Civilian Warriors

The Inside Story of Blackwater and the Unsung Heroes of the War on Terror

By: Erik Prince

Narrated by: Jeff Gurner

Length: 13 hrs and 12 mins

Publisher's summary

The founder of Blackwater offers the gripping, previously untold story of the world's most controversial military contractor.

Blackwater is one of the most misunderstood companies of our time. As Erik Prince, its founder and former CEO, writes:

"Hundreds of American citizens employed by private military contractors, or PMCs, would lose their lives helping our government wage wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, only to have their memory tarnished by the unfair and/or ignorant depiction of PMCs as profiteers, jackbooted thugs, or worse."

Because of the secrecy requirements of Blackwater's contracts with the Pentagon, the State Department, and the CIA, Prince was unable to speak out when his company's opponents spread false information. But now he's free to tell the often shocking story of Blackwater's rise and fall.

Blackwater hired Special Forces veterans and others with the skills and courage to take on the riskiest security jobs in the world. As its reputation grew, demand for its services escalated. Its men eventually completed nearly 100,000 missions in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Prince's narrative includes newly revealed details about many controversial events. It debunks myths that have been spread by TV shows and movies. It honors our armed forces while challenging the Pentagon's top leadership. Above all, it will make people rethink exactly who the "good guys" and "bad guys" have been since 9/11.

©2013 Erik Prince (P)2013 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

"Prince’s book belongs on the shelf next to the memoirs of the other Iraq and Afghanistan war chieftains...we need Prince’s story to help us understand the history of the post- 9/11wars and the myriad roles contractors played in these conflicts." (The Washington Post)

Awesome Book & Account - Well worth the read

This was and awesome book and I would recommend it to anyone interested in getting an inside look at the creation and journey of the Blackwater organization. Media and political bias over the years have diluted the true facts about Blackwater, but this book, while written by the founder, provides a fair account and amazing inside look. The book is written in a way that was engaging, and never was I bored or uninterested. I was sad to see the book come to a close. All in all this is a 10 out of 10, and I would highly recommend it. You won't be disappointed.

- Well written
- Great narrator
- Fascinating and engaging story/account
- 10/10 stars

Enlightening account how Blackwater helped the USA

Loved the detail, family stories, business experiences and how Erick helped set the record straight regarding Blackwater. The Blackwater team protected our foreign leaders in war zones (zero casualties) and saved us millions in tax dollars through efficient use of highly skilled human capital. I really enjoyed this one.

God bless Erik Prince and all PMCs

Great book. Great reading, Great job! Thank you for it and thank you for what you and your men have done for our great republic. I am ashamed at the way you were treated by the Libiots on the left.

must read!

If you care to know truth, this book delivers! True courage and hard working men who love America! They were used a scapegoats sadly by our government. I would trust this guy with my life everytime!

Great inside info on a top tier company

Do your own research and decide for yourself about BW. Great to hear the other side of the story for once.

American Patriot Villified and Backstabbed

Eric Prince's side (the side backed up with facts and expert knowledge) of the media and political battleground surrounding Americas private military and security industry sets the record straight.

All Americans need to read this

Would you consider the audio edition of Civilian Warriors to be better than the print version?

Didn't read the print version

What was the most compelling aspect of this narrative?

our "boots on the ground" only changed uniforms, and cost twice as much.

What about Jeff Gurner’s performance did you like?

In general, an eye opening story.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The amount of money the that is spent on private military is twice what would be spent on our own military

Very interesting story

Very interesting story about a group of private military contractors. I never knew exactly how involved they were in the war on terror.

great book

wonderful book, gives a glimpse into what actually went on at blackwater and with Erik prince

A different look a Security Contractors

If you could sum up Civilian Warriors in three words, what would they be?

Dedicated Patrotic Americans

What about Jeff Gurner’s performance did you like?

Good narrator! I had to check several times to make sure Prince himself was not reading this book. Gurner gave a great performance and took ownership of Prince's voice.

Any additional comments?

I have done 3 tours in Afghanistan and worked with all kinds of civilian contractors. I had an opinion of them ( I am not going to tell you if it was good or bad). After reading this book it gave me a good view of the otherside of the coin. In his book, Prince gave several accounts that one could piece together with a little research and learn all about the facts of the situation. I believe the men and women of Blackwater/Xe/Academi were one of the main reasons we as Americans had as few of casulaties in Iraq as we did (compairing it to other wars). Whether you support the use of civilians as security personnel in combat situations or not this is a good book to read if you can keep an open mind. Once piece of advice if you are going to read this book. There are not always black and while rules in war....as much as I wish there were. Eventually there are times when things turn gray; and that is where the hard decisions are made.