Book Review: 13 Hours - By Mitchell Zuckoff

13 Hours reads like a spy novel, but it is the true story. It is about the events surrounding the terrorists attack at the American embassy and diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya, on September 11, 2012. The story is told from the point of view of the station’s defenders.

The events upon which the story was based was one of the major news stories in late 2012. The attack became bogged down in the 2012 presidential election politics, almost to the point where the real story had become lost. 13 Hours is about the people on the ground in Benghazi. It is an account of a team of six American security operators who basically disobeyed orders and did what they felt was needed to fight off the attackers.

13 Hours sets the record straight on what happened during the battle. It is intense in the images presented. The author gives the blow by blow details on this history shaping event. Considering the magnitude of the news surrounding the events and how those events impacted the national news, the author stayed clear of making it a political story.

Pros and cons:

• Pros As mentioned above, the story focuses on the people and the incredible odds they encountered as they fought to save the lives of the people at the American compound.

• Cons I did feel that the narrative in the beginning of the story dealt a bit too deeply into the individuals on the ground. However, that was a minor issue as I read the book.

I feel very good recommending 13 Hours. It is a good, exciting and informative read about one of the critical events in 2012.

William Kercher