Inside Delta Force

The Story of America’s Elite Counterterrorist Unit

By: Command Sergeant Major Eric L. Haney

Narrated by: Robertson Dean

Length: 13 hrs and 1 min

Publisher's summary

Delta Force—the US Army’s most elite top-secret strike force. They dominate the modern battlefield, but you won’t hear about their heroics on CNN. No headlines can reveal their top-secret missions, and no book has ever taken readers inside—until now. Here, a founding member of Delta Force takes us behind the veil of secrecy and into the action to reveal the never-before-told story of First Special Forces Operational Detachment-D (Delta Force).

He is a master of espionage, trained to take on hijackers, terrorists, and enemy armies. He can deploy by parachute or arrive by commercial aircraft, survive alone in hostile cities, speak foreign languages fluently, strike at enemy targets with stunning swiftness and extraordinary teamwork. He is the ultimate modern warrior: the Delta Force operator.

In this dramatic chronicle, Eric Haney, one of the founding members of Delta Force, takes us inside this legendary counterterrorist unit. Here, for the first time, are details of the grueling selection process—designed to break the strongest of men—that singles out the best of the best.

With heart-stopping immediacy, Haney tells what it’s really like to enter a hostage-held airplane. From his days in Beirut, he tells a remarkable tale of bodyguards and bombs, of a day-to-day life of madness and beauty, and of how he and a teammate are called on to kill two gunmen targeting US Marines at an airport. As part of the team sent to rescue American hostages in Tehran, Haney offers a first-person description of that failed mission that is a chilling, compelling account of a bold maneuver undone by chance—and a few fatal mistakes.

From fighting guerrilla warfare in Honduras to rescuing missionaries in Sudan and leading the way onto the island of Grenada, Haney captures the daring and discipline that distinguish the men of Delta Force. Inside Delta Force brings honor to these singular men while it puts us in the middle of around-the-world action that is sudden, frightening, and nonstop.

©2002 Eric L. Haney; Afterword 2005 by Eric L. Haney (P)2011 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

“The story of the US military’s elite counterterrorism warriors… Timely… fascinating… well-written.” ( Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

Unbelievably Amazing

I’ve read every book on SpecOps that I know of and this is my favorite. This is the most comprehensive book I’ve ever read about a SpecOps organization. The fact that it is about Delta, the most secretive of all is mind blowing. Not sure how he got away with publishing this but I’m so glad he did. As a bonus I feel like I learned more about military history from this book than any other book I’ve read.

A Great Warrior’s Story

Great insight on the beginning of Delta!! The in-depth stories and some of the humor in them kept your attention the entire time!! Excellent!! Thank you for your service to our Nation CSM Haney!! God Bless!!

Excellent and Captivating

Excellent insight into the formation and history of Delta Force. You go on a journey from the initial founding of the force through many missions through the late 1980s.

Audio disappointment

What disappointed you about Inside Delta Force?

I downloaded the audio but only am able to listen to the prologue. The rest of the book is only for reading. DO not download expecting a full audio.

those men are as hard as woodpecker lips.

they do more by 9 in the morning than most people do their whole lives.

Must for fans of Special Operations

Very fun and interesting read. Good flow and easy to understand. The author does a great job with this book. I have now listened to it repeatedly and it's a "go-to" for long drives.

Gripping and insightful

Gifted...surprisingly, the author is a gifted writer; making you feel as if you are actually there, able to smell their cigar smoke.

Perspective... throughout, the author frames his experiences in multiple layers that adroitly capture not only his own line-of-sight realities, but those of his comrads and commanders as well; even the bureaucrats.

Regrets... this book has left me with two regrets: 1- I didn't read it sooner and 2- Although it completely covered all intended topics, it ended too soon.

great listen

I'm not sure what I was expecting after seeing the TV show the unit. The book has a heavy focus on selection that the TV show only glossed over.

Excellent

It was excellent narration of a soldier's world inside Delta Force. The story kept me on my toes.

Great book!

The author did a good job capturing the humanity of certain situations while in inhuman circumstances.

I definitely recommend this book.