I usually avoid the autobiographies of soldiers or policemen attached to specialized units, but after being impressed by Whitcomb's work of fiction,
"Black"
; I turn to his first novel, an autobiographical account of his time in the FBI, and it's elite
Hostage Rescue Team.
Holding a graduate degree in literature, Whitcomb was working as the speech-writer and press secretary to Congressman Silvio O. Conte of Massachusetts before apply to join the FBI. Not exactly the average FBI agent, and certainly not the typical candidate for the Hostage Rescue Team.
Starting slightly mundanely, the book recounts his application and successfully induction into the Federal Bureau of Investigation. After nearing burnout as a Special Agent in the Ozarks, Whitcomb switches gears and applies for the HRT. The retelling of his experiences during selection, training, and ultimately operations; is as good if not better than a great action novel.
Serving as a HRT operator from 1991 until 1997, he was a participant in both the Ruby Ridge and Waco incidents. His experiences during both incidents are both refreshing and unpolitical, and offer the reader a perspective very different from both the media and official FBI reports.
What could have been a plodding mess in a lesser writers hands is instead an easily readable and highly entertaining and informative book. Highly recommended.
