"Phoenix Rising provides readers with two great services. First, it offers a truly unique perspective on Operation EAGLE CLAW. Additionally, it presents an excellent history of the evolution of USSOCOM. The combination of this subject matter and the outstanding readability of the volume make this one of those rare one-sit reads." ― On Point: The Journal of Army History “As a junior officer and the lowest ranking 'gopher' at the creation of these forces, I saw how the several Services had great reservations regarding SOF to the point of studied dislike of it and a distinct distaste for its inclusion as a member of their force structure. The single lone exception was Army Chief of Staff Shy Myer, who saw terrorism and asymmetrical warfare as the emerging National threat and worked to build a missing capability. He did this as a lone wolf in that much of the Army leadership as well as the other Services, looked upon SOF as a high-risk loose cannon on their stable conventional deck.” Phoenix Rising recounts the paradoxical birth of SOF through the prism of Operation Eagle Claw , the failed attempt to rescue fifty-two Americans held hostage in the U.S. Embassy in Tehran. When terrorists captured the Embassy on November 4, 1979, the Joint Chiefs of Staff quickly realized that the United States lacked the military capability to launch a rescue. There was no precedent for the mission, a mission that came with extraordinary restrictions and required a unique force to take it on. With no existent command structure or budget, this force would have to be built from scratch in utmost secrecy, and draw on every branch of the U.S. military. Keith Nightingale, then a major, was Deputy Operations Officer and the junior member of Joint Task Force Eagle Claw, commanded by Major General James Vaught. Based on Nightingale’s detailed diary, Phoenix Risin g vividly describes the personalities involved, the issues they faced, and the actions they took, from the conception of the operation to its hair-raising launch and execution. His historically significant post-analysis of Eagle Claw gives unparalleled insight into how a very dedicated group of people from the Chief of Staff of the Army to lower-ranking personnel subjugated personal ambition to grow the forces necessary to address the emerging terrorist threat—a threat which the majority of uniformed leadership and their political masters denied in 1979. The Special Operations capability of the United States today is the ultimate proof of their success. Table of Contents Author’s Note Prologue Part 1—Creation of The Force And Development Of A Rescue Plan Part 2—Training and Adjusting Part 3—Execution and Events Part 4—Aftermath and The Path Forward Part 5—Congress 1: Bureaucracy 0 Epilogue Appendices "Eloquently written, meaty with detail and richly laced with insight, Nightingale’s fascinating account of the struggles to stand up the U.S. military's special operations capability is worth buying just for his first-hand description of the planning behind the effort to rescue the Iran hostages." Sean Naylor: author of Relentless Strike: The Secret History of Joint Special Operations Command "In short, Phoenix Rising is superb. The book was a pleasure to read and added another piece to the Operation Eagle Claw puzzle. It should be read by personnel at all levels in the special operations community who will draw lessons on planning complex operations, grasp the challenges of creating ad hoc organizations under pressure, and develop a deeper understanding of USSOCOM history." Parameters " Phoenix Rising provides readers with two great services. First, it offers a truly unique perspective on Operation EAGLE CLAW. Additionally, it presents an excellent history of the evolution of USSOCOM. The combination of this subject matter and the outstanding readability of the volume make this one of those rare one-sit reads." On Point: The Journal of Army History “Keith Nightingale is an American treasure. He is a combat leader who has been there and done that in some of the hardest places on the planet. On top of that, he’s a fine and clear writer.” Thomas E. Ricks, author of "Fiasco, The Generals and the forthcoming First Principles: What America’s Founders Learned from the Greeks and Romans and How That Shaped Our Country" “If you really want to know how modern Special Operations forces began, you must read this book. It is truly a classic of ‘inside baseball’ combined with literary skill. I learned things I never knew but were extremely consequential for the Nation. Truly a Must Read. Keith knows this form of combat and was a true warrior in every sense. This is an important work and I don’t say that lightly.” General Barry McCaffery (Ret) “Entertainingly written, brilliantly insightful. I spent most of my military career in the shadow of the professionals who, lacking the necessary structure, equipment, or intelligence, audaciously attempted to rescue Americ