• Masters of Chaos

  • The Secret History of Special Forces
  • By: Linda Robinson
  • Narrated by: Kirsten Potter
  • Length: 14 hrs and 38 mins
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars (293 ratings)

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Masters of Chaos  By  cover art

Masters of Chaos

By: Linda Robinson
Narrated by: Kirsten Potter
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Publisher's summary

Special Forces soldiers are daring, seasoned troops from America's heartland, selected in a tough competition and trained in an extraordinary range of skills. They know foreign languages and cultures and unconventional warfare better than any US fighters, and while they prefer to stay out of the limelight, veteran war correspondent Linda Robinson gained access to their closed world. She traveled with them on the frontlines, interviewed them at length on their home bases, and studied their doctrine, methods, and history. In Masters of Chaos she tells their story through a select group of senior sergeants and field-grade officers, a band of unforgettable characters like Rawhide, Killer, Michael T, and Alan - led by the unflappable Lt. Col. Chris Conner and Col. Charlie Cleveland, a brilliant but self-effacing West Pointer who led the largest unconventional war campaign since Vietnam in northern Iraq.

Robinson follows the Special Forces from their first post-Vietnam combat in Panama, El Salvador, Desert Storm, Somalia, and the Balkans to their recent trials and triumphs in Afghanistan and Iraq. She witnessed their secret sleuthing and unsung successes in southern Iraq and recounts here for the first time the dramatic firefights of the western desert. Her blow-by-blow story of the attack on Ansar al-Islam's international terrorist training camp has never been told before.

The most comprehensive account ever of the modern-day Special Forces in action, Masters of Chaos is filled with riveting, intimate detail in the words of a close-knit band of soldiers who have done it all.

©2013 Linda Robinson (P)2013 Random House Audio
  • Unabridged Audiobook
  • Categories: History

What listeners say about Masters of Chaos

Average customer ratings
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  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Story of Special Forces

Linda Robinson provides insights into some of histories most intense battles. it was freaking awesome.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Uninspired reading of just adequate writing

The writing in this is not very dramatic, even though it does include some pretty dramatic events. What's worse is that the reading is really uninspired and labored. There is no change in pitch or pace regardless of what happens, and what does happen is mostly told from a distant academic voice. I don't think I have ever heard war and warrior stories related as if they were corporate financial reports. I jumped ahead in the book several times to see if it got better, but it just kept plodding along.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Great book, interesting and exciting moments!

Well narrated, easily followed, great story of the dynamics, challenges, and evolution of warfare our brave warfighters are facing on the battlefield today.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

Like listening to a history book

This book gives a great overall view of Special Forces from Panama to Iraq, but it lacks intimate details. The performance was superb, but the content was surprisingly dry for a book, even a history book, about Special Forces.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

in depth

this is a very in-depth look at Special Forces. an excellent read or very long distance depending on the format. will work for anybody interested in the intricacies of Special Forces.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent and Informative

The book was absolutely excellent as it weaved story after story throughout as the author sought to give a summary of green beret history. Very informative read.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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Good listen

I enjoyed it. It was a good peak behind the curtain of events that I remember as a kid but never knew the back story behind. Not sure what others were expecting that rated it poorly.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Just okay

Military words and phrases were mispronounced, like most other books on here. I think I have a permanent headache from rolling my eyes too hard after every "emkay-19". Lots of details were skipped or incorrect.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Cery informative SF history.

This was a very detailed comprehensive history of the modern special forces. It's a great read and I recommend it to anyone.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

amazing story... poor narration

awesome story... it was really easy to get lost in the story and lives of each operator and there mission.
only draw back was the narrator, no emotion as she read thru the story and stayed so monotone that it was easy to lose the scope of what was going on during the story and never had any real connection to the book because of that. if i had it to do over again i would try and find a different reading of the book.

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