Synopses & Reviews
When his recon platoon lands on a Mogadishu beach under the glare of hundreds of news cameras, Lieutenant Gavin Kelly knows that his mission of mercy -- Operation Restore Hope -- is going to be anything but by the book. His doubts prove true after one of his men kills an armed Somali who may have been a newsperson's bodyguard, touching off an international incident that has the press corps howling, his Marine superiors evading, and his men losing faith in their cause, their honor, and their lieutenant. Through a morass of death, decay, and political lies, the slowly disintegrating platoon descends into the lawless, violent underbelly of Somalia -- where Kelly must finally confront his values, loyalties, and his own soul in a land where murder is a way of life....
With heart-pounding action, intricate military detail and rapier wit, Owen West has written a gritty, modern war novel that speaks to the violence lurking within us all -- and the lengths to which we will go to control it.
Synopsis
When Lieutenant Gavin Kelly's platoon lands on a Somali beach in 1991, one of the Marines kills an armed Somali bodyguard in front of the press. Soon, Kelly is torn between his men and his mission.
Synopsis
When Lieutenant Gavin Kelly's recon platoon lands on a Mogadishu beach under the glare of hundreds of news camera lights, it is an appropriately surreal beginning to the 1991 Somali peacekeeping mission known as Operation Restore Hope. But as the deadly instincts and gloryseeking desires of the Marines under his command clash with the stated principles of the assignment. Kelly becomes torn between his men, his mission, and the international rules of engagement he has swom to uphold.
About the Author
Owen West attended Harvard College on an ROTC scholarship. He was subsequently commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant in the Marine Corps and commanded an infantry platoon, an infantry company, and a reconnaissance platoon in his six years of service, leaving the Corps as a captain. He is currently a commodities trader in New York City and was elected as a Term Member of the Council on Foreign Relations. Owen is a top adventure racer who has represented the United States six times in the 350-mile Eco-Challenge, finishing as high as second and racing most recently with three Playboy Playmates. Four Days to Vera Cruz, his thrilling follow-up to Sharkman Six, is forthcoming in hardcover from Simon & Schuster. Visit his website at www.westwrite.com or www.owenwest.com.