In journalist Jeremy Scahill's exposé of the American private mercenary company Blackwater, he documents its origin, its founder Eric Princ's life and family history, the early start as a North Carolina military and police training facility, later involvement in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, its close political and military ties, and several of the controversial and deadly contracts and missions, including the infamous Fallujah ambush, Najaf siege, Blackwater 61 plane crash. He goes on to investigate some of the characters involved with the company, some right out dangerous like Cofer Black from CIA; while other more comically incompetent like Pentagon's Inspector General Joseph Schmitz.

As an investigation and documented history of the company and its conduct, Scahill has done an extraordinary job in revealing all the details. Albeit it can get somewhat long when every bullet fired is included in the narration, as almost seems to be the case with the Najaf siege. Further details of the preceding contracts, and following lawsuits of wrongful death paints a picture of a company shrouded in secrecy and with deep far-right political and military connections.

It is perhaps in revealing these connections the book raises above a mere critic of the private mercenary company, and shines light on the power brokers of Washington and Pentagon. It is not a coincidence that the same names and the same circles always repeat: Donald Rumsfeld set the stage for privatization of the military; always working closely with Paul Wolfowitz. Of course Dick Cheney is there; as well as Scooter Libby. On the military and intelligence side, Paul Bremer (Presidential Envoy to Iraq) and Cofer Black (CIA) move through the revolving doors multiple times. Tying much of it together are the Council for National Policy (CNP) organization and the influential Project for the New American Century (PNAC), which William Kristol (son of Irving Kristol) and Robert Kagan founded. CNP in particular acts as a meeting point between conservative politicians, donors and activists. Here the Prince family huddles with prominent neoconservatism like Jerry Falwell (evangelical Southern Baptist pastor), Gary Bauer (1999 presidential nominee), Wayne LaPierre (NRA), and more. The focal points center around conservative politics, Christian evangelical and to some degree Judaist religion, and aggressive military foreign policy. As Scahill's book shows, the military industrial complex is not an abstract entity or idea; rather it is a surprisingly small network of public and private figures who yield immense political and military power.

Scahill book is well worth a read, to gain insight into the private side of the US military industrial complex, its incredible cash-flow, and deep connections. Although he is clearly skeptical of both the mercenary company and several of the political figures involved, his presentation is factual objective and well written.