With My Shield by James Lechner

With My Shield

An Army Ranger in Somalia

James Lechner, Association of the United States Army

Osprey · Print & ebook · September 12, 2023

This is the inside story of an Army Ranger, surrounded and outnumbered, fighting a desperate action on the ground during the Black Hawk Down raid in Somalia in 1993. ??In 1993 Lieutenant James Lechner, a member of the 3rd Ranger Battalion, was selected for a top secret special operations task force being sent to Mogadishu, Somalia, to capture the insurgent leader Mohamed Farah Aideed.

We earn from qualifying purchases.

Who it’s for
James Lechner recounts the 1993 Mogadishu raid from an Army Ranger's ground-level perspective.
Genres
Special Forces History, Military Lives, U.S. Military History
Published
Osprey, September 12, 2023

Nearest books

Matched by what the books are about, then ordered by what their readers also loved. Most of these share its genres: Special Forces History and Military Lives.

  1. Remember the RamrodsDavid Bellavia, Mariner53% match
  2. A Handful of Hard MenHannes Wessels55% match
  3. Delta ForceAlan Sklar, Charlie A. Beckwith54% match
  4. Gothic SerpentClayton K. S. Chun81% matchAlso shares U.S. Military History
  5. Black Hawk DownMark Bowden75% matchAlso shares U.S. Military History
  6. A Ranger BornRobert W. Black63% match
  7. Red PlatoonClinton Romesha62% matchAlso shares U.S. Military History
  8. Lions of KandaharRusty Bradley, Kevin Maurer61% match

For younger readers: War in Afghanistan, Who Were the Navajo Code Talkers?, Honor Bound (tides of War #2)

Start with three books, and this one can be the first.

Members get a new edition every morning: a route out from their books to essays, research and talks, with the reason for each.

Start with this book

About this book

This is the inside story of an Army Ranger, surrounded and outnumbered, fighting a desperate action on the ground during the Black Hawk Down raid in Somalia in 1993. ??In 1993 Lieutenant James Lechner, a member of the 3rd Ranger Battalion, was selected for a top secret special operations task force being sent to Mogadishu, Somalia, to capture the insurgent leader Mohamed Farah Aideed.

Continue reading

In early October, after conducting a number of raids in the city, the Task Force is called upon to conduct a daring daylight mission into the heart of Aideed's territory. During the raid, one of the Black Hawk helicopters is shot down and Lechner and his comrades are soon caught up in the fiercest combat involving US forces since the Vietnam War. Deep in the enemy's stronghold, the small group of Rangers and special operators now find themselves fighting not only to rescue the downed helicopter's crewmen, but also to save their own lives.?? This first-hand account tells the story of how these elite warriors were able to stand together and prevail against incredible odds. It gives the reader the perspective of an Army Ranger fighting on the ground, combined with professional military analysis, in a groundbreaking book that tells the complete story with never-before-revealed details. Published in association with the AUSA Book Program, offering quality books about US Army heritage, military theory and policy, and security in the modern world.

Ground-Level Mogadishu

James Lechner recounts the 1993 Mogadishu raid from an Army Ranger's ground-level perspective.

Come here for

  • A first-hand account of combat during the Black Hawk Down raid
  • Professional military analysis

Expect

  • The daylight mission to capture Mohamed Farah Aideed
  • Rangers fighting to reach a downed helicopter's crew

Where it sits

Special Forces History77%
U.S. Military History67%
Military Lives44%

Percentages are BookFrontier’s reading of the book.

Publisher categories

  • U.S. Military History
  • Other Military Conflicts
  • Special Forces History
Authors
James Lechner, Association of the United States Army
Publisher
Osprey
Published
September 12, 2023
Format
Print & ebook
Reading lane
U.S. Military History