| 13 Hours: The Inside Account of What Really Happened in Benghazi | |
| Author: | Mitchell Zuckoff with the Annex Security Team |
| Country: | United States |
| Language: | English |
| Subject: | Counter-terrorism |
| Genre: | Non-fiction |
| Publisher: | Twelve |
| Pub Date: | September 9, 2014 |
| Media Type: | Print (hardcover) |
| Pages: | 352 |
| Isbn: | 9781455582273 |
| Oclc: | 882187556 |
| Dewey: | 363.32509 (Alameda County Library) |
13 Hours: The Inside Account of What Really Happened in Benghazi is a 2014 historical book by American author Mitchell Zuckoff that depicts the terrorist attack by Islamist militants at the American diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya on September 11, 2012.[1] The book is an account from the point of view of the compound's defenders and does not address any of the political controversy surrounding the attacks.[2]
Karen DeYoung of The Washington Post stated, "Like other recent bestsellers of the Special Operations genre — "Lone Survivor," about a Navy SEAL mission in Afghanistan, or "No Easy Day," about the raid that killed Osama bin Laden — "13 Hours" is an action story that does not dwell on matters of U.S. foreign or security policy, or even the specific cauldron of Libya. Roman Augustoviz of Star Tribune wrote, "'13 Hours' is a jarring narrative at times, but well-flowing. It dwells mostly on the six security operators, who they were, how they prepared for their jobs and how they reacted in a crisis and depended on one another."[3] Glenn C. Altschuler of The Boston Globe commented, "Zuckoff focuses on the Benghazi security men... 13 Hours is a suspenseful (and often violent) account of their competence and courage, written with the hope that their actions will be "understood on their own terms, outside of partisan or political interests."[4]
In 2016, the book was adapted into a major feature film directed by Michael Bay and starring James Badge Dale, John Krasinski, and Max Martini.[5] The film received mixed reviews based on its perceived political stance,[6] but nevertheless grossed a total of $69.4 million worldwide against a production budget of $50 million.[7]