Product Description

The Hostage Rescue Team is the FBI's most specialized unit. The author, the first to ever write about the unit's work, gives a first-person account of what life is like inside this, the FBI's toughest department.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1243529 in Books
• Published on: 2001-09-03
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 426 pages

Publishers' Weekly, August 2001
Including firsthand accounts of actions at Waco and Ruby Ridge, Cold Zero is alternately funny, exciting and disturbing.

From the Publisher
'At last a hard hitting, pacy and grittily realistic account of life in the fast lane of the FBI...fascinating, authentic and utterly compelling' Andy McNab

'An absolutely terrific read; storytelling at its best. Chris Whitcomb is that rare treasure, a man who has led the life of incredible adventure and danger and who can deliver every mesmerizing detail with the skill and wit of a seasoned novelist.' David Baldacci

'Chris Whitcomb's writing has the hard, flat trajectory of the weapons he was trained to fire. I could not stop reading his account of the intense, murky world he was once a part of. I love this book.' Sebastian Junger

From the Back Cover
The Hostage Rescue Team is the FBI's most specialised, highly trained squadron, equivalent to the Navy's Seals or the Army's Delta Force. They are charged with only the most dangerous of operations: terrorist capture, hostage situations and other large scale emergencies. Of the hundreds of thousands of US law enforcement officers, only 150 have ever been a member. Christopher Whitcomb was part of that ‚lite team for the last fifteen years and is the first ever to write about his experiences.

Unlike any book before it, Cold Zero offers a stark first person account of the silent struggle America wages just below the headlines, a shadowy war against weapons of mass destruction, against attacks by unpredictable enemies, against the forces of chaos. Cold Zero is one man's extraordinary journey - but it is also the story of the battle to hold oblivion at bay.

Customer Reviews

More than just guns and ammo with a badge.
I found it to be about much more than being a marksman. This is a story about life within the FBI proper, not merely the hostage rescue team. It certainly gives accounts of some famous or infamous episodes in recent FBI history, but what I found most touching were the descriptions of more mundane incidents, those which are so much more common and so rarely make news, but are no less enthralling. Whitcomb explains eloquently his reasons for joining the organisation, something which is not the easiest thing to explain, his initial and further training and continues throughout the book to explain his thoughts and reactions when dealing with stressful situations and the aftermath. The book desribes the life and career of one special agent. It also gives a personal insight into a less than perfect organisation but one which is constantly evolving.

Fascinating description of life inside the FBI and HRT
This book is so gripping I picked it up at 7PM and finished it by 12PM. Christopher Whitcomb details his experiences in the FBI and the HRT with a high level of detail and skill. His background as an English major and speechwriter shines through as he describes how he entered the FBI then the HRT. Interspersed throughout are descriptions of his childhood as he occasionally leapfrogs back and forth in time in an always coherent fashion. These added details help you build a picture of him as a person, helping you understand why he left his job in Washington and relocated himself and his family in pursuit of the greater good. His description of his entrance to the training course at the FBI and his early years with the bureau, followed by his acceptance and training with the HRT are well detailed and never fail to keep your attention. Where this books makes the leap to the exceptional is the surrounding detail given to Waco and Ruby Ridge, giving the perspective of the person on the ground. This provides a fascinating contrast to the media driven perception of the two events. As this book is not a tell-all it is not written from the perspective of the disgruntled ex-employee. Instead Whitcomb is an unabashed supporter of the FBI and all it stands for, providing an insight into the calibre of people who uphold the law as their daily job. Cold Zero is filled with an enthralling mix of humour, pathos and facts. Highly recommended.

Very interesting, very personal
I cannot really say it tells the story of HRT or so. It is rather a story of a very interesting personal journey. With a lot of dramatic changes in the life of the author a lot of thinking he made on the events he was involved in. Don't expect a lot of action. Instead, it is a very personal story and as such I value it very high. Very well written, griping and definitely recommended.