The Final Mission of Extortion 17, Ed Darack
The Final Mission of Extortion 17, Ed Darack
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The Final Mission of Extortion 17
Special Ops, Helicopter Support, SEAL Team Six, and the Deadliest Day of the US War in Afghanistan

Author: Ed Darack

Narrator: John Pruden

Unabridged: 7 hr 1 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 09/19/2017


Synopsis

On August 6, 2011, a US Army CH-47D Chinook helicopter approached a landing zone in Afghanistan forty miles southwest of Kabul. The helicopter, call sign Extortion 17, was on a mission to reinforce American and coalition special operations troops. It would never return. Insurgents fired at the Chinook, severed one of its rear rotor blades, and brought it crashing to the ground. All thirty-eight onboard perished instantly in the single greatest moment of sacrifice for Americans in the war in Afghanistan.Those killed were some of the United States’ most highly trained and battle-honed commandos, including fifteen men from the Gold Squadron of the Naval Special Warfare Development Group, known popularly as SEAL Team 6, which had raided a Pakistan compound and killed Osama bin Laden just three months earlier.The downing of Extortion 17 spurred a number of conspiracy theories, such as the idea that the shootdown was revenge for bin Laden’s death. In The Final Mission of Extortion 17, Ed Darack debunks this theory and others and uncovers the truth behind this mysterious tragedy. His account of the brave pilots, crew, and passengers of Extortion 17 and the events of that fateful day is interwoven into a rich, complex narrative that also discusses modern joint combat operations, the history of the Afghan war to that date, US helicopter use in Afghanistan, and the new and evolving military technologies and tactics being developed to mitigate such tragedies now and in the future.

About Ed Darack

Ed Darack is the author of six previous books, including the critically acclaimed Victory Point about Operations Red Wings and Whalers, and The Final Mission of Extortion 17, the story behind the single deadliest day for US troops in the War in Afghanistan. He has embedded with US forces four times in Afghanistan and twice in Iraq, where he did the field work for Warriors of Anbar. Darack is the author of hundreds of feature articles on a broad spectrum of topics for publications including the New York Times Magazine, Newsweek, Smithsonian's Air & Space (where he's a contributing editor), Leatherneck, Marine Corps Gazette, Proceedings of the United States Naval Institute, Foreign Policy, Weatherwise (where he's a contributing editor), and many others.

About John Pruden

John Pruden is an Earphones award-winning narrator who has recorded audiobooks, PSAs, Indie films, documentaries, video games, radio dramas, corporate and online training narrations, and radio and TV commercials. A former US Army UH-60 Black Hawk pilot, he is also a firearms instructor specializing in tactical pistol and rifle as well as long-range shooting.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Dachokie on September 10, 2017

Buildup to a Deadly Day in Afghanistan … This book was reviewed as part of Amazon's Vine program which included a free copy of the book. Sadly, after 15+ years, the seemingly endless war against terror in Afghanistan is simply a part of American life and the casualties from the conflict no longer get......more

Goodreads review by Jon on October 14, 2019

Interesting book about some true American hero’s. The book was very technical and they would be my only criticism as it took away some of the heart of the story.......more

Goodreads review by Ash on March 29, 2023

More adventures into the world of war specifically in Afghanistan or better known as Operation Enduring Freedom. This short novel based on true events put things into perspective for me to better understand a history that piques my interest. Oh and of course there were big flying boys......more

Goodreads review by Britt on March 18, 2019

Who is the target audience? I’m not sure who this was written for. As a Marine, the army terms were different than what we use but I was able to follow. As a civilian I think it would be hard to keep up. As a person, I think it was hard to keep track of who was who - between using last name, rank, sl......more

Goodreads review by Elizabeth on January 07, 2019

The Final Mission of Extortion 17 was written so well. Knowing the outcome of what happened made me well aware that it was going to be a hard book to get through but it was so worth it. To hear the stories about the men who sacrificed everything to defend our country and to serve people was incredib......more


Quotes

“Well-researched…Short, clear, and tersely written, Darack’s book is suited to readers interested in military affairs and is a fitting tribute to the Army aviators represented by the crew of Extortion 17.” Publishers Weekly

“Dramatizing the incident, based on real-time recordings from the orbiting support planes, Darack delivers a respectful salute to the dead amid detailed exemplification of the bravery of those fighting America’s protracted war in Afghanistan.” Booklist

“This is less of a narrative and more of a march through the events and circumstances, making it ideal for modern history buffs and military historians and perhaps less so for casual readers.” Library Journal