Blackwater

The Rise of the World's Most Powerful Mercenary Army

By: Jeremy Scahill

Narrated by: Tom Weiner

Length: 14 hrs and 32 mins

Publisher's summary

A largely untold facet of the war on terror is the widespread outsourcing of military tasks to private mercenary companies. Accountable neither to the citizenry nor to standard military legal codes, these largely unregulated corporate armies are being entrusted with ever-greater responsibilities on behalf of the nation.

Meet Blackwater USA, the most secretive, most powerful, and fastest-growing private army on the planet. Founded by fundamentalist Christian mega-millionaire Erik Prince, the scion of a conservative dynasty that bankrolls extreme-right-wing causes, this company of soldiers is now being sent "to the front lines of a global battle, waged largely on Muslim lands, that an evangelical president, whom Prince helped put in the White House, has boldly defined as a 'crusade'."

Ranging from the blood-soaked streets of Fallujah to Washington, D.C., where they are hailed as heroes, this is the dark story of Blackwater's rise to power.

©2007 Jeremy Scahill (P)2007 Blackstone Audio Inc.

Critic reviews

"A crackling expose." ( New York Times Book Review)
"Jeremy Scahill's Blackwater would be a masterpiece of the genre of futuristic sci fi were it not so regrettably real....It's got all the twists and turns and secret corners of a Hollywood thriller....[A] horrifying but necessary read." ( Daily Kos)

5% fact and 95% rants

The author places a few Blackwater facts in each chapter, and then disgresses to rant about something tangential. e.g. Chapter 1 turns into a rant against the Christian Right because somehow Charles Colson's name comes up. Another Chapter against Bush judicial appointments (e.g. "extremist Judge Bork" -- how is this relevant). Another Chapter indicts the embedded journalists vs the "free" press. Well narrated but junque.

Opinion Editorial

I am fairly confident the author fits in at the Huffington Post editorial staff meetings.

Horrid Narration!

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

If the talent director had been better, or the narrator better, it would have been worth listening to. I couldn't get past the first chapter. I ground my teeth every time the narrator put on his fake TV Announcer voice.

What was most disappointing about Jeremy Scahill’s story?

There was nothing wrong with the story. I was looking forward to it but I just couldn't stand it.

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Tom Weiner?

If the narrator could keep from putting on his fake "TV Announcer" voice every time a strong point was to be made in the story, it would have been better. Working in the voice industry I know this is often the voice director's fault and yet narrators are blamed all the time. So my comment is to whomever decided on this creative approach - stop it! I don't need a fake tone to emphasize that this is an "important" point. I just want the facts, straight forward and I can make my own decision on how I feel about what I'm listening to. I haven't seen the book in printed form and perhaps the writer italicized these areas but a good director should have known better and that it would sound 'put on' or fake.

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

Frustration. It felt like such a waste to take non-fiction work with existing political undercurrents and to add additional commentary by having the narrator take on such an over the top attitude to nail a point home. I'm not stupid and don't need it pointed out. It just ruined the book.

Blackwater

Very disappointing; don't waste you time.

I’d expected an objective description about Blackwater’s origins and operations but I gave up after the first hour of nothing but Bush / Republican bashing and conspiracy theory centered on the dangers of “the military / industrial complex”.

Maybe I just got tired of the author's self righteous criticisms of all things outside his own pronounced political orientation.

Several hours of whining

It is a sad state when someone will spend this much time whining about the former president. I though the book would have been about Blackwater, it was not. This is difficult to listen to and to follow. I find it offensive that someone would twist the facts in such a manner to get their personal slanted lean.

Write a book about how things were messed up by Secretary of Defense and others. Their actions forced a company to come into play.

Too often the author references religion instead of why things were done. The narration is horrible and almost impossible to listen to.

anti Bush anti Christian

This was not a history of Blackwater. It is simply a thinly veiled left wing spewing of hatred. I am sure that Blackwater is many things,good and bad. This severely imbalanced book was like a 14 hour MSNBC Keith Olberman tirade against conservatives and Christians.

More Bush Bashing - whats wrong with the world

I expected more of a balanced piece about Blackwater and what I got was a Bush/right wing bashing book. If that is what you want, this is your book. If you are looking for a balanced story about Blackwater keep looking.

Awful

This book was a huge waste of money. it is a one sided story with obvious pre-conceived feelings by the author. I assume that someone with a conservative background or a God fearing person must have done something to the author to really upset him. if you are a far-left or God hating person you will love this book.

Awful

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

The author obviously hates private military contractors, Blackwater, Republicans and Christians. A real hit job. I only made it through a couple of chapters.

What could Jeremy Scahill have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

Nothing. The author obviously has an anti Blackwater agenda.

How could the performance have been better?

Reader sounded condescending and cynical.

Outdated and Troubling

A boring, somewhat repetitive account of the troubling right-wing, Christian lead mercenary for-profit army formerly know as Blackwater. This 2007 book needs updating, but does provide background information on its founders, growth of the company and its usage in the Iraq war.