''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 Terrorism, in its broadest sense, is the use of violence against non-combatants to achieve political or ideological aims. The term is used in this regard primarily to refer to intentional violence during peacetime or in the context of war a ...

by Islamist militants at the American diplomatic compound in

Benghazi Benghazi () () is the List of cities in Libya, second-most-populous city in Libya as well as the largest city in Cyrenaica, with an estimated population of 859,000 in 2023. Located on the Gulf of Sidra in the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean, Ben ...

Libya Libya, officially the State of Libya, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to Egypt–Libya border, the east, Sudan to Libya–Sudan border, the southeast, Chad to Chad–L ...

on September 11, 2012. 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.

Reception

Karen DeYoung of ''

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...

'' 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 ''The Minnesota Star Tribune'', formerly the ''Minneapolis Star Tribune'', is an American daily newspaper based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. As of 2023, it is Minnesota's largest newspaper and the List of newspapers in the United States, seventh- ...

'' 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." Glenn C. Altschuler of ''

The Boston Globe ''The Boston Globe,'' also known locally as ''the Globe'', is an American daily newspaper founded and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The newspaper has won a total of 27 Pulitzer Prizes. ''The Boston Globe'' is the oldest and largest daily new ...

'' 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."

Film

In 2016, the book was adapted into a major

feature film A feature film or feature-length film (often abbreviated to feature), also called a theatrical film, is a film (Film, motion picture, "movie" or simply “picture”) with a running time long enough to be considered the principal or sole present ...

directed by

Michael Bay Michael Benjamin Bay (born February 17, 1965) is an American film director and producer. He is best known for making big-budget high-concept action films with fast cutting, stylistic cinematography and visuals, and extensive use of special eff ...

and starring

James Badge Dale James Badge Dale (born James Badgett Dale, May 1, 1978) is an American actor. He is known for his roles as Chase Edmunds in '' 24'', Robert Leckie in '' The Pacific'', Trooper Barrigan in ''The Departed'', Luke Lewenden in '' The Grey'', Eric ...

John Krasinski John Burke Krasinski (; born October 20, 1979) is an American actor and filmmaker. He is known for his role as Jim Halpert on the NBC sitcom ''The Office'' (2005–2013), where he was also a producer and occasional director. He directed, co-w ...

, and

Max Martini Maximilian Carlo Martini (born December 11, 1969) is an American actor. He is known for his roles as Corporal Fred Henderson in ''Saving Private Ryan'', Wiley in '' Level 9'', First Sergeant Sid Wojo in ''The Great Raid'', and as Master Sergean ...

. The film received mixed reviews based on its perceived political stance, but nevertheless grossed a total of $69.4 million worldwide against a production budget of $50 million.

References

{{Reflist 2012 Benghazi attack 2014 non-fiction books Non-fiction books adapted into films Twelve (publisher) books

Reception

Film

See also

References