Shame on you Haney for blaming the Navy for that Desert 1 fiasco. There should have been Army mechanics servicing those choppers, not Navy guys who had never seen a sand filter before, after all not much sand when flying over water.For the casual reader, those were new helicopters with just enough hours on them to be broken in and be proven combat worthy.They were Army birds serviced by Navy mechanics aboard the carriers.They were getting "bad gas millage" compared to comparable Navy Helios.Wondering why? Navy mechanics searched for a reason for what was perceived to be a problem.The solution was to remove what seemed to be an unnecessary component,which unfortunately were sand filters.The helicopters, not all of them developed mechanical problems over the desert.At Desert 1 Army & Marine units mingled with no clear command structure and the accident that took the lives of some very brave men, then President Carter canceled the operation.This operation could still have proceeded especially since we already had troops right across the street from the embassy.I've best heard it described as like "the bride waiting at the alter".
I remain convinced that the hostages would have been freed that night if President Carted had only pulled the trigger.
Seeing is believing.

This is an awesome book, by a no nonsense guy, who has been there and done that. The book came quickly, and for a great price. It was new, and with no marks, and the binding was as if it never had been opened. Thanks for a great book!

I'll leave the reviews to everybody else. I just want to contribute my 5 star rating and tell everybody it's a must buy.

A great read & insight into what these people go through to get their job & then do their job. I found Eric Haney's story, well written & very easy to read. I guess he had to edit particular details, as i did find some gaps in certain chapters. This Is understandable due to the nature of what he's writting about. I'm sure that anyone who reads this will enjoy it.

I read this book after being a long-time fan of "The Unit". Haney gets straight into how he came to selection with Delta then spends the rest of the book giving generally matter of fact no nonsense descriptions of his time in Delta. Having read a number of books on the special forces world it was interesting finally reading something about Delta Force and I really enjoyed Haneys book. The most memorable thing is how much of Delta Force is taken directly from the SAS. I knew they were inspired by the UK's finest but I didnt realise they were a direct copy! Most of the component arts of Delta are lifted from the SAS - and they rarely even bothered to change names!!!
Good Book though!

Fascinating reading. I liked the understated style of writing and found it a compeling read. The information concerning the depth and detail of their training was impressive. The author gives a vivid accounting of the failed rescue attempt in Iran. I would like to hear more from this author in his second career in dealing with child rescues.

I was very impressed with this account of Mr. Haney's service with Delta Force. I found it to be much better then the Rouge Warrior books. Mr. Haney is obviously a true professional. There are many stories in the book that have been played out in the tv show The Unit. I would love to hear more stories from Mr. Haney's service in Delta Force. As a former Marine I understand the sacrifices that these brave men have made. Semper Fi!

As a huge fan of The Unit, and a history buff, it made sense to branch out into the various military histories. I'd read Marcinko's Rogue Warrior and that was great, but writing could have been better. Also Beckwith's Delta Force and found that to be lacking, so I naturally branched out to Haney's account of his experiences with Delta Force. I was not disappointed. Did the book can easily be broken apart into three main sections: Selection, Training and Action.

Haney did a great job in describing the selection process that he went through to become a Delta candidate. I felt as though I was with him there on his forced marches, that I was seeing everything through his eyes. He would introduce little anecdotes, such as "The Man Who Walked His Feet Off at Delta Force Selection", or the soldier who rode on the back of a motorcycle the last miles of a forced march. Through it all we see how determined and full of spirit he was as he completed each leg of the selection.

Then he gave us an inside account of the actual training they went through. It seems surreal to be able to enter a room after a flash bang and within three seconds shoot and kill all the terrorists hidden amongst the various hostages. Such speed and accuracy is almost unbelievable, but is par for the course.

Finally we get to see the Iran fiasco that completely fell apart. To this point we still hadn't seen much action and yet I was still riveted to the story he was telling. Then he launched into descriptions of the various missions that he and his fellow operators went on in the Middle East and in the Latin countries.

Through it all we get a bared to the world and honest account, the good and the bad of it all. It is this that lends the credibility to what Haney was writing about. Then to top it all off the writing is actually good writing (as opposed to Marcinko and Beckwith), which allows for the reader to become invested in what was being told.

I would definitely recommend for any history buff, especially someone looking for military history. Haney was a great soldier and patriot, and he is also a great author and spokesman.

5 stars.

books were birthday gift for husband a retired army vet and he is enjoying them thank you Yvonne

i got this for my husband as a christmas gift. he loves it!! plus it came in on time for christmas. i'm impressed with the quick delivery

This got my kid back reading again. He's a big fan of "The Unit", and this is the book the show is based on. Kept him interested and reading something other than car magazines!

This book and Beckwith's book are simply the best two American Special Operations books available. You can read others, I have and will; they all pale thus far in complarison with these two.

First off, this is an awesome book by Haney. This is an excellent look into one of the most secretive of America's special forces groups. Haney writes alternating between recalling various events and providing his commentary on the special forces community, Delta Force, and the military in general. If you like military books or just a good read, pick it up. that said, a word to the wise: if you are expecting Black Hawk Down style high-octane shoot-outs, you will be disappointed. This is a collection of recalled stories from Haney's eight years in Delta. It shows how Delta works, their various operations around the world, and how the Delta Force operators interact with the rest of the military, especially non-special forces officers. Still, this is a great book. As long as you don't come to the book with a preconcieved notion of what should be in it, you'll enjoy it. Trust me.

My husband loves "The Unit", which is based on this book. He was very excited when he opened this Christmas morning!

this is the best book i have ever read. it has so much truth to it.

Good book, read right through it in one day. He will take you all over the world and through the training to be a member of Delta Force. They are relentless and fierce warriors that don't do it for attention. Good detail in the book with an honest voice telling how it really is.

David Mamet, in my edition of this book, now more than three years old, long before 'The Unit' came along, writes at the beginning:

"The great military novels have about them an ineffable air of sadness. [They] seem, both in scenes of combat and in the scenes of rest, depictions of a life heightened to the plateau of regret, longing, and loss. The great military memoirs, similarly, are a record of loss and its transmutation into compassion. [...] in Eric Haney's Inside Delta Force, we are welcomed into the curious, moving and persuasive philosophy of the soldier trying to find wisdom in defeat and humility in victory."

It's a comment that reflects the spirit of the contents, and which ultimately translates into the very cool TV series based on the book. I also admit, quite without shame that the characters of 'Phantom Strike Team' in my novel 'Fontaine' were definitely inspired by this account, which I found fascinating and quite un-put-downable; much like Michael Durant's 'In The Company of Heroes'.

I have no idea how 'real' and 'true' the things depicted here are, because I have no real evidence to back up whatever I believe. However, I would like to think--possibly wishfully, but why not?--that Orwell's 'rough men [who] stand ready in the night to visit violence on those who would do us harm' aren't just a bunch of thugs, who just like to shoot people, but that they are like those guys; that they are grounded and have a sense of purpose, and that Mamet's comments are on the mark.

Again, without evidence for the 'truth', whatever that may be, I cannot tell; but I choose to think that Haney has done more than just show them in the best light; that even in the harsh light of day, it all basically holds true.

I read a few other reviews of this book before buying it and find they were accurate. Haney tells about how Delta force came to be in interesting detail. The people that submit themselves to the Selection process really can only truly truly want the job. If you watch or have seen any episodes of "The Unit" you can see where story plot lines came from, but don't expect any detailed past mission stories.

As usual, the same excellent quality and service that I have come to expect from Amazon. Book was great and recommend it to anyone thats interested in this type of stuff. Great compliment to "The Unit".

I initially was drawn to this book after seeing it credited as the inspiration for CBS's drama "The Unit". (I'm a sucker for marketing, huh?) This book was to be the first in a long line of military non-fiction works that I read recently and for me it's still one of the best. Haney isn't the GREATEST writer in the world but his style works well for the subject matter at hand and thankfully lacks some of the irritating macho-ness that plagues many other ex-military authors. What made the book great for me was the fact that because Haney was a recruit in Delta as opposed to one of the organizers, there is a sense of mystery and the unknown as he chronicles his progress through Selection and his early days in the unit. I also read Charlie Beckwith's book on Delta and thought this was the better read. The only thing I didn't like about the book was that Haney retired so many years ago that you are left wanting to know more about current ops, but that's not a criticism of the book itself, simply a lament on my part. Overall I'd highly recommend this to anyone interested in learning more about what drives these incredible individuals.

I'm glad that I read this book without knowing any of the flap coming from the author's critics. Of course a reader like me doesn't know "the real story," but this is a great story, and it rings true to me. I thought Haney told it with a great deal of humility considering his authentically "elite" status. I found the author to be likable throughout the book and it made the excitement in the pages even more worthwhile. Forget what his critics are writing... fact is CSM Haney put his life on the line in an often thankless line of "work." God bless CSM Eric Haney and this is a great book.

Great read. I spent 28 years in the Army, many of them at Bragg and retired in 2003. Mr Mercer's comments about what he believes are fact and fiction as it pertains to the contents of this book are inaccurate and I would recommend he go back and do his research correctly this time.

This book is perfect. I almost could not stop of reading until I finished it.
It is the most interesting approach to a Counterterrorist unit I ever read.
The language used in this book is simple and pleasant.

I caught the title of the book after falling in love with the TV show, The Unit. It's based on this book. Eric Haney tells an awesome tale of the formation and his entrance into the Delta Force. These soldiers are among the best trained and most effective military units in the world. They are highly secret and extremely effective. My son is a big fan of military history, weapons, armament, strategy, vehicles and etc. After I read this book I put it into his hands. He said it's the most exciting read he's ever had on the subject. I hold our men and women of the United States Armed Forces at the highest level of respect and honor. Read this book and you will too. I wish Mr. Haney would put out a couple more with some, as safely as possible, tales of the Delta Forces. It's a good read. Nice and easy. I was sad when I finished it. Have fun.

This book, on which the show "The Unit" is based, tells the inside story, the only way it can be told, from an insider. While I enjoy the show, the book goes into detail, and it's no nonsense approach makes it clear, given limitations placed on tv [under the heading of "broadcast standards", e.g., language, descriptions, and events] of how such a "unit" works. What I also enjoyed was the lack of bravado, and self serving egotism, that most books on military life [particularly memoirs] have. Mr. Haney presents it straight, no bull..., but no ego either. He has valid points at the end [regarding 9/11-e.g., we can't fix what's happened, but we can learn from it, which (unfortunately we haven't yet-given our current message and lack of leadership)]. It is an excellent book, and as he says, thankfully the U.S. has groups such as Delta Force, bless them, to do what needs to be done to protect us.

This book, on which the show "The Unit" is based, tells the inside story, the only way it can be told, from an insider. While I enjoy the show, the book goes into detail, and it's no nonsense approach makes it clear, given limitations placed on tv [under the heading of "broadcast standards", e.g., language, descriptions, and events] of how such a "unit" works. What I also enjoyed was the lack of bravado, and self serving egotism, that most books on military life [particularly memoirs] have. Mr. Haney presents it straight, no bull..., but no ego either. He has valid points at the end [regarding 9/11-e.g., we can't fix what's happened, but we can learn from it, which (unfortunately we haven't yet-given our current message and lack of leadership)]. It is an excellent book, and as he says, thankfully the U.S. has groups such as Delta Force, bless them, to do what needs to be done to protect us.

This is a phenomenal book. I simply cannot emphasize enough how amazing this book really is. I became interested in it because of the television series The Unit on CBS, which is based upon this book, and I wanted to see how true they were to the actual Delta Force.

What I discovered blew me away. From a grueling selection process to assaults on hijacked aircraft, Inside Delta Force gives keen insight into one of America's most elite fighting forces. Eric Haney, as one of the founding members, is able to put you describe in captivating detail the very real trials and triumphs of the unit.

My only wish is that he would write even more on this fascinating subject.