Big Boy Rules
America's Mercenaries Fighting in Iraq

The remarkable thing about this book is that the author, Steve Fainaru, is able to move the focus off of the larger issues of the military's use of so-called mercenaries in the gulf war and get you interested in the actual people who spent time under these circumstances trying to make a living there......more

A portrayal of the so-called private security companies operating in Iraq - mostly somber, occasionally grimly funny, sometimes scathing. The author spends most of his time in this memoir at the micro level, with some individual American soldiers-for-hire he got to know pretty well and with some of......more

This is a powerful, well-written book about how private companies like Blackwater operated in a lawless environment during the Iraq War, violating all rules of engagement and engaging in every form of crime short of outright piracy. The only problem is, author Steve Fainaru can't make up his mind wh......more

A wandering prose that lacks focus detracts from the incredible information given in this book. Very worthwhile read on the subject. In its better moments, the book is gripping, shocking and tragic. I do recommend it.......more

Despite having written one novel (partially) about a mercenary who served in Iraq, and despite having an abiding interest in PMCs, in the Middle East, and in the Iraq war, I put off reading this book ever since it came out (about 8 years) because of its goofy cover, stupendously stupid title, and ri......more