Desperate Lands The War on Terror Through the Eyes of a Special Forces Soldier
An exciting read and fascinating journey. A must-read this year.
–Chief Warrant Officer John Brookins, U.S. Army Special Forces.
Excellent read! Regulo gives a detailed, emotional description of the efforts of Special Forces to hunt down terrorists in Africa and in Afghanistan and bring them to justice.
–Major Bill Lamos, United States Air Force (Retired).
Master Sgt. Regulo Zapata has written a fascinating account of life inside a contemporary Special Forces Operational Detachment ALPHA as it conducts missions around the world. Zapata is a member of the old breed of SF sergeants and provides a career professionals perspective on this small community of warrior-brothers that couldn’t be written by anybody but a Green Beret. This book describes how an ODA works as it gears up for battle and then executes its many missions in strange places around the globe. A good addition to the bookshelf of anyone interested in special operations forces at war.
–Hans Halberstadt, author, Roughneck Nine-One and War Stories of the Green Berets.
For Special Forces Master Sgt. Regulo Zapata, Jr., writing and publishing a book about the months he spent immersed in the fog of war along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border was more daunting than the mission itself. Zapata’s first sentence has been tweaked and edited, but it has always been about the 9/11 terrorist attacks on New York City, an event that sparked two wars. Zapata had been in the Army since he was 19 years old, but his involvement in the War on Terror began the day he was called on to report for duty. His goal was to lend his reader a glimpse into the everyday activities of Special Forces soldiers in Djibouti and Afghanistan while they trained villagers to fight Taliban forces. Although some readers have questioned Zapata’s storytelling ability, many readers said his story is an accurate and insightful account of a soldier fighting the War on Terror.
–Sara Suddes, The Gilroy Dispatch
Master Sgt. Regulo Zapata has written a fascinating account of life inside a contemporary Special Forces Operational Detachment ALPHA as it conducts missions around the world. Zapata is a member of the old breed of SF sergeants and provides a career professionals perspective on this small community of warrior-brothers that couldn’t be written by anybody but a Green Beret. This book describes how an ODA works as it gears up for battle and then executes its many missions in strange places around the globe. A good addition to the bookshelf of anyone interested in special operations forces at war.
–Hans Halberstadt, author, Roughneck Nine-One and War Stories of the Green Berets.
User Ratings and Reviews
1 Star Desperately Disappointing
I’m sure MSG Zapata is very good at his job. However, his ability to write is lacking, to say the least. The content and the story line is mundane, often times nothing more than rambling on about daily activities. Sure, there are some fancy acronyms in there, but for those of us who actually know what they mean, it’s easy to see that it’s just filler.
There are typos in the text. MSG Zapata’s use of terms, both technical, and those known as jargon, are inaccurate and misused. Many times both sentences and paragraphs are just redundant and drawn out.
MSG’s contribution to the Global War on Terror and to the service of our great nation should never go unappreciated — and this is not what this review is implying. I’m simply stating that the book is lacking substance.
5 Stars A necessary glimpse into the war
I recommend that you read Desperate Lands. It gave me a valuable glimpse into the war that can only be told by a hero who has been there, faithfully serving the rest of us. It is not a highly action-packed drama, but an opportunity to see reality in places I have never been, through a soldier’s eyes. I am impressed by the training and professionalism applied to this difficult and dangerous job. The visions have come back to my mind from this unbiased story which is missing in my morning newspaper. We are proud to have you as one of us, Reggie, and thankful that you came home unharmed.
5 Stars A Real Tour in Search of Al-Qaeda and the Taliban
Master Sergeant Zapata has opened my eyes and taken me on a tour. We traveled to the other side of the world, the war torn side that no one wants to visit. Before this, I had only seen things in the bits and pieces that the networks offer.
From the mundane and tedious, (I believe “Hurry up and wait” comes from the military experience) to the heart pounding encounters, I felt like I was actually there, witnessing the events unfolding in front of me. I could almost feel the burning heat of Qatar, and the biting cold from the icy wind sweeping across the Afghani desert. The sparse comforts and extreme conditions that they lived with fill me with guilt when I think of what they have done on my behalf. Being exposed to exploding artillery and seeing team members injured, I can’t even begin to imagine the mental as well as the physical stresses!
The ways that they prepared for their deployment made me not hate commute traffic as much. Reading about the weight that they have to carry in their packs made me appreciate the weight of my tool-bag at work.
Some may say that they expected more excitement, or it wasn’t well written… but I say… I’m sure that some things had to be cut out and there is no added fluff just for the sake of excitement or book sales. I LOVED THIS BOOK! This is a real account, from a real man, that was part of a special unit. He shared his story with us, and everything he did there, WAS FOR US!
All I can offer is a humble “THANK YOU!” to Master Sergeant Zapata, and all the other dedicated souls that have defended my freedom.
5 Stars The truth from the inside
A great book to read if you have ever wondered what is really happening over there with the war on terror. Zapata gives us all insight as to what these soldiers go through day by day. Brings heightened respect to those who are there. Detailed information on what these soldiers face and the little time that they have to react to any situation. I picked up this book and couldnt put it down, how refreshing to have the truth.
5 Stars A Must Read, True Life Account of a Special Forces Soldier!
I loved this book! It was a real story, written by a real special forces soldier. It was compelling, and had me hooked. I highly recommend this to anyone interested in what the war is like from a soldiers perspective.
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