Masters of Chaos: The Secret History of the Special Forces

by Linda Robinson

Overview

An “intimate, valuable history” (New York Times) of the United States Special Forces from the perspective of the fighters who served in its ranks

Army special force soldiers have been at the forefront of America's war in Afghanistan and the counterterrorist campaigns of recent years. But little is known about the grave, seasoned individuals from America's heartland who belong to this secretive unit. Veteran war reporter Linda Robinson gained access to their closed community starting in 2001, travelled with them on the front lines, and interviewed them at their home bases. In Masters of Chaos, she graphically recounts the experiences of this post-Vietnam generation of commandos in Panama, El Salvador, Desert Storm, Somalia, the Balkans, Afghanistan, and Iraq, including details of dramatic, previously untold missions. 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781586483524
Publisher:	PublicAffairs
Publication date:	09/07/2005
Pages:	432
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.25(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Linda Robinson is senior fellow for women and foreign policy at the Council on Foreign Relations, where she is writing a book about women leaders and the fight for democracy. She is author of Tell Me How This Ends, an account of theIraq War that was a Foreign Affairs bestseller and a New York Times Notable Book, and One Hundred Victories, an inside account of village-level stability operations and counterinsurgency in Afghanistan. Robinson received the Gerald R. Ford Prize for Reporting on National Defense in 2005.

Table of Contents

	Cast of Characters	VI
	Preface	VII
	Introduction	XI
1	Leaving Home	1
2	Earning the Green Beret	14
3	Just Cause	37
4	Desert Storm	57
5	Somalia	87
6	CONUS	110
7	The Balkans	136
8	Afghanistan	153
9	Western Iraq: The Battle of the War Pigs	191
10	Southern Iraq: Sneak and Peek	224
11	Central Iraq: Masters of Chaos	245
12	Nasiriya: Warriors, Spies, and Diplomats	274
13	Viking Hammer (and the Ugly Baby)	296
14	The Green Line	324
15	Coming Home	342
16	The Future of the Special Forces	355
	Acknowledgments	369
	Index	373

Editorial Reviews

"An intimate, valuable history of the Special Forces' last two decades."—New York Times

"A rare glimpse inside the secretive world of the Green Berets and their recent adventures."—Washington Monthly

“Riveting.”—US News & World Report

“Linda Robinson has gone beyond the headlines and the hype to bring us into the Special Forces' brotherhood.” —James Bradley, author of Flags of Our Fathers and Flyboys

"The current era of terrorism demands precisely what the Green Berets have to offer—smarts, flexibility, and expertise in unconventional warfare—and Robinson's Masters of Chaos showcases their activity since the attacks of September 11, 2001."—Washington Post

"An insightful and fascinating account of the training, skill, courage, and sacrifices of the Untied States Special Forces, and their extraordinary contribution to our defense in Iraq and the War on Terror. I strongly recommend it to anyone interested in understanding the stamina and guts it takes to fight bravely and well in the most dangerous situations." —John McCain

"Through her own embed experience, extensive interviews, travel, and excellent eye for detail, author Linda Robinson succeeds in presenting the reader with the ground truth of US Special Forces operations." —Army Magazine

From the Publisher

Linda Robinson has gone beyond the headlines and the hype to bring us into [the Special Forces'] brotherhood.
—author of Flags of Our Fathers and Flyboys

James Bradley

This fascinating, dramatic account of the Special Forces... shows us the face of war in the 21st century.
—author of See No Evil and Sleeping with the Devil

Robert Baer