As I sat in my room playing the video game “Black Hawk Down,” I realized that I didn't know why the U.S. Rangers invaded Somalia. So, I decided to read the book it was based on.

Black Hawk Down describes the events of one particular day. Before the Rangers went on their mission, their general said, “No man gets left behind; even the dead come back, no matter what.” In addition to this objective, the Rangers wanted to kill as few people as possible and get in and out fast; unfortunately, this did not happen.

As the Black Hawk helicopters circled a building, they encountered the most wanted warlords in all Somalia who had convinced the Somalis that the United States was the reason they were starving. As the Black Hawks converged, someone shot a rocket-propelled grenade, hitting one of the helicopters.

The general sent two Ranger snipers, Staff Sergeants Gordon and Shughart, to help the other Rangers, but their Black Hawk was shot down too, falling from the sky in a giant fireball. Once the flames died down, hundreds of Somalis tried to raid the helicopter, but Shughart and Gordon held them off.

If you are someone who can't tolerate war or violence, this book is not for you. Bowden describes some of the wounded with the most horrific images and detail.

My initial question of why the Rangers invaded Somalia was answered by the general: “The only reason we are here is because the warlords are starving their own people.” If you read this book, you will get a better understanding of what the Rangers experienced during this ill-fated mission.