Black Hawk DownBlack Hawk Down
Score Modern
What it's about
On October 3, 1993, American special forces raided a building in Mogadishu, Somalia, to capture leaders of a warlord's militia. The mission was supposed to take an hour. Instead, two Black Hawk helicopters were shot down, and about a hundred soldiers were trapped overnight in the city, fighting through streets full of armed men. Eighteen Americans and hundreds of Somalis died. Mark Bowden reconstructs the battle minute by minute.
Why it's worth reading
It was a National Book Award finalist and is a modern classic of war reporting. It's relentless, detailed and fair to the soldiers and to the Somalis.
You'll love it if you liked
Dispatches
The Things They Carried
Red Storm RisingGood to know
It's graphic about wounds and death. The 2001 Ridley Scott film is based on it.
By the numbers
- Readers91 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics28 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller29 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #108 of the 198 history books we rank
- #353 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #695 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
True story
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Quick answers
Is Black Hawk Down worth reading?
Yes. It was a National Book Award finalist and is a modern classic of war reporting. It ranks #695 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 76.1 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Black Hawk Down about?
On October 3, 1993, American special forces raided a building in Mogadishu, Somalia, to capture leaders of a warlord's militia. The mission was supposed to take an hour. Instead, two Black Hawk helicopters were shot down, and about a hundred soldiers were trapped overnight in the city, fighting through streets full of armed men. Eighteen Americans and hundreds of Somalis died. Mark Bowden reconstructs the battle minute by minute.
How long does it take to read Black Hawk Down?
About 10 hours (416 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Black Hawk Down?
If you liked it, try Dispatches by Michael Herr, The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien or Red Storm Rising by Tom Clancy.