littlespider9 's review for:

American Cipher: Bowe Bergdahl and the U.S. Tragedy in Afghanistan by Matt Farwell, Michael Ames

4.5

informative reflective tense medium-paced

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I was pleasantly surprised at how this was a critical, multi-dimensional look at the Bowe Bergdahl case. The authors didn't present any party involved as inherently heroic or flawless - not Bowe who made a reckless decision, not the national security community whose motives were varied, and not the media personalities who profited from their sensationalist takes. I would highly recommend this to anyone interested in the Bergdahl case as a striking case study of how the military-industrial complex serves politicians and the aspirations of its leaders, not the individual servicemen and women in their command. It also serves as a decent primer on U.S. military history in Afghanistan and the Middle East.