Has anyone read the book Jawbreaker?

[M4arc]

Has anyone read Jawbreaker by Gary Berntsen? Is it worth the read?

[Voodoochild]

My brother has and I am waiting to get it from him. He says it is a very good book. Considering he was in Iraq and Afghanistan (border of Pakistan) he says it is good to read.

[DPB]

There's another book about the operation called "First In," written by the guy who actually led the first personnel into A-stan. In my opinion, it's a better book. "Jawbreaker" is written so that it appears the author was the only one who really did anything and everyone else just his supporting cast.

[9x19]

I've never read Jawbreaker, but I read First In and I thought that Gary Schroen was really condescending toward everyone else involved, except for possibly the deputy that was with him and perhaps the guy that replaced him. He must have anticipated that there would be tremendous interest in detailed accounts of his daily experiences with diarrhea. I thought, maybe there is a thing called karma.

[Zip06]

I have read Jaw Breaker and was impressed by Berntsen achievements. The book is redacted which is an irritant but the book itself gives an incredible look at the Afganistan campaign from the CIA's ground commander. It gives a pretty good look at the CIA-Military friction also. I think the book was well worth the money.

I bought another book titled, Not a Good Day to Die. (The untold story of Operation Anaconda) which occurred within two weeks of when Jaw Breaker ends.

Jaw Breaker had Bin Laden pinned in Tora Bora when General Tommy Franks pulled the plug by withholding support when Berntsen requested a Battalion of Rangers to use as a blocking force. Two weeks after Tora Bora, Franks put two Battalions of infantry right where Berntsen wanted the Rangers but by then the playing field had changed and Anaconda was truly a cluster-****. This book was written by Sean Naylor and is considered as the definitive analysis of Anaconda and it will leave you with steam coming out of your ears.

If you liked Blackhawk Down you would enjoy both of these books and you would also get the unspun critique.