Hunting the Jackal: A Special Forces and CIA Soldier's Fifty Years on the Frontlines of the War Against Terrorism

By Tim Keown and Billy Waugh

Book Overview

Spanning more than five decades, here is a riveting true account of Special Forces covert operations and fighting America's enemies around the world--told by the soldier/operative who was there

I am not a hero.

Billy Waugh has lurked in the shadows and on the periphery of many of the most significant events of the past half-century on active duty with U.S. Army Special Forces and the CIA. In this gripping military memoir, Hunting the Jackal, this legendary warrior reveals the extraordinary events of his life and career, offering a point-by-point eyewitness account of the historical events in which he participated.

Serving in the Korean and Vietnam War, Waugh was among the first Green Berets in 1963. He has helped train Libyan commandos in the Sahara Desert, while spying on Russian missile sites in Benghazi, and has worked against Caribbean drug runners. He was the first CIA operative to watch Osama Bin Laden in Khartoum "from a spot close enough to kill him had I been allowed," and tracked him over the course of two years. In 1994 he found the notorious Carlos the Jackal in Sudan, and tailed him until he was captured--a story that until now has never been told. And, just last year, at age 72, Waugh was on the ground in Afghanistan with a joint SpecForces/CIA unit as part of the War on Terror.

This is his remarkable true story of espionage and a life on the front lines.

How does one man hunt the world's most dangerous terrorists for five decades and live to tell the tale?

Hunting Carlos the Jackal: The never-before-told story of finding the world's most notorious terrorist in Sudan and tracking him until his capture.Tracking Osama Bin Laden: A firsthand account from the first CIA operative to locate and surveil UBL in Khartoum--from a spot close enough to take a shot.Green Beret in Vietnam: A raw look at combat from one of the first Green Berets, from the bloody rice paddies of Bong Son to harrowing SOG missions behind enemy lines.A Life in Special Operations: From training Libyan commandos and spying on Russian missile sites to returning to the battlefield in Afghanistan at age 72.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0060564105
• ISBN13: 9780060564100
• Release Date: May 2005
• Publisher: William Morrow & Company
• Length: 368 Pages
• Weight: 0.74 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 4.1" x 6.7"

Customer Reviews

Insider's view of Special Ops/CIA

"Hunting the Jackal" is an incredible and important look into the world of secret warriors working around the clock to safeguard our freedom. Billy Waugh has bravely and fearlessly fought in the shadows for half a century. He's hunted--and found--terrorists who top the Most Wanted lists, and here he shares an insider's untold stories about Carlos the Jackal and Osama bin Laden and others. His covert, thankless missions in the world's hellholes has not been pretty work, and what warriors like Waugh do and how they do it is not particularly appropriate for some polite conversations. But that is the point, particularly in a post-9/11 world where stopping terrorist attacks will take more brave men like Waugh. This is a well-written book, much better than most of this genre, that lays out the real underworld in a clean, engaging fashion. You're quickly taken along on an amazing life, and before you know it, you're at the last page, overwhelmed at what you've read, and wanting more. From the Jungles of Vietnam to the deserts of Africa, and to the mountains of Afghanistan, the author has seen it all.

A great book about a modern day American hero.

This is truly an excpetional book about one of America's greatest modern day patriots. I first heard of Waugh from a Retired Marine Corps Captain, when I was a 19 year old Force Recon Marine in Kosovo. Now after reading this book I know the full story of just who this man was and what he has done for our country. My dad used to tell me about the SOG soldiers in Vietnam, and how they were pivital in America's war in Vietnam. The fact that Waugh left SOG and then contiued to work for the CIA hunting down terrorist filth like Carlos "The Jackal" and even fought in Afghanistan at age 72 is truly remarkable. Probably the thing that will anger readers the most in the fact that Waugh could have assassinated Bin Laden if only his higher ups had found the guts to allow him to do it. I wonder how those people felt on the morning of September 11th, when they realized they had allowed Bin Laden to commit the worst terrorist act in History ON AMERICAN SOIL.

A Must-Have, Behind the Scenes SpecOps Story

Wow...for those who are not that familiar with how the Special Operations/Clandestine intelligence communities work, this is your book. Billy Waugh provides an invaluable history of special operations and CIA clandestine operations from the early 60s to the present. To think that someone in his mid-70s is still in the thick of things with regard to the global war on terrorism is amazing. Waugh's book provides some interesting insights into the genesis of America's interest with Usama Bin Laden, and how close we actually were to him in the early years of his rise. However the best background this book provides (aside from his unbelievable 10 years in Vietnam with SOG) is his pursuit and role in the capture of Carlos the Jackal. A good review of how case work is done. If you are looking for serious prose, this book is not for you. However, if you are looking for an incredible page-turner written by someone who was intimately involved in many classified operations, buy this book. Highly recommended!

Hunting the Jackal

I found the book to be engrossing and very enlightening. Waugh shows the rest of us non-military Americans the difficult and sometimes horrible circumstances our military is subjected to, all in the name of preserving our freedom and blessed way of life. After reading this book, my heart and eternal thanks go out to every U.S. soldier, for their dedication and sacrifice. Thank God for our soldiers - without them, our way of life would likely not exist as it does today. Waugh does a wonderful job of bringing the reader into his world, allowing us to glimpse his experiences in a very personal way. He is a true hero.

Required reading for all who enjoy freedom

Harvard Law School professor Alan M. Dershowitz last April complained to Publishers Weekly about its negative review of his new book. Amazingly, the editor-in-chief agreed and had the book re-reviewed. Billy Waugh should have them do the same. HUNTING THE JACKAL is an incredible look into the world of secret warriors working around the clock to safeguard our freedom. He has hunted--and found--terrorists who top the Most Wanted lists. And here he writes about Carlos the Jackal and Osama bin Laden and others. He's done the dirty work in the world's hellholes (just the descriptions of which seem to upset book reviewers). It is not pretty work, and what they do and how they do it is not particularly appropriate for some polite conversations. But that is the point. This is a well-written book--better than most--that lays out the real underworld in a clean, engaging fashion. You're quickly taken along on an amazing life, and before you know it, you're at the last page, overwhelmed at what you've "witnessed" ... and wanting more. The best-selling author W.E.B. Griffin said it best: "Waugh is the warrior's warrior. From Special Forces missions in Vietnam to black ops work around the world, he has fought our worst enemies hellbent on harming America in ways unimagined. We sleep soundly, our freedoms defended, thanks to men like Waugh. This is his remarkable story -- read it and understand what too few do."