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bradley_jf's reviews
1247 reviews
The Operators: The Wild and Terrifying Inside Story of America's War in Afghanistan by Michael Hastings
5.0
As a US Army Veteran that served for 8 years and did two combat tours (one during the first six months of the war with Iraq and one later with an ADA unit), so much of what Hastings describes regarding military culture, the feeling on the ground among people who are actually doing the work and the disconnect that often exists between command officers (and sometimes E-8s) and the rest of the troops is spot on. It was also nice to see a real profile of higher ranking people that portrays them as human beings with victories and failures, rather than as mythologized, perfect representations of the military ethos. The spin that comes from the top down always annoyed me, because it felt like an insult to intelligence to try to present our leaders as perfect men while the rest of us were just scum, trying to scrape our way up a ladder to humanhood. It was nice to see a real face put on real people in a real war, reminding America that something's happening over there and that shit is far from clear. When you finish reading this book, you'll be asking the question that should be asked: Why are we in Afghanistan and what is it we hope to accomplish there, and is that hoped for outcome even feasible?
The Wars of Afghanistan: Messianic Terrorism, Tribal Conflicts, and the Failures of Great Powers by Peter Tomsen
5.0
This is a MUST read book by a former US government official that had dealings with and in Afghanistan from the time of the Soviet occupation. It is very well documented and presents a view of why Afghanistan has failed to coalesce as a modern nation state and why America is failing at nation-building. After reading this, I can't imagine how our government policy can possibly be so flawed. I would say policy makers in Washington need to read this book, but Tomsen sent memos to the concerned parties with the same information and nothing has changed. Afghanistan is a war that can't be won, because we're fighting it the wrong way.
A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
5.0
An amazingly well told story about two women in Afghanistan, beginning before the Soviet invasion and ending during the American invasion, it's a tale that sheds light on the personal aspect of war, what it does to families, to people, and to relationships, the impossible positions it puts people in, the shattering of hope... It's a heart wrenching story. It's also well done, and as far as I can tell, very accurate in terms of the real situation in the country. If you want to get a deeper understanding of Afghanistan (particularly Kabuli Afghans) and its people, this book can help reveal another side of the country than what you'll find by just reading news reports, looking at statistics and charts, or from watching people discuss the politics of the place.