[October 11, 2021] The failure of the United States’ retreat from Afghanistan is an epic disaster, the fallout we will face for many decades. Our television generals and admirals are pontificating from their climate-controlled armchairs and telling us that America’s longest war was unwinnable, immoral, and made the world less safe. All that Flag Officer preaching is a bunch of hogwash. If you got common sense, then you know better. If you can’t figure out these television generals are lying to you, then I feel sorry for you; please go get a “woke” Coke Cola from your fridge and watch Saturday morning cartoons. Watching these will do you a lot more good than actually thinking. This is why the book I will highlight today brings into focus and through detail, the brutality of war. In this case, a book by Danny Bryant, a Special Forces soldier who writes about one of the darkest times in Central America, the El Salvador Civil War and the part the United States played in helping destroy one of the worst, most evil socialist terror organizations ever to mar the face of our world.
Vengeance Walking: The Lake of Ten Thousand Souls, Danny Bryant, 2001.
This is a powerful book. Danny Bryant gives us a “fictional” story – based on real events – in the Central American country of El Salvador. During the country’s civil war from late 1970 to early 1990, the war was fought between a leftist terror group, the FMLN, and the U.S.-supported Salvadoran army. The book is a brutal adventure into the workings of our U.S. Army Green Berets, the Salvadoran military, and one of the most evil Marxist, socialist insurgent groups ever to walk the earth. What I liked about the book is that Danny makes us feel as if we are part of his Green Beret team as they find and destroy those who would do great harm to innocents.
This is a rollercoaster story, as we follow Danny’s team as they move to their final confrontation with the FMLN. We get to read, up close and personal, about the torture and brutality of the FMLN and get to know what evil truly looks like. Danny goes into great detail as he paints a picture of various characters as they discover each other and those who live in the jungles of El Salvador. This is a hard-hitting read that is vivid and tells the story without prejudice. You won’t find any sugarcoating of the war.
This book is recommended.
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Please read my newest book, “Our Longest Year in Iraq,” at Amazon (link here).
To go to the complete Professional Reading list, click on this direct link: www.theleadermaker.com/reading-list/
Good review, Gen. Satterfield. I like your entire series of book reviews. Keep them coming.
You don’t get much more realistic than this book. I don’t personally know this SOF soldier, nor do I know much about his outfit. But I do know a lot about the communist insurgency in Central America and I can tell you these guys are some of the most evil on the planet. They deserve a horrific death. As Danny Bryant points out in his book, “extreme vengeance” is the goal. Put the scare into them and then kill them all.
Excellent point. Don’t forget, as Gen. Satterfield points out, that these are what Communists (and their weak cousin Socialists) are really about. They are about power over the people. They are always thugs. They will do anything to get and keep power.
Don’t forget to go to Gen. Satterfield’s book suggested list here:
https://www.theleadermaker.com/reading-list/
Gen. Satterfield has a long-running series on Book Reviews. For those new to this blog, I hope you take a few minutes and go back (using the search feature) to read a number of those reviews. You will get a taste of Gen. Satterfield himself. And, you will gain something most don’t see for themselves, and that is that leadership is hard hard work, and successful leadership doesn’t come quick or easy.
Good point Otto and I agree with you. This is a basic, good leadership website that gives us fresh content every single day. And, it is worthwhile each day as well. Tell your friends about it too.
“Outstanding read that wasn’t sugarcoated! Danny tells it like it is and made me feel as though I was actually there in the shit, a part of the team!” review by Darrin Moore, SFC(Ret)
Reviews by those who are in the military are the best, like Army Captain. Thanks all.
From the lead in on Amazon:
A team of U.S. Army Special Forces, Green Berets, join El Salvadoran forces for a dangerous search and destroy mission of never-ending horror where no one knew the United States was even engaged. Emotions run high from hate to compassion as the team inches toward a final, surprising end no one saw coming.
Thriller, realistic, and shows what Marxism always transcends into. I read the book a couple of months ago and also recommend it but not for those faint of heart.
I have a buddy of mine in the Green Berets and he tells me the book has created a bit of a stir among our elite forces. The ‘stir’ is that the man is telling the truth about what happened and even lessened the horror inflicted by insurgents and El Salvadorian soldiers on the innocent population. But it was the insurgents that were truly evil.
Another reason to read the book! Thanks General Satterfield for highlighting this book for us.
Thanks Goalie. Good to have you making comments in the leadership forum. We help one another and critique ideas politely and with logic. Stick around and see how this works.
Much appreciated, Mr. TJ. I look forward to contributing to the effort.
That is what makes coming hear and reading the remarks worth my time.
Good book to raise my blood pressure, I presume. Ha Ha. I’ll order it today. 😊
Looks interesting, I’ll check it out on your word, Gen. Satterfield. I’m always looking for books on war to read and learn what combat is really like.