A great book to read if you have ever wondered what is really happening over there with the war on terror. Zapata gives us all insight as to what these soldiers go through day by day. Brings heightened respect to those who are there. Detailed information on what these soldiers face and the little time that they have to react to any situation. I picked up this book and couldnt put it down, how refreshing to have the truth.

I loved this book! It was a real story, written by a real special forces soldier. It was compelling, and had me hooked. I highly recommend this to anyone interested in what the war is like from a soldiers perspective.

This is a compelling first-hand account of what our soldiers are facing in the War on Terror. It is both entertaining and emotional. The book is written from the heart and is a must-read for anyone hoping to gain a better of what it is like for our troops.

I bought this book because of the ratings it got on amazon but like another reader above i am wondering if they were describing the same book as i just read. While there is no doubting the bravery of the man in question i quite frankly found this book very hard to read. I actually found the writing to be nothing short of 'strange' - at times it feels like the text was written by a robot or someone who does not have a good command of the english language - with lots of repetition and this is suddenly dispersed with the odd curse which seems like it was just put in there to liven things up - in short it feels uncomfortable to read and i think that the author wrote this book and then someone came along and 'dubbed it' ! Apart from all of that the book is extremely boring - dealing with the day to day medial tasks these guys took on and very little action which i think is what most readers/buyers of these types of books expect. Overall one of the worst special forces books i ever read because quite simply i had to 'fight' myself to keep reading it to the finish.

If you are looking for action packed memories of events experienced in the Afghanstan war this book is not for you.
Zapata's service to his country is commandable, but his stories and writing style in this book are dull and uneventful.
This book may well be cherished reading for his grandchildren when they get older, but anyone expecting it to be full of adventure and intrique will be disappointed.
Definitely not worth the price Amazon is asking.Desperate Lands: The War on Terror Through the Eyes of a Special Forces Soldier

Started reading this book and couldn't put it down. A true story of a soldier that really shows the meaning of serving our country. A must read.

To read this book is to live the life of a special forces soldier in today's army. It isn't all glamour and guns but hard work and thought that makes the special forces soldier the tip of the spear in America's war on terror. You'll find the honest truth in what you read, and come to appreciate the people in uniform who do so much for our country day in and day out more and more.

I'd recommend this book to any reader interested in military current events and the special forces.

I read through the reviews of this book before ordering it from Amazon, and after reading it... I'm really wondering if anyone else read the same book I did. First of all, the book is extremely short - 191 pages. Furthermore, 80 of those 191 pages have black and white pictures on them. So there are actually only 111 pages of full text and many of them aren't full.

I want to be clear that this isn't a critique of author's service in the Army and Nat Guard. I'm thankful for men like Zapata willing to serve the U.S., and I'm sure he served valiantly. That being said, there just wasn't anything the least bit exciting in this book (or even very informative for that matter). It barely mentioned the training that goes into making a Green Beret and spent very few pages on the actual missions that were carried out. In other books the author will quickly skim over details like filling out forms, shuffling team members, loading a humvee, etc. Not in this book. The reader can look forward to page after page of this kind of exciting narrative only to find that the actual mission lasts only a few pages and ends in a remarkably uneventful fashion. To be fair, there were brief points in the book when the Taliban attempted to drop artillery rounds in U.S. bases, and Zapata and his men did recover several weapons caches and take a few Taliban prisoners. It just wasn't a very exciting book, to put it mildly. As someone very interested in the Special Forces I would recommend some other books looooong before this one. For anyone interested in the training of Green Berets or SEALs check out Dick Couch's Chosen Soldier, Warrior Elite, and The Finishing School. Masters of Chaos by Linda Robinson is a great book about the missions and operations of the Green Berets. Lone Survivor and Inside Delta Force are also great reads on SEALs and Delta respectively.

Zapata illuminates war zones and specific missions but also includes a few sparkling photos and stories of children. Amidst detailing the adult war actions, he describes very clearly a few youngsters spiriting their own ways through the obscurity of war. But as dim as the future of these children might seem, the final stories place them far from the center of darkness.

MSG Zapata's account of his experiences in Afghanistan and the Horn of Africa kept me hooked from page 1. He exposes in great detail both the triumphs and struggles experienced by soldiers living and working in hostile territory. He blends vivid scene and character descriptions with a straight forward narrative style that leaves you feeling as if you were riding shotgun in one of his patrol vehicles. Whether it's through descriptions of harrowing patrols through enemy territory or his recollection of the excitement and satisfaction that comes with completing a difficult mission, MSG Zapata keeps you wanting more from the beginning to the end of his extraordinary narrative.

This is a great story of a special forces soldier and his real life day to day events, while serving the war on terrorism. Great for anyone wanting more insight of what our country's special forces personnel go through in combat.

For most of us, the War on Terror is "background sound" from CNN, Fox, MSNBC, and the three-letter networks. For the servicemen on the front lines, however, the War on Terror is quite something else: grinding fatigue, hypervigilance against deadly enemies, energy-sapping heat, blood and agony and even death.

Author Zapata brings home the reality of what it means to be on the other side of the world, far from family and comfort, pouring out and risking life to keep us all free.

In words that bear the stamp of credibility only possible from a soldier who's been there, Special Forces Master Sergeant Zapata tells it as it really is. There are tons of books to read, but if you choose this one, you'll finish it and tell yourself you're glad you did!

Master Sergeant Zapata tells it like it really is - what Special Forces soldiers experience in the current "War on Terror". I have served with MSG Zapata on Special Operations from Canada to Panama and have gotten to know him as an outstanding soldier and caring human being. This book is a "must read" for anyone interested in Special Forces, current events, military life in foreign lands or just plain interesting and entertaining reading.

Excellent read, a first hand look at the war on terror from the eyes of an elisted participant. Sgt Zapata really gives you a real look at what it's like from someone who is doing the work of protecting our great country.

Master Sergeant Zapata tells us how things really are for a soldier going to serve for our country in war. He tells us how he really felt and what he saw while serving our country. I read through his book quickly, always wondering what would happen next.

I am proud to call Regulo Zapata a personal friend. As a former special ops member I find his chronicle of life in special ops is right on and the most accurate I have read to date. I can't wait for his next effort. Reggie has an inate talent for telling it like it is. A must read for anyone interested in the life in special ops personnel.
R.F. Griggs

I have been reading military history and military biographies for over 40years. This is one of the best. You feel the author is taking you along with him. I highly recommend this book.

[[ASIN:0979784700 Desperate Lands: The War on Terror Through the Eyes of a Special Forces Soldier] This story provides you with what it must feel like to be in combat from the sense of the sounds, smells, tension, stress that one must fell when faced with such dangerous situations! A great read of what is going on at this very moment!

Desperate Lands: The War on Terror Through the Eyes of a Special Forces SoldierThis is a wonderful description of the war on terrorism.

A great story of an honorable soldier. I was hooked into the book from the first few pages and don't want to put the book down. Desperate Lands is a perfect title and opens your eyes to the experiences of what our soldiers of the USA have to go through in the name of our country. A must have book!