Rating: 
Summary: My Jihad Offers Valuable Insights
Review: In this amazing true story, Aukai Collins documents his journeys to Pakistan, Afghanistan, Chechnya, Dagestan, Azerbijain and elsewhere as he tries to find himself through jihad. This book is for ANYONE who wants to find a better understanding of Muslim values and beleifs. Through it all, Aukai tells the story of his troubled childhood, his conversion to Islam, his travels to training camps in Afghanistan, his battles against the Russians in Chechnya where he loses his leg to a mine, as an operative for the FBI and CIA where they eventually betray him to government agents in Albania, his journey to Kosova to fight the Serbs, and his return to Chechnya. Aukai narrates with amazing clarity and conviction that only someone who lived through it all could. His amazing story will fascinate anyone and I couldn't put the book down, finishing it in a matter of days. He reveals things about how mujadeen operate and how the underground Islamic world work as only an insider could. The most amazing part of it all is that he's not even 30! Read this book - you won't regret it.
Rating: 
Summary: RAMBO WANNABE
Review: This book could've gotten four stars as an eyewitness account to the sad situation in Chechnya had it not been for the author's self aggrandizement which taints its credibility.
The author comes across as an undisciplined street punk who does his own thing and has to have everything his way. Being former military, I was amazed how this guy was able to just come and go as he pleased and shoot up anything he wanted to. When he didn't like his situation, or who he was with, he just up and left.
It seemed that the people he fought with spent alot of time driving him around and taking care of him which makes me wonder if he was more of a liability and a burden than an assett. I bet at least some of his comrades were glad to see him go. As a previous reviewer noted, he seemed to be passed around alot.
The guy definitely has an overblown idea of his own importance and thinks he should be treated as a hero and that the world owes him something.
I think the FBI was pretty charitable keeping him on the dole for as long as they did despite the fact that he provided them with nothing of any value, only gave them problems, and wanted everything his way. The mainstream Muslim community didn't open themselves up to him, not because he was too radical (as he states in his book) but because he wasn't one of them and they probably didn't trust him. This guy's dreaming if he thinks he could ever penetrate Al-Qaeda.
He complained that the two agents who handled him cared more about their careers than the mission. The truth is, they probably realized neither the mission nor their careers were going anywhere with him.
The lesson to be learned here is that there is a huge difference between heroes and fools. Heroes serve their country to defend the liberties which allow guys like Collins to spout off. Fools go off on their own misadventures leaving their wife and child to fend for themselves; get hurt because they can't follow orders; and then expect to be treated like a hero.
Rating:
Summary: Hot-headed wannabe needs to cool-off
Review: This is a book about a self-righteous wannabe warrior. Even though the book is written by him, it doesnt portray him in a good light. He is too absorbed in himself to admit to any wrongdoing: He blames everybody else for his problems, doesnt hide his arrogance, cant follow orders (as a good soldier is supposed to), etc..
He seems to think that he knows better than everyone else. And its no wonder that he gets in trouble whereever he goes.. His latest thing is getting arrested in Mexico as an over-zealous bounty hunter(this guy seems to be very impulsive and doenst know anything about self-control)..
But I have to say that the book is entertaining.
I would suggest that he takes a break from his adventures and search for humility and peace-of-mind. And then write a book about it:)
Rating: 
Summary: Interesting Insights
Review: While there was very little to admire about the author of this book, I must say that it was hard to stop reading it. The author was very involved in the pre-9/11 world of Jihad, so his travels paint a vivid picture of the people and world of this sub-culture. I guess I found it distrubring that one claiming to be inspired by religion would be so obessed with the details of war - and killing people. But I found myself continuing to read this book because it did give me insights into who these people are and why they do what they do.Instead of seeing a well run secret organization out of a James Bond novel one is pretty surprised how disorganized the terrorist groups can be. I was also pretty surpised to read the accounts of the Russian military and find out how corrupt they could be. In one chapter you find out that the Russian border guards are taking bribes to let in fighters who will be killing their own. Of course on the other side you also read accounts of infighting and sell-outs of the Jihad inspired organizations. To top it off his insights on American intelligence organizations show their efforts in a less than positive light. One hopes that we can learn from these insights and apply the lessons. I would recommend the book to anyone trying who is trying to get a better idea about the sub-culture of terrorism. While I couldn't agree with the point of view of the author, I found the book a pretty good source for insights into this underground world. Having seen the results of terrorism upclose my feelings are that it's a subject that needs to be explored further.
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