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9781665155656

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[Gopal] presents a stirring critique of American forces who commanded overwhelming firepower, but lacked the situational knowledge to achieve their objectives...Gopal reveals the fragility of the tenuous connection between intention and destiny in a war-torn land. -- Publishers Weekly A brilliant analysis of our military's dysfunction and a startlingly clear account of the consequences. -- Mother Jones Brilliantly written...Gopal's method of going deep into the lives of several Talibs, warlords, and ordinary Afghans...demonstrates how different the Americans' 'mistakes' feel when the dead, injured, and traumatized people have been amply humanized. -- Bookforum Gopal's book is essential reading for anyone concerned about how America got Afghanistan so wrong. It is a devastating, well-honed prosecution detailing how our government bungled the initial salvo in the so-called war on terror, ignored attempts by top Taliban leaders to surrender, trusted the wrong people and backed a feckless and corrupt Afghan regime...It is ultimately the most compelling account I've read of how Afghans themselves see the war. -- New York Times Book Review, Editor's Choice Original and stimulating...Policymakers and informed readers will benefit immensely from this illuminating book. -- Library Journal Refreshingly complex and thought-provoking. . . Often reading like an adventure novel...Gopal offers a unique perspective, an essential examination of policy, and a rock-solid narrative that ensures this will be one of the few books people still read years from now when they want to understand America's war in Afghanistan. -- Christian Science Monitor This is one of the first important books about America's longest war...Assaf Cohen is an accomplished narrator...Cohen's pacing is excellent. His diction is clear, and his pronunciation of Afghan place names practiced. While Cohen's all-purpose Pashto accent gets old--he uses it for almost all interview excerpts--he captures the anguish of Gopal's interview subjects as they describe having to make impossible choices. -- AudioFile With a plethora of policy-oriented works on Afghanistan having appeared in recent years, Anand Gopal wisely chooses to tell the war's story from the personal perspective of three characters...Gopal displays a keen understanding of the levers of power in Afghan society and their sometimes devastating effect on individuals trying to make their way in the world. -- Los Angeles Times

"""[Gopal] presents a stirring critique of American forces who commanded overwhelming firepower, but lacked the situational knowledge to achieve their objectives...Gopal reveals the fragility of the tenuous connection between intention and destiny in a war-torn land."" -- ""Publishers Weekly"" ""A brilliant analysis of our military's dysfunction and a startlingly clear account of the consequences."" -- ""Mother Jones"" ""Brilliantly written...Gopal's method of going deep into the lives of several Talibs, warlords, and ordinary Afghans...demonstrates how different the Americans' 'mistakes' feel when the dead, injured, and traumatized people have been amply humanized."" -- ""Bookforum"" ""Gopal's book is essential reading for anyone concerned about how America got Afghanistan so wrong. It is a devastating, well-honed prosecution detailing how our government bungled the initial salvo in the so-called war on terror, ignored attempts by top Taliban leaders to surrender, trusted the wrong people and backed a feckless and corrupt Afghan regime...It is ultimately the most compelling account I've read of how Afghans themselves see the war."" -- ""New York Times Book Review, Editor's Choice "" ""Original and stimulating...Policymakers and informed readers will benefit immensely from this illuminating book."" -- ""Library Journal"" ""Refreshingly complex and thought-provoking. . . Often reading like an adventure novel...Gopal offers a unique perspective, an essential examination of policy, and a rock-solid narrative that ensures this will be one of the few books people still read years from now when they want to understand America's war in Afghanistan."" -- ""Christian Science Monitor"" ""This is one of the first important books about America's longest war...Assaf Cohen is an accomplished narrator...Cohen's pacing is excellent. His diction is clear, and his pronunciation of Afghan place names practiced. While Cohen's all-purpose Pashto accent gets old--he uses it for almost all interview excerpts--he captures the anguish of Gopal's interview subjects as they describe having to make impossible choices."" -- ""AudioFile"" ""With a plethora of policy-oriented works on Afghanistan having appeared in recent years, Anand Gopal wisely chooses to tell the war's story from the personal perspective of three characters...Gopal displays a keen understanding of the levers of power in Afghan society and their sometimes devastating effect on individuals trying to make their way in the world."" -- ""Los Angeles Times"""

Author Information

Anand Gopal has served as an Afghanistan correspondent for the Wall Street Journal and the Christian Science Monitor, and has reported on the Middle East and South Asia for Harper's, the Nation, the New Republic, Foreign Policy, and other publications. Gopal is a fellow at the New America Foundation. Assaf Cohen is an AudioFile Earphones Award-winning narrator. He has appeared in various plays, short films, and television shows. He grew up in Palo Alto and attended UC Berkeley where he earned a bachelor's degree in integrative biology. He continued his classical training by earning a master of fine arts in acting from the Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University under the instruction of legendary acting instructor William Esper.

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