Sales rank 286,385
Customers rating (based on 46 reviews)
Robert Young Pelton first became aware of the phenomenon of hired guns in the War on Terror when he met a covert team of contractors on the Afghanistan/Pakistan border in the fall of 2003. Pelton soon embarked on a globe-spanning odyssey to penetrate and understand this shadowy world, ultimately delivering stunning insights into the way private soldiers are used.Enter a blood-soaked world of South African mercenaries and tribal fighters backed by ruthless financiers. Drop into Baghdad’s Green Zone, strap on body armor, and take a daily high-speed ride with a doomed crew of security contractors who dodge car bombs and snipers just to get their charges to the airport. Share a drink in a chic hotel bar with wealthy owners of private armies who debate the best way to stay alive in war zones.Licensed to Kill spans four continents and three years, taking us inside the CIA’s dirty wars; the brutal contractor murders in Fallujah and the Alamo-like sieges in Najaf and Al Kut; the Deep South contractor training camps where ex–Special Operations soldiers and even small town cops learn the ropes; the contractor conventions where macho attendees swap bullet-punctuated tales and discuss upcoming gigs; and the grim Central African prison where contractors turned failed mercenaries pay a steep price.The United States has encouraged the use of the private sector in all facets of the War on Terror, placing contractors outside the bounds of functional legal constraints. With the shocking clarity that can come only from firsthand observation, Licensed to Kill painstakingly deconstructs the most controversial events and introduces the pivotal players. Most disturbingly, it shows that there are indeed thousands of contractors—with hundreds more being produced every month—who’ve been given a license to kill, their services available to the highest bidder.
Robert Young Pelton is The Man! What a book. This guy is a great storyteller. I especially enjoyed the scene where they give a Rolling Stone article a bad rap. It's a compelling read and it has pictures too. I would recommend to anyone interested in private contractors / mercenaries in Iraq and Afghanistan. I wrote a paper for a HIS 382 on the business of war and this was one of my sources.
Typical Pelton book. Very good book describing the evolution of private armies from mercenaries to private military companies through major coups and recent controversies. Quite detailed and entertaining even if the style is typical Pelton (jumping back and forth from one subject to the other, long metaphors,...). Worth it though. Detailed and Interesting Personal Accounts Great view from the inside. I've read a number of books on PMC's/PSC's and found RYP's book very insightful and informative. The book was difficult to put down. RYP writes well, and presents the information in an objective cohesive flow. I've enjoyed all of Pelton's work dating back to the early 90's. He has clearly put himself in harms way to give us this book as well as others. I recommend reading his autobiography and the latest available "Worlds Most Dangerous Places" offering. Well done. An interesting essay An interesting book that illustrates the various aspects of the contractors' activites today. It explains who contractors are, how they evolved from their origins as mercenaries, what are their duties today and where they operate (Iraq mainly, and Afghanistan). It poses interesting questions on what their future will be once the Iraq conflict will be over for USA and if there will ever be a chance to see them as a fifth column in the USA armed forces. Shows examples of dedication and professionalsim together with the worst examples of excessive use of force and unmotivated violence. It also tells the stories of African mercenaries deployed to make coups and used to promote private interests. A murky world that must be better known given that 25000 men operate in Iraq only at expenses of the taxpayer today.
I would recommend this book to a friend. Well-written and Captivating This was an excellent and interesting treatment of the subject. The writing is quite good, the author has command of the details, and the whole of the book is captivating, not just interesting.
(based on 46 reviews)
Robert Young Pelton is The Man!
Typical Pelton book.
