Rating: 
Summary: A wonderful book, but only marginally about Bin Laden...
Review: This excellent book tells the story of the Special Forces soldiers who led the campaign to free Afghanistan from the Al Qaeda and Taliban criminals. Contrary to the title, the book does not describe in detail the hunt for Bin Laden. In fact, that subject is only marginally discussed, and when it is, it is simply to state that little information is presently available about his whereabouts. Regardless, the book does tell a great story that needs to be told about a true group of American heroes. These special forces soldiers managed to overcome much larger numbers of Islamic fundamentalists and overthrow the Taliban regime in short order. Highly recommended!
Rating: 
Summary: MISLEADING TITLE, OPPORTUNISTIC, UNPATRIOTIC
Review: I congratulate Mr. Moore for the thoroughness of his work, the fearlessness with which he seems to have accomplished it, and his devotion to letting us here on the homefront know how our freedom has been preserved by some extraordinary men and women. We Americans owe him and them a great debt.But I also was troubled by the book -- well, not the book so much as the title, which I find to be quite misleading. It's the title, more than anything, I imagine, that's made the book an Amazon bestseller and will undoubtedly make the book a big international bestseller. But having read all 334 pages of it, I've found remarkably little to do with the actual hunt for Osama bin Laden himself. This troubles me because, after giving the impression that Mr. Moore cares a great deal about our country and the fight to preserve its extraordinary values, and having gone to great lengths to share an important story with us, he also then gives the book a misleading title, presumably to help sell copies. This undercuts everything he (and the Special Forces) stand for in the book and pulls the rug out from under the considerable moral grounding on which he's based his undertaking. I couldn't help but be reminded of the hawkers at Ground Zero who sell T-shirts to tourists, ostensibly to honor the fallen, but actually to make a buck. The difference is that the T-shirts don't purport to sell one thing while actually selling another, while this book does. This smacks of opportunism on his part (and Random House's), which is extremely off-putting given the tragedy we all find ourselves experiencing now. Why not have just titled it something like, "Task Force Dagger: The War in Afghanistan" or something less misleading? I'm afraid that while I appreciate the fact that Moore has brought a great deal of information to light, I have less faith in the purity of his patriotism, which he implicitly and explicitly expresses in chapter after chapter. It's that kind of "saying one thing and doing another" that has made our national dialogue about the war on terror so frustratingly underpinned with an "I'm more patriotic than you"-style hypocrisy and has cheapened a once-beautiful word: "patriot."
Rating: 
Summary: The Hunt for Bin Laden
Review: War of Words: 'The Hunt for Bin-Laden' falls victim to "friendly fire" 'The Hunt for Bin Laden has at least one thing going for it: it is one of the only books currently available to the general public that comprehensively addresses U.S. special operations warfare in Afghansitan in the post 9/11 era.
Until a more thoughtful, impartial, and detailed tome on Spec-ops in Afghanistan emerges, 'The Hunt for Bin-Laden' will have to suffice.
Unfortunately, there is plenty ammunition for naysayers. Simply put, this book is poorly written. 'The Hunt for Bin Laden' makes up for its lack of detailed analysis with a hearty helping of hyperbole and jingoistic rhetoric. Robin Moore makes no attempt at maintaining even a hint of impartiality. His flag-waving style quickly becomes tiresome, and casts serious doubts as to the historical accuracy of significant portions of this particular work. The book is also rife with minor errors that those who have studied special operations will quickly pick out. It is hard to believe that the same man who wrote the classic behind-the-scenes exposé 'The Green Berets' is responsible for this tired propaganda piece. His writing is more of a ham-fisted attempt at reliving past glories than it is a serious piece of war reporting.
If you enjoyed 'Rogue Warrior' , you just may like 'The Hunt for Bin Laden'. If 'Black Hawk Down' better fits your concept of good military history writing, then Robin Moore's new book will come as a major disappointment.
Rating: 
Summary: The Voice of America's Heroes - are we listening?
Review: Stand up and salute Lt. Col. Dave Miller who made the case that a small Special Ops force could move fast and decisively in Afghanistan, Col. John Mulholland who organized and ran Task Force Dagger and a couple of hundred superbly trained, dedicated fighting men who accomplished what armies before them could not. They are the real heroes of this story. Moore's book describes America's quick, decisive response to 9/11, but it raises at least four points that are deeply disturbing eighteen months later: 1. How much is the military establishment's discomfort with Special Operations costing us in the War on Terrorism? Clearly, the plan that succeeded in Afghanistan did not come through the mainstream chain of command. True, Moore does not give General Tommy Franks an opportunity to counter the barrage of shots he takes at him, but when Franks took an active role in Operation Anaconda, we heard assessments quite different from the "unqualified and absolute success" Franks claimed it to be. With hundreds of thousands of our troops poised to liberate Iraq, I sincerely hope the value of Special Operations has been fully thought through and integrated into our country's current plan. 2. In Afghanistan in the fall of '01 Irani and Pakistani support for al-Qaida was more obvious and more immediate than that of Iraq. The ISI seemed to open Pakistan's borders to get its al-Qaida and Taliban partisans home. Iran swooped into Herat to offer arms and support for the new Afghans in charge. Are we still working effectively to lay the foundation of a structure that will deal with the axis of evil that is still there, or are we moving on too soon? When a Green Beret security detail saved Hamid Karzai from assassination and the new commanding general ordered them to shave their beards and get back in uniform because the looked sloppy on CNN, you wonder if we've got the right follow-up plan in place. 3. I won't go into the details of the uprising at Qala-i-Jangi and the murder of "Mike" Spann except to say that it's a story much more horrible than the one you remember from news clips. 4. If Moore is even close about the way wounded veterans of Dagger and Anaconda and the families of servicemen killed are being treated, our country should be ashamed. I'm surprised that there has been no public outcry about the injustices sighted in pages 319-22. Reviews of the book and comments picked up on the talk shows are like nobody has read that part. America raised billions for the victims of the 9/11 attacks. Is that spirit now dead? Moore has written an inspiring, emotional account of our first battle in the War on Terrorism. I only hope that eighteen months from now I'll be reviewing an author's equally inspiring account of success in the phase we seem about to enter in that War.
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Summary: "THE SPIRIT OF AMERICA"
Review: This is one of the top ten books I have ever read and embodies "the Spirit of America"! I couldn't put it down and read it in three days only because I have to "make a living". Every chapter with each "team's" mission captivated me and made me feel as if I was with them, which I was in spirit if not in body. I laughed, cried and was simply amazed at the courage, devotion and sacrifice each and every individual participant, including the families, contributed and endured on a 24 hour basis. Through his writing, Robin Moore reminded me how proud and lucky I am to be an American. Had I the chance to "live my life again", my goal would have been nothing less, and nothing more, than to be a Green Beret!
Rating:
Summary: A Moore Tour de Force
Review: I don't think Robin Moore has ever been in better form -- and that's saying something! His descriptions of what the Special Forces confronted in Afghanistan make Gettysburg seem like a pillow fight. THE HUNT FOR BIN LADEN is a literary tour de force and is the final word on what really went on in Afghanistan. --Andrew McAleer is President of the Boston Authors Club and the author of APPEARANCE OF COUNSEL
Rating:
Summary: Sierra - hotel read
Review: Great read. Great rundown on how mid-level leaders laid it on the line shortly after 9-11 and how a hundred well-trained guys with radios and big brass ones fulfilled the promises of those early proponents of UW in Afghanistan. It's obvious Mr Moore had access to key players and highly classified reports. Reads better than Clancy... except it really happened.
Rating:
Summary: Entertaining but the real thing? Sadly not.
Review: Ok so reading the book throught the first time I found it pretty entertaining but after reading around I've heard a lot of people on military websites basically saying that this book does not paint an accurate picture of the situation over there in Afghanistan. I've heard this Jack guy Moore seems to worship on the radio and I get the impression that he's full of bull(excrement). It seems very disrespectful to put this man on the cover of a book about Special Forces in Afghanistan considering that he is in no way affiliated with the men that actually serve their country selflessly and who are not in Afghanistan for the fame or glory, as Jack seems to have been.
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Summary: Wonderful - From Cleveland Ohio
Review: I would certainly like to take the opportunity to thank Robin Moore, Mr. Idema, Special Forces and of course all americans who protect our wonderful country. I just finished reading the Hunt For Bin Laden and I came away feeling more knowledgeable about what is going on in Afghanistan than I was before and a whole lot more scared. What a frightening country to be in. The terror that his person (I just can't use the word human being) brought to us on 911 just cannot be forgotten. We need more Special Forces and Green Beret's over in Afghanistan ... Thank you Mr. Moore for writing such an interesting and detailed book. And a special thanks to Mr. Idema who contributed so much.
Rating:
Summary: To much information
Review: This could be a good book. However, to give out actual names of the Special Forces members that participated in these events is WRONG. These guys have families that could be in potential danger from giving out information that Robin Moore has. These guys could be in danger fighting in any part of the middle east, everyone that buys this book now has a name and rank to go along with a face. So, everytime you read this book, think about the lives that Robin Moore has put in danger everytime someone reads this book.
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