackwater, become so entrenched? Jeremy Scahill answers these questions and more in this provocative, thoroughly reported book about the world's largest, private mercenary army. Scahill has done a masterful job of researching this secretive organization to disclose its origins, motives, leaders and activities. getAbstract strongly recommends this compelling, disturbing story to anyone interested in the Iraq conflict, and in the larger picture of how private armies reshape warfare.
 Not journalism... December 6, 2008
0 out of 12 found this review helpful
DO NOT BUY THIS BOOK. This is one of the only books that I can remember that after only the first chapter, I decided was not worth reading. What I was looking for was journalism... the unbiased facts. This is not the case. This book is going into the trash. I'm glad that I purchased it used so that the author didn't benefit from my unfortunate purchase. If I could rate it less than a 1, I would.
Scahill is trying to make a name by smearing what he doesn't know.. November 28, 2008
1 out of 14 found this review helpful
Scahill has obviously never been in the military or in a crisis area. He only has a rabid anti-christian, anti-conservative view and is blind to any good or benefit that organizations such as Blackwater can provide. He is entitled to his views, but nowhere in the nearly 400 pages of this book does he offer alternatives to companies such as Blackwater. The truth is Blackwater and companies like them DO provide essential services faster and cheaper than the government can provide them.
Wake up Scahill and friends. 9/11 happened, I suggest you start thinking about the fact that we are in a WAR against Muslim extremists and need to use every weapon in our arsenal, including private contractors.
Blackwater: The Rise of the World's Most Powerful Mercenary Army November 25, 2008
1 out of 13 found this review helpful
Rather than a serious work of investigative journalism, which I would have appreciated on the admittedly serious subject of the private contracting of military/security action, this book is clearly anti-military liberal advocacy. The author's political views permeate every page. For a clue as to the slant, instead of "when Bush was elected in 2002," (or "took office"), we are told "when Bush took power in 2002." That is among the more subtle but gratuitous editorial comments. Page after page of anti-military, anti-Christian, anti-business, anti-conservative (or anti-moderate), anti-Republican rhetoric is both irritating and tedious.
Like "Alice in Wonderland," verdict first, trial later. This is hardly enlightening. For an accurate (complete) view of Blackwater and Erik Prince, I believe that one must look elsewhere.
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