"... a story that had to be told, and who better to tell it than Chief Warrant Officer James Stejskal who has established his credentials as a historian and researcher in various articles as well as his seminal work on the Swakop River Campaign and World War I in South West Africa The Horns of the Beast. In addition, his service in the US Army Special Forces in Berlin during the 1970s and 80s gives him the insight to comment cogently on that portion of US Army Special Forces history that impacted on the doctrine of both urban unconventional warfare and counter terror operations. ... a historical record without which the story of United States Army Special Forces would not be complete. Congratulations to Chief Stejskal on an excellent work of military history. "

Includes maps of: Operation Eagle Claw, 24-25 APR 1980.

Foreword; Acknowledgments; Preface; Definitions; I The Origins of Special Forces; II The Formative Years (1956-1971); III A New Mission and a Midlife Crisis (1972-1976); IV The Pros from Dover (1976-1981); V Appointment in Tehran; VI The Final Days (1981-1984); VII The New Kid on the Block (1984); VIII Until the Fall (1984-1990); Epilogue: A Casualty of Peace; Appendix A: In the Sights of the Enemy; Appendix B: Leadership; Timeline: Special Forces Berlin, 1956-1990; Timeline: Iran Mission, 1979-1981; Abbreviations and Acronyms; Notes; Sources; Bibliography; Index.