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CRIPPLED EAGLE: A Historical Perspective of U.S. Special Operations, 1976-1996, by Rod Lenahan. 273 pages. Narwhal Press, Inc., Charleston, SC. 1998. $19.95.
Readers looking for a comprehensive history of US special operations from 1976 to 1996 will not find one in this book, but it does have some redeeming qualities. We get a "smidgen" of information about current special operations force structure and a cursory chronology of special operations at the end of the book. Otherwise, the reader gets a great history of how and why the US military has a Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC). Retired US Air Force Colonel Rod Lenahan provides rare insight into the reasons why this little-known command is nestled in the John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. And, after the journey...