Killer Elite

The Inside Story of America's Most Secret Special Operations Team

Michael Smith

St. Martin's Griffin

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A top-secret U.S. Army Special Operations unit has been running covert missions all over the world, from leading death squads to the hideout of drug baron Pablo Escobar to assassinating key al Qaeda members, including Iraqi leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, and, in one of their greatest missions, capturing Saddam Hussein. 'The Activity,” as it became known to insiders, has achieved near-mythical status, even among the world's Special Operations elite. Hidden from the politicians and the government bean counters, The Activity has been carrying out deniable operations, preparing the way for Delta and SEAL Team Six.

Now journalist Michael Smith gets inside this clandestine military team to expose their explosive history and secrets. Smith has spoken to many former members of the Activity and reveals the incredible truth behind the world's most secret Special Operations organization, a unit that is at the forefront of the War on Terror.

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Chapter 1
Sitting in the forward operations center in a filthy Egyptian Air Force hangar at the Wadi Qina air base, 300 miles south of Cairo, Colonel Jerry King was powerless to prevent the debacle at Desert One. As chief of staff to Major General James “Hammer” Vaught, the man in charge of the Delta Force attempt to rescue 53 American hostages held captive in Tehran, King could only listen with mounting anger to the frantic satellite radio messages coming out of Iran in the early hours of 25 April 1980.

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Praise for Killer Elite

“[An] extensively researched and crisply written exposé….An important primer for anyone hoping to understand the successes and failures of U.S. intelligence in the last 25 years.” --Publishers Weekly

"Well written and authoritatively sourced, Killer Elite is the first detailed account of a Special Operations unit that Smith regards as America's most effective."--Sunday Telegraph

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About the Author

Michael Smith

Michael Smith writes on defense for the Sunday Times of London. A former member of the British Army’s Intelligence Corps, Smith covered the wars in the Balkans, Afghanistan, and Iraq and has broken a number of important stories. He is the award-winning author of numerous bestselling books, including The Emperor's Code, a true story of code-breaking during World War II. 

Michael Smith

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Available Formats and Book Details

Killer Elite
The Inside Story of America's Most Secret Special Operations Team
Michael Smith

Trade Paperback

Trade Paperback
St. Martin's Press
St. Martin's Griffin
March 2008
Trade Paperback
ISBN: 9780312378264
ISBN10: 0312378262
6 1/8 x 9 1/4 inches, 368 pages, Plus one 16-page color photo insert
$14.99

Hardcover

Learn more about this edition
Hardcover
St. Martin's Press
March 2007
Hardcover
ISBN: 9780312362720
ISBN10: 0312362722
6 1/8 x 9 1/4 inches, 352 pages, Plus one 16-page color photo insert
$24.95
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