Darrell's weblog

Jim gave me this book to read recently, and I’ve finally finished it. (Have I ever mentioned how slow of a reader I am?) Anyway, Hunting the Jackal is the story of Billy Waugh, the archetypal American Warrior. This book primarily covers Mr. Waugh’s service with the Special Forces during Vietnam and his service as an Independent Contractor for the CIA.

While the book certainly isn’t bad, it just didn’t grab me as I thought it might. There are a number of technical inaccuracies that creep up, but nothing too major. Also, in a way very similar to the last book I read, Mr. Waugh really puts himself on a pedestal. You won’t find a lot of humility here. The again, perhaps he really was that good, but that kind of writing just bothers me a little bit.

If you’re really into the activities of the Special Forces during Vietnam, and you have a great desire to read about one man’s exploits involving Usama bin Laden and Carlos the Jackal in Khartoum, Sudan during the early 1990’s, then this book is right up your alley. Unfortunately, if those things are not if great interest to you specifically, then you’re probably not going ot find this book to your liking. On the bright side, it’s rather short.