"Black Hawk Down" by Mark Bowden

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses "Black Hawk Down," by Mark Bowden. The writer describes how Bowden obtained the information, much of it unclassified, that he recounts in his novel. The writer looks at how Bowden's firsthand sources, his narrative technique and his use of extremely descriptive language enable the reader to experience the events of October 3, 1993 from the viewpoint of the soldiers who were there. Using flashbacks, he reveals the personal lives of the men involved, thereby emphasizing that something really did happen and that real men, not faceless statistics, died for a cause.

From the Paper:

"There are no heroes in Black Hawk Down, only regular men performing heroic acts without thinking anything of it. They didn't want any awards or medals or any special recognition. They did what they needed to do to accomplish their mission and take care of the man to their left and their right. The Bible says in John 15:13, 15, "Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends." Nineteen soldiers made this sacrifice for their brothers in arms and Bowden makes sure that the reader knows each one of them."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Bowden, Mark. 2000. Black Hawk Down. New York: Penguin Books.

More papers on "Black Hawk Down" by Mark Bowden:

• Book Review # 92065 : "'Black Hawk Down'"
• Analytical Essay # 56589 : "Black Hawk Down"
• Book Review # 97725 : "The U.S. Mission in Somalia"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: