The Only Thing Worth Dying For: How Eleven Green Berets Forged a New Afghanistan - War in Iraq

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Manufacturer: Harper

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Binding: Hardcover
Dewey Decimal Number: 958.1047
EAN: 9780061661228
ISBN: 0061661228
Label: Harper
Manufacturer: Harper
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 384
Publication Date: 2010-01-01
Publisher: Harper
Release Date: 2010-01-19
Studio: Harper

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Editorial Reviews:

On a moonless night just weeks after September 11, 2001, U.S. Special Forces team ODA 574 infiltrates the mountains of southern Afghanistan with a seemingly impossible mission: to foment a tribal revolt and force the Taliban to surrender. Armed solely with the equipment they can carry on their backs, shockingly scant intelligence, and their mastery of guerrilla warfare, Captain Jason Amerine and his men have no choice but to trust their only ally, a little-known Pashtun statesman named Hamid Karzai who has returned from exile and is being hunted by the Taliban as he travels the countryside raising a militia.

The Only Thing Worth Dying For chronicles the most important mission in the early days of the Global War on Terror, when the men on the ground knew little about the enemy—and their commanders in Washington knew even less. With unprecedented access to surviving members of ODA 574, key war planners, and Karzai himself, award-winning author Eric Blehm cuts through the noise of politicians and high-level military officials to narrate for the first time a story of uncommon bravery and terrible sacrifice, intimately exposing the realities of unconventional warfare and nation-building in Afghanistan that continue to shape the region today.

Spotlight customer reviews:

Customer Rating:

Summary: The Only Thing Worth Dying For
Comment: Excellent read. Even after 23 years in the Army I'm in awe of our young warriors that make up Special Forces.

Customer Rating:

Summary: Riveting, couldn't put it down!
Comment: Having read Mr. Blehm's previous work (The Last Season) which I thoroughly enjoyed, I knew I would have to read this one as well. We have struck up an acquaintanceship with Mr. Blehm and his obvious respect for and admiration of these men, comes through loud and clear in his writings. Never do you feel that this is "just a story" but rather, that he has invested himself emotionally into the lives of these men and what's even better, is that he invites you in as well!! After finishing this book, I found myself contemplative and reflective- I also found myself filled with a sense of patriotism and pride for what we Americans do best- answering the call to duty and honor!

Customer Rating:

Summary: Awesome Read
Comment: Incredible account of events in Afghanistan. Absolutely 100% recommend it. Inspiring not only from a military perspective, but also from a managerial position of orchestrating and coordinating efforts between the local community and the US Special Forces. Way cool read. Thank you Eric Blehm for creating this work and for fighting for the Freedoms of the greatest Nation on the earth! God bless you all.

Customer Rating:

Summary: You get to go on a mission when you read Eric Blehm
Comment: "I believe that no one can win a war in Afghanistan," is a paraphrased version of the opinion rendered by a Kazakh Colonel who served in the Soviet Army in Afghanistan in the 1980's. His tag line to Captain Jason Amerine in the same conversation is: "Just try to bring your men home alive."

Eric Blehm, whose prior book "The Last Season" was a major critical success has gone on to create a worthy successor in "The Only Thing Worth Dying For." Written from the perspective of Captain Jason Amerine, a West Point graduate and leader of a Special Forces team, Blehm has a knack for making the reader feel as if he is along on the mission.

This Special Forces mission occurs early in the War in Afghanistan shortly after the 9-11 attack and before the Bush Administration chose to refocus its efforts in Iraq. Hamid Karzai, a mostly still unknown mujahadeen of Pashtun origin, is a rising leader and plays a central role in this tale. Karzai and Amerine are comrades-at-arms, mission partners and close confidants during this time. As events unfold, Karzai is "discovered" and big-shot military brass worm their way in.

Blehm has done considerable research in putting this narrative together. His narrative rings true. Important and subtle details are not overlooked. My main reservation in making a four-star rather than five-star recommendation is that the dialog presented and presumed to have occured among the lead characters is occasionally too convenient. Nevertheless, Blehm succeeds in moving the story line forward, creating a compelling narrative for the arm-chair warrior.

Customer Rating:

Summary: The Only Thing Worth Dying For
Comment: If you have ever wondered about the "hype" afforded to "Green Berets" this book is a must read! Having served in Special Forces back in the days when officers and enlisted soldiers were "qualified" separately, I have often wondered if there truly has been a change in the training programs. Reading this book, I found the current training program is apparently not only the same, but there continue to be America Heroes who are willing to give their life for their country. What has not changed is the dedication and resolve of the men who take the challenge of operating in environments punctuated with hours of boredom from endless planning and training to moments of terror when one's mortality becomes apparent. Eric Blehm has written a book that documents the real purpose of Special Forces operators, explaining in exacting detail the life of men who daily are willing to lay down their lives in the pursuit of our National Security objectives ... bravo to Mr Blehm and the men and women of our Armed Forces!

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