Synopses & Reviews
Carlotta Gall has reported from Afghanistan and Pakistan for almost the entire duration of the American invasion and occupation, beginning shortly after 9/11. She knows just how much this war has cost the Afghan people, and how much damage can be traced to Pakistan and its duplicitous government and intelligence forces.and#160;Now that American troops are withdrawing, it is time toand#160;tell the full history of how we have been fighting the wrong enemy, in the wrong country.
Gall combines searing personal accounts of battles and betrayals with moving portraits of the ordinary Afghanis who enduredand#160;a terrible war of more than a decade. Her firsthand accounts of Taliban warlords, Pakistani intelligence thugs, American generals, Afghani politicians, and the many innocents who were caught up in this long war are riveting.and#160; Her evidence that Pakistan fueled the Taliban and protected Osama bin Laden is revelatory. This is a sweeping account of a war brought by well-intentioned American leaders against an enemy they barely understood, and could not truly engage.
Review
"Although ostensibly about combat in Afghanistan, War examines the raw, brutal reality of combat — period — and why men fight....Highly recommended — not simply for those interested in military history but for all readers concerned with the human condition." Library Journal (starred review)
Review
"An often harrowing...account of the physical and psychological toll of modern warfare on the average soldier." Kirkus Reviews
Review
"Junger's great eye and honesty about the gamut of emotions that come into play in combat leave one swerving between highs, lows and the surreal." Chicago Tribune
Review
"Those seeking insight into war's innards will appreciate the details Mr. Junger so sharply and respectfully delivers." Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Review
"Gripping, gritty, blunt and honest, War is an outstanding portrait of American soldiers at the front in a relentless conflict." Providence Journal
Review
"Junger blends popular science, psychology and history with a breathlessly paced narrative.... An often harrowing, though mostly conventional, account of the physical and psychological toll of modern warfare on the average soldier." Kirkus Reviews
Synopsis
In his breakout bestseller The Perfect Storm, Sebastian Junger created a wild ride that "brilliantly captures the awesome power of the raging sea and the often futile attempts of humans to withstand it" (Los Angeles Times Book Review). Now, Junger turns his brilliant and empathetic eye to the reality of combat — the fear, the honor, and the trust among men in an extreme situation whose survival depends on their absolute commitment to one another. His on-the-ground account follows a single platoon through a 15-month tour of duty in the most dangerous outpost in Afghanistan's Korengal Valley. Through the experiences of these young men at war, he shows what it means to fight, to serve, and to face down mortal danger on a daily basis.
Synopsis
The author of the gripping bestseller The Perfect Storm turns his brilliant and empathetic eye to the reality of combat. War follows a single platoon through a 15-month tour of duty in the most dangerous outpost in Afghanistan.
Synopsis
In WAR Sebastian Junger gives breathtaking insight into the truths of war-- the fear, the honor, and the trust among men. His on-the-ground account follows a single platoon through a 15-month tour of duty in the most dangerous outpost in Afghanistan's Korengal Valley. Through the experiences of these young men at war, he shows what it means to fight, to serve, and to face down mortal danger on a regular basis.
Read by the author.
Synopsis
A sweeping history and powerful indictment of America's longest overt war, by the veteran New York Times journalist who was stationed in-country throughout the entire conflict.
About the Author
Sebastian Junger is the New York Times-bestselling author of The Perfect Storm and A Death in Belmont. He is a contributing editor to Vanity Fair, and has been awarded a National Magazine Award and an SAIS Novartis Prize for journalism. He lives in New York City.
Table of Contents
Forewordand#8195;xiPrologueand#8195;xv
1.and#160;The Taliban Surrenderand#8195;1
2.and#160;The People Turnand#8195;22
3.and#160;Pakistanand#8217;s Protand#233;gand#233;sand#8195;39
4.and#160;The Taliban in Exileand#8195;56
5.and#160;Al Qaeda Regroupsand#8195;78
6.and#160;The Wrong Enemy in the Wrong Countryand#8195;93
7.and#160;The Taliban Returnand#8195;119
8.and#160;The Suicide Bomb Factoryand#8195;147
9.and#160;Militancy Explodes in Pakistanand#8195;163
10.and#160;The Taliban Close Their Gripand#8195;182
11.and#160;Karzaiand#8217;s Turnand#8195;200
12.and#160;Obamaand#8217;s Surgeand#8195;223
13.and#160;Osamaand#8217;s Safe Havenand#8195;241
14.and#160;Springtime in Zangabadand#8195;265
Acknowledgmentsand#8195;291
Notesand#8195;295
Indexand#8195;309