Inside Delta Force: The Story of America's Elite Counterterrorist Unit

This is a really incredible, revealing look from a many part of Delta Force from its beginning Panama (Noriega), and beyond. Beyond includes a summary of his feelance efforts and commentary on the post-9/11 world. The meat of it is a Delta Force history that is a different view from that of Shadow Warriors. Clancy's book now strikes me as an administrative history, told from, the point of view of management, whereas Haney tells it from the NCO level. Case in point: I got the impression from Clancy's book that Special Forces (SF) was an untutored, vestigal appendage of U.S. military units with no counterterrorism (CT) capability and this led to the Desert One disaster. Haney documents a thoroughly prepared and successful CT force that show more was led down by gutless Navy pilot without the nerve or equipment for the nearly successful mission. Haney points to The Guts to Try: The Untold Story of the Iran Hostage Rescue Mission by the On-Scene Desert Commander as further support for this point of view. Here may have been the seeds of Haney's growing disatisfaction with American military policy extending to the purposeful wrecking of missions to recover POWs in Laos, with the complicit help of Bo Gritz. Later in South American missions, Haney's confidence is further eroded. show less

This is not the sort of book I normally read. But I have to admit, once I had it in my hands, it was nearly impossible to put down. It is one of those books that you read far into the night, making it very difficult to get up for work the next morning.

Eric Haney was one of the first Delta Force recruits and he tells a low key, often funny, story of what it was like to serve in this elite unit. I had no idea Delta operators were so skilled. They make your average SWAT team look like a troop of Boy Scouts. Extremely lethal. Extremely competent. So it is disturbing that Haney feels like Delta operators were often misused in the pursuit of political agendas in the murky and confusing world of counterterrorism. I will say, though, that if show more I'm ever taken hostage on an airplane, I will feel better knowing these guys are outside planning my rescue! show less

Eric Haney tells a great tale. He's good at it. The book is partly a story about training to be a Delta force "operator" and partly about the time he spent after he became qualified...making history in Grenada, Beiruit, Iran and Central America. As always, there is some stupid stuff and some controversy. By and large, he compliments those who deserve it and flames those who don't. It was a well written book, whether you believe everything he says, or not.

Good review of selection and training for a Tier 1, perhaps now the premier Tier 1 special force. Less satisfying in its description of operations. And it is rather surprising that such a book was written by someone who purportedly is a loyal American and a life-long supporter of Delta. There are, to my semi-tutored eye, too many details of value in this book.

Fast reading material, it is quite similar to other books like Sabre Squadron and Immediate Action, but takes a more historic approach detailing and documenting dates and people, yet it remains a gripping tale and a page turner without recurring to fiction.The final considerations are dated 2005, while they may be considered obvious or commonplace once read, could be an interesting point to ponder for someone that reads the book only for entertaining purposes.

Haney is an eight-year veteran of an elite military fighting unit known as Delta Force. The grueling training and the selection process are thoroughly described. Teens who are looking for insider information about the military will appreciate the no nonsense, somewhat sparse (“just the facts”) tone of this book. Haney is very careful to explain the mental aspect of the training and to distinguish it from the physical demands of Delta Force operatives. Delta Force does not exist in Army paperwork, which adds to the intrigue, mystery, and teen appeal of this book. Recommended for both middle school and high school libraries.

I love the show the Unit. This book influenced the show the unit and shows the intense selection process and training of delta personnel. It was interesting on how much training goes into shooting and taking down planes with hostages in them. What the book is missing is extra details that could make this book a classic. Only history will be able to flesh out the details that are still censored for national security purposes. So its interesting and left you wanting more at the same time.