My Washington Times Review Of 'Ghost Sniper: A Sniper Elite Novel'

My review of Scott McEwen and Thomas Koloniar's Ghost Sniper appeared in the Washington Times. 

With the take-down of Osama bin Laden, the most wanted man in the world, and other bold and brave military actions, the U.S. Navy SEALs and other special operations groups are respected and admired greatly. Although the elite special operators perform in a high state of operational security and secrecy, much has been written about them, as the public is very interested in these seemingly larger-than-life military men.

In addition to many nonfiction accounts of their military actions, a good number of thrillers offer Navy SEALs and other special operators as fictional heroes. A case in point is Scott McEwen and Thomas Koloniar’s “Sniper Elite” series of thrillers.

“Ghost Sniper,” the latest thriller in the series, brings back Navy SEAL and Master Chief Gil Shannon and his comrade-in-arms, Daniel Crosswhite, a retired U.S. Army Delta Force operator and Medal of Honor recipient. The action takes place south of the border in this novel as the special operators take on a particularly vicious and ruthless Mexican drug cartel with highly-placed political connections. 

You can read the rest of the review via the below link:

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/jul/14/book-review-ghost-sniper-a-sniper-elite-novel/  

My Philadelphia Inquirer Review Of Mark Bowden's 'The Three Battles Of Wanat And Other True Stories'

My review of Mark Bowden's The Three Battles of Wanat And Other True Stories appeared today in the Philadelphia Inquirer.

As I wrote at the top of my review, I saw Mark Bowden at a Center City book store some years ago when he was promoting one of his books.

I recall that he spoke of his pleasant surprise that military people and their families were willing to open up to him. He noted that he didn’t serve in the military and previous to his Philadelphia Inquirer series on Black Hawk Down and his subsequent book, he had never covered the military.

As a Navy veteran, a former Defense Department civilian employee, and a writer who covers the military for The Journal of Counterterrorism & Homeland Security Int’l, I’ve associated with sailors, soldiers, marines and airmen nearly all of my life. For some years now I spoken to a good number of current and former armed forces members who very much like Bowden’s Black Hawk Down, Killing Pablo, Guests of the Ayatollah, and his other books on the military.

Although Bowden may not share their mostly hawkish views, most believe he is a fair reporter. Military people want their story told and fairness is all most of them ask for. That Bowden is also a fine storyteller is a plus.

You can read the review via the below link:

http://www.philly.com/inquirer/entertainment/20160327_Bowden_s__Three_Battles_of_Wanat___Continuing_a_great_tradition.html

Or below:

Note: You can click on the above to enlarge.

Delta Force: The U.S. Army's Quiet Professionals

Rowan Scarborough at the Washington Times wrote an interesting piece about the Army's Delta Force, the special operations unit that captured Saddam Hussein.

As Navy SEALs bask in the limelight for daring missions, some in the Army are wondering whether the other half of the nation's counter-terrorism covert warriors - Delta Force - is being upstaged and left in the shadows.

You can read the rest of the story via the below link:

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/jun/3/delta-force-armys-quiet-professionals/?page=all#pagebreak

Note: I interviewed retired Lieutenant General William G. Boykin, a founding member of Delta Force who went on to command the unit, for Counterterrorism magazine.

You can read my interview via the below links:  

http://home.comcast.net/~pauldavisoncrime/pwpimages/LTGBoykin1.jpg

http://home.comcast.net/~pauldavisoncrime/pwpimages/LTGBoykin2.jpg

http://home.comcast.net/~pauldavisoncrime/pwpimages/LTGBoykin3.jpg 

Oliver North On American Heroes in Special Operations

I interviewed retired Marine Lt Col Oliver North today for a piece that will appear in the upcoming issue of Counterterrorism magazine.

Lt Col North is a syndicated columnist, host of Fox News' War Stories and the author of American Heroes in Special Operations, a new book on America's military special operators in Iraq, Afghanistan and other hot spots around the world.

You can learn more about American Heroes in Special Operations via the below link:

http://www.olivernorth.com/

My Q & A with Former Delta Commander LTG William Boykin (Ret)

Counterterrorism magazine published my interview with LTG William Boykin, the retired deputy undersecretary of defense for intelligence and the former commander of the U.S. Army's elite Special Operations group, Delta Force.

General Boykin (seen above in the DoD photo) is the author of Never Surrender: A Soldier's Journey to the Crossroads of Faith and Freedom.

You can read my Q&A with General Boykin via the below:

Note: You can click on the above to enlarge.