Something to Die forThis is a story of war in the 1990s-a limited "peacetime" battle raging in a distant Third World desert, which requires unusual technical expertise and great physical courage from the men who fight it. It is also the story of two politicians, a cunning young bureaucrat about to claim the highest ground in Washington, and a savvy political operator from the heartland with one deal too many to his name. Between them, there is a beautiful woman and a man-to-man competition that becomes a determinant in global strategy. In the balance are the lives of thousands of fighting men, perhaps even the course of history. Alternating his views between the increasing grimness of the battlefield and the manic jockeying on Capitol Hill, James Webb draws his graphically etched characters to a memorable confrontation and treats the reader to a darkly illuminating vision of contemporary history, Washington-style -- Page 2 of cover. |
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
Addis Ababa Admiral aircraft American anyway armored artillery Asmara Assab attack Avice Bab el Mandeb Barksdale battalion battle group Bera'isale Bill Fogarty chair Chairman Colonel Congress Cuban Dahlak Archipelago defense secretary desert Djibouti Doc Rowland door Dubti Eichelberger Eritrean Ethiopian eyes face fight fire flight deck Fogarty's Fourcade French front goddamn going Gulf of Aden guns hand handset Hank Eichelberger head helicopters hell inside Janet Japanese knew landing laughed look Mad Dog Mulcahy marines Massawa miles military minesweepers minutes missiles morning Mosberg moved Mulcahy's Musk Ox Nakashitona never night nodded peered Perim Island photographs President pulled radio Red Sea Ron Holcomb Ronald Holcomb Roosevelt Roy Dombrowski Saipan secretary of defense ship smiled soldiers Soviets spoke stared stood Stowbridge talk Tanashi tankers tanks tell Valdez walked Washington watched waved Yanbu Zara