Rating: 
Summary: DOES MOORE JUST MAKE STUFF UP?
Review: Does Moore Just Make Stuff Up? Robin Moore is not to be trusted with facts. It is quite clear that he just makes them up as he goes. Take, for instance, his novel claim that CIA Agent Mike Spann was "captured alive and tortured by the al-Qaida" before he was killed at the Qala-Jangi prison uprising. (Paperback page 212). This astonishing revelation is contrary to every media account I have seen of Spann's death. It is also contrary to the sources cited in Moore's own bibliography, as well as to the eyewitness version of Spann's death that Moore cites on page 207, death by hand grenade during a physical struggle with a prisoner. Moore's torture story would also be news to Spann's wife, Sharon, who has publicly thanked God on the Billy Graham website for sparing her husband a painful death. "It gave me a little blessing," she said, "to know that perhaps God had honored my prayer in that Mike wasn't tortured. He didn't suffer. His death was quick." It would also be news to the C.I.A., whose press releases say nothing of torture and repeatedly state that Spann died during a prison riot. Not surprisingly, Moore offers no footnote or source citation for his gruesome death-by-torture story. Did he just make it up? Likewise, Moore's description of "hard core al-Qaida" John Walker Lindh is loaded with new and astonishing, and probably false, allegations. He states at page 217 that "Walker admitted that his goal was to be martyred, dying in the act of killing Americans." He also quotes Lindh as stating that Americans must die "to cleanse the world of the infidel." Moore's source for these shocking statements? None given. I have spent considerable time attempting to locate reports and documents that support Moore's assertions about Lindh's statements. They appear not to exist. Certainly U.S. government prosecutors were not aware of these statements by Lindh. Government court filings contain no statements resembling those Moore attributes to Lindh. On the contrary, the Indictment filed by the Government states that Lindh was asked by al-Qaida to participate in operations against the U.S. and Israel but that he refused. (Indictment Count 1, Paragraph 14.) It makes clear that Lindh's purpose was not to fight the United States but to fight the warlords of the "Northern Alliance." To be fair to Moore, I must point out that he does provide a bibliography of sources utilized for each chapter. However, on reviewing the sources cited for the chapter containing the Spann and Walker Lindh allegations cited above one finds that nowhere do they say anything about Spann's brutal torture or Lindh's confessed passion for "killing Americans." Moore must have gotten his information elsewhere. But where? And why are these sources not listed either in footnotes or in his bibliography?
Are Moore's sources so partisan and untrustworthy that he prefers to avoid embarrassment by having them remain anonymous? Or was he just too lazy to include footnotes and source citations? Or does Moore perhaps just freely embellish to help his story along? Clearly Moore sets low verification standards for himself in passing along information that supports the view that all who end up on the wrong side of American bullets are "terrorists" or al-Qaida members. When the U.S. made an "unfortunate mistake" (Moore's words) and killed 14 women and children near the Pakistani border, Moore states that "apparently the women were also al-Qaida" (page 363.) And how does Moore know this? He does not say. Did someone check the identification cards on the female corpses and cross-check those names against an al-Qaida membership list? Or did somebody with an interest in downplaying "collateral damage" just make this convenient fact up? Moore provides his reader with no help on such matters. He just passes along the claim as if it were established fact. The problem, of course, is that with Robin Moore you just don't know whether you're getting fact or fiction. And that's a serious problem. If you enjoy cowboy novels, buy this book. If you want to learn about the war in Afghanistan, look elsewhere. Incidentally, I have written to Mr. Moore asking him to address the above concerns. I have also offered to publish his letter, should he choose to reply. For my letter to Mr. Moore, and his anticipated reply, go to http://www.freejohnwalker.net
Rating: 
Summary: *KABOOM!* "How do you like New York now...?"
Review: "He who toots not his own horn, the same shall go untooted." This round of fraternal applause for the Green Berets, a lauding of their military feats, their humanitarian aid to the Afghani people, and their cocksure deadliness, is a great first telling of the army's special forces in the Afghanistan war. In this telling, the job that the SF teams did in equipping, uniting, and marshalling the ragtag and mutually hostile NA armies was nothing short of a Special Operations clinic. The battle scenes are savagely vivid, and unapologetic in the satisfaction the operators took in eliminating the terrorists and the Taliban fighters. It's interesting to get the fighters' take on some issues which played quite differently in the press. According to the Green Berets that Moore interviewed, "American Taliban" John Walker Lindh was no little boy lost, but a committed Al-Qaeda terrorist, who probably helped torture and kill CIA prisoner Mike Spann. And there's an amusing bit about how the operators came close to drawing straws to see who got to punch out the clownish Fox News correspondent, Geraldo Rivera. It's sad to read of incidents which indicate that the regular Army brass still doesn't "get" the idea of unconventional warfare. The Green Berets teams here were urged not to outfight Al-Qaeda and the Taliban, although they could if they had to, but more to outthink them, which they for the most part did. Yet, chary of taking casualties, the top command reined in the SF at crucial moments, even though the soldiers were completely willing to give their lives to bag the top terrorists. Hence, according to Moore, the fiasco at Tora Bora. Things go less than swimmingly in places, such as in the Northern Alliance faction of the priapic megalomaniac General Naderi. Also, the unnamed team that went into Tora Bora did not bond well with the mujahedin, committing many social fauxes pas, which may have helped Bin Laden to escape. Delta Force, the Navy SEALS, and the British and Australian SAS were of course in this fight, too. But this book makes it sound like the Green Berets were the whole show on the ground, with those other forces reduced to walk-on roles. And that indeed may have been the case, who knows. But it's hard to argue with the results: The Taliban ousted and al-Qaeda severely punished and an embryonic democracy installed within scant weeks of 9/11. One can only hope that the example set by the performance of the Green Berets in this war will be heeded by Pentagon planners in future wars--and by America's enemies.
Rating: 
Summary: Great action, great book
Review: In reading the other reviews of this book I agree with those that felt Moore was biased against all other branches of the military except the Green Berets'. I feel however, that most military units have the same biases and Moore was writing a book documenting the Green Berets', not the entire U.S. involvement in Afghanistan. The book is a page turner, full of action that you can imagine and feel like your in the middle of it. He does a great job of describing the type of operators that are Green Berets' and the amazing things they do. Read this book, its worth it.
Rating:
Summary: Shoulda been less "Rogue Warrior" and more "Black Hawk Down"
Review: Even if 90% of the anecdotes and situations described in Robin Moore's book are true (and I suspect they are), The Hunt for Bin Laden reads more like an advertisement for US A-Teams than an objective look at the war in Afghanistan. Truth be told, there's really even very little about the actual hunt for Bin Laden in it....most of it focuses on the role A-Teams played in coordinating with the Northern Alliance. At any rate, there's no gray area in Moore's text...he obviously and firmly believes special forces are where it's all at these days. To accept what he's saying in this book, however, there seems to be little need for much of the US military outside of special forces and USAF bombs. In fact, there seems to be little need for any superior officer who does things conventionally. If you like colorful stories and vignettes of how these amazing forces fight, this will be right up your alley, but for anyone looking for more substantial accounts of the battles fought by the Northern Alliance and their US counterparts, I'd wait for something written a little less sensationally.
Rating: 
Summary: So much promise ...
Review: Robin Moore had amazing access to USSF personnel in order to write this book ... more access than any other author could have hoped for so I was extremely enthusiastic about Task Force Dagger when I found it. On face value it is a great story, not great in the Black Hawk Down sense, but more of a collection of ripping adventures as the author unravels the activities of each of the teams in the 5th Special Forces Group. Having not been there I can't really comment on the accuracy of his accounts but I can criticise his story-telling style. This isn't a seminal work ... it reads more like a group of guys sitting around drinking beer and telling war stories. The text is full of profanity (direct or indirect quotes I can understand but not the authors own words) but it is, in good journalistic style, an easy read and quite comprehendible. What concerns me more are some of the obvious inaccuracies, particularly when dealing with other SF units involved in the operations throughout Afghanistan. Although the author makes attempts to bring UK, Australian and other SF units into the story, they are for the large part, token accounts. More importantly the information, according to his list of references, used to detail these accounts has come from press clippings. There is no reference to any of the official information put out by Australian Defence Force when detailing the activities of the SASR. This is highlighted even further in his final chapter describing the move to Iraq. The account of the SASR activities could be described as "fiction based on truth." The author states that it is a work that has undergone a couple of reviews up to this point in time ... Robin, I think it is time for a couple more.
Rating:
Summary: Great detail, but self-serving
Review: In retrospect, I was generally disappointed with the style and self-promotion that occurred throughout the book. However, I am giving 3 stars because this book provides great detail into how the Afghanistan operations were carried out -- and how incredibly successful the campaigns were. Actually 2 stars for the above and an extra star just for the insight on John Walker! Robin Moore is way too engulfed in raising his special forces comrades to their sole responsibility for these campaigns. I am not in the military and do not have bias towards any unit. However, one cannot help realizing that none of this is accomplished without the war from above (USAF). Yet bombs alone could not succeed. The Soviets tried for 8 years and failed. The heroics of the special forces and their relationship building with the local tribal forces make for an interesting story.
Rating:
Summary: One for below average intelligence teenagers
Review: I purchased this book hoping to find a a good account (probably the first)of the military operations in Afghanistan, especially considering the unique way the war was fought. Instead it is a pulp of the most purile and banal prose I have ever read. Granted the Special Forces accomplished some amazing military feats, but the USAF and USN were the enabling factors, Mr. Moore. One should also not forget that the Army and Marines were also involved. Boys in their early teens might enjoy it.
Rating:
Summary: Not bad
Review: Very cheerleaderish with the author's gushing over the green berets. I felt the slamming of the air force's combat controlers was unnessessary given the reasons provided. Sone of claims that Moore made of the SF isn't the same as what I've read in other books. Dialoge is really corny but from a history perspective the book was good and was interesting enough to read.
Rating:
Summary: High Hopes, Big Disappointment
Review: Considering the "Transformational" way we fought and won the war in Afghanistan, the inovative use of special forces from throughout the services and particularly the groundbraking conventioanl-unconventional force mix, I had high hopes for this book. Instead, it was a bombastic, highly subjective account of a few Special Forces actions. There was zero effort at analysis, crticism, and implications. In short, a big disappointment. I would recommend this book to a bored 12 year old, but not to any serious adult interested in the evolving nature of warfare.
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic Story
Review: This book presents the riveting true story of the skill and sacrifice of the Green Berets in Afghanistan and how they brought hell to the enemy that delivered 9/11 to America. During the war, I found myself watching the evening news and wondering in amazement how city after city in Afghanistan was captured by U.S. and Northern Alliance forces. It seemed like magic and it seemed nobody in the media had any clue how this incredible story was really playing out. Robin Moore had a front row seat and, apparently, incredible access to the Green Berets that delivered this amazing victory and left the Taliban reeling in disbelief and ruins. This is a fantastic story.
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