Civilian Warriors: The Inside Story of Blackwater and the Unsung Heroes of the War on Terror

Erik Prince

Nov 2013 · Sold by Penguin

About this ebook

No company in our time has been as mysterious or as controversial as Blackwater. Founded by former Navy SEAL Erik Prince in 1997, it recruited special forces veterans and others with the skills and courage to take on the riskiest security jobs in the world. As its reputation grew, government demand for its services escalated, and Blackwater's men eventually completed nearly one hundred thousand missions in Iraq and Afghanistan. Both the Bush and Obama administrations found the company indispensible. It sounds like a classic startup success story, except for one problem: Blackwater has been demonized around the world. From uninformed news coverage to grossly distorted fictional portrayals, Blackwater employees have been smeared as mercenaries, profiteers, jackbooted thugs, and worse. Because of the secrecy requirements of Blackwater's contracts with the Pentagon, the State Department, and the CIA, Prince was unable to speak out when his company's opponents spread false information. But now he's able to tell the full and often shocking story of Blackwater's rise and fall. In Civilian Warriors, Prince pulls no punches and spares no details. He explains his original goal of building an elite center for military and law enforcement training. He recounts how the company shifted gears after 9/11. He honors our troops while challenging the Pentagon's top leadership. And he reveals why highly efficient private military contractors have been essential to running our armed forces, since long before Blackwater came along. Above all, Prince debunks myths about Blackwater that spread while he was forced to remain silent-myths that tarnished the memory of men who gave their lives for their country but never got the recognition they deserved.

He reveals new information about some of the biggest controversies of the War on Terror, including:

• The true story of the Nisour Square massacre in Baghdad.
• The actual details of Blackwater's so-called impunity in Iraq.
• The events leading up to the televised deaths of Blackwater contractors in Fallujah.

Prince doesn't pretend to be perfect, and he doesn't hide the sometimes painful details of his private life. But he has done a great public service by setting the record straight. His book reads like a thriller but is too improbable to be fiction.

Ratings and reviews

Informative and enjoyable. Athough Erik doesn't claim that Blackwater is without flaw, I wish he had included more examples and details about some of Blackwater's mistakes. Of course he is defending his company from the endless one-sided and often inaccurate accusastions. Clearly, he created a company that did a neccessary but tough job. Only a few dare to do such things. The rest sit back and criticize. Such is the assumed role of the politicians and the mainstream media. At least the purpose of Blackwater was transparent. The politicians and media still pretend they are serving the public.

An excellent look into "The other side of the Blackwater story". Erik Prince tells his story from the beginning of Blackwater to the bitter end and how the media u fairly portrayed his company. A great read!

I rated 4 stars because there is a small amount of "mud slinging" toward to end... but overall it is a facinating read, explaining just how much private military contractors fill a need that would otherwise be left unfulfilled.

About the author

Erik Prince, a former Navy SEAL, founded Blackwater in 1997. He served as its CEO until 2009 and its Chairman until 2010, when the company was sold. A native of Michigan, he now lives in Abu Dhabi, where he pursues a variety of business ventures.