Charles Barber’s “In the Blood” treats a consequential topic, and contains moments of real insight, drama and humor. Trouble is, Barber opens with several omissions and slights that left me on edge for the balance of the book. Barber begins his story about catastrophic bleeding and the urgent search for a cure, appropriately enough, in the savage battle for Mogadishu in 1993. More glaringly, the Army Rangers described on the raid actually played a supporting role to commandos from Delta Force, which Barber never mentions. Yet I wanted to trust this book, because it tells an important story in vivid, engrossing terms.

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Persons: Charles Barber Reading, Charles Barber’s “, Barber, Mohamed Aidid’s, Aidid Organizations: U.S . Army, Army Rangers, Delta Force, millenniums, Navy Locations: Mogadishu, Somali, Bethesda