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Horse Soldiers: The Extraordinary Story of a Band of US Soldiers Who Rode to Victory in Afghanistan |  | Author: Doug Stanton
Publisher: Scribner
Category: Book
List Price: $28.00
Buy Used: $7.39
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Seller: Money Saving Habits
Rating:  96 reviews
Sales Rank: 3097
Media: Hardcover
Edition: Complete Numbers Starting with 1, 1st Ed
Pages: 416
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.5
Dimensions (in): 9.1 x 6 x 1.3
ISBN: 1416580514
Dewey Decimal Number: 958.1047
EAN: 9781416580515
ASIN: 1416580514
Publication Date: May 5, 2009
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Features:
| • | ISBN13: 9781416580515 | | • | Condition: NEW | | • | Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark. |
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Product Description
From the New York Times-bestselling author of In Harm's Way comes a true-life story of American soldiers overcoming great odds to achieve a stunning military victory.Horse Soldiers is the dramatic account of a small band of Special Forces soldiers who secretly entered Afghanistan following 9/11 and rode to war on horses against the Taliban. Outnumbered forty to one, they pursued the enemy across mountainous terrain and, after a series of intense battles, captured the city of Mazar-i-Sharif, which was strategically essential if they were to defeat the Taliban. The bone-weary American soldiers were welcomed as liberators, and overjoyed Afghans thronged the streets. Then the action took a wholly unexpected turn. During a surrender of six hundred Taliban troops, the Horse Soldiers were ambushed. Dangerously outnumbered, they fought for their lives in the city's immense fortress, Qala-i-Janghi, or the House of War. At risk were the military gains of the entire campaign: if the soldiers perished or were captured, the effort to defeat the Taliban might be doomed. As the Americans struggled to hold the fortress, they faced some of the most intense urban warfare of our time. But until now the full story of the Horse Soldiers has never been told. Doug Stanton received unprecedented cooperation from the U.S. Army's Special Forces soldiers and Special Operations helicopter pilots, as well as access to voluminous after-battle reports. In addition, he interviewed more than one hundred participants and walked every inch of the climactic battleground. This exciting story is filled with unforgettable characters: brave Special Forces soldiers, tough CIA operatives, cunning Afghan warlords, anxious stateside soldiers' wives who do not know where their husbands have gone, and humble Afghan boys spying on the Taliban. Deeply researched and beautifully written, Stanton's account of America's quest to liberate an oppressed people touches the mythic. The Horse Soldiers combined ancient strategies of cavalry warfare with twenty-first-century aerial bombardment technology to perform a seemingly impossible feat. Moreover, their careful effort to win the hearts of local townspeople and avoid civilian casualties proved a valuable lesson for America's ongoing efforts in Afghanistan. Horse Soldiers is a big-hearted and thrilling read, with an epic story that reaches not just across the cold mountains of Afghanistan but into the homes of small-town America, and confirms Doug Stanton as one of our country's preeminent storytellers.
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| Customer Reviews:
 Great Story, Juvenile Writing, Nonexistent Editing February 17, 2010
Kevin Hill (Madison, WI)
I have been doing a lot of reading about Afghanistan recently, and was very excited to read this book. I was, therefore, quite dissapointed at how poorly written/edited it is. I had to stop myself from putting it down (permanently) in frustration at many times.
I was first struck by the poor quality of writing. We are givenso many insignificant, mundane, and often repetitive details. I lost track of how many men had "peppered" beards or "salt and pepper" hair. Somebody get this guy a Thesaurus. I really don't care if he was wearing "jeans and a black sweater" unless it really adds to the story. Add to this, a very long list of characters, and you have a recipe for confusion. Or how about page 124 where we are told that Nelson "worried about Jean (his wife) having the baby without him while he was gone. Most people didn't think soldiers cared about that kind of thing. But Nelson did." What kind of "soldiers-are-so-tuff-they-don't" care BS is this guy pedalling. So I am to believe that most people think that soldiers don't care/worry about their wives giving birth to their first born alone while their husbands are at war? WTF!!! I would think that something was SERIOUSLY wrong with any person (soldier or not) who wasn't concerned about being gone when their wife was giving birth to their first born. I would also I would think something was quite wrong with anyone who didn't feel the same way.
More offensive, though, was the AMAZINGLY poor editing. For example, how did an editor (if there was one) not recognize the appaling sentence structure of "Dean pretty much believed there wasn't something he couldn't improve, himself most of all" on page 169 (center). Or even worse, on page 283, we are told that Herat is "about sixty miles west of Mazar", when the map opposite page 1 shows it is over 150 miles! Then, only 6 pages later on page 289 we are told that "General Dostum would afford them safe passage to the nearby ancient city of Herat, east of Mazar". Did you catch that...Herat is now EAST of Mazar - Unbelievable!
An amazing story virtually ruined. If you feel like wading through a very poorly written story, there is good information to be gleaned, but if you are the kind of person who even half-way pays attention to detail...well, you've been warned.
 an outstanding overview of post 911 and the silent fight in Afghanistan. February 7, 2010
T. Flynn
This truly is a riveting retelling of post 911 Special Forces soldiers and CIA operatives that entered Afghanistan and engaged in the fight against Al Qaeda. So many unsung heroes that have sacrificed love, life, and family in the call of duty- I, for one, am grateful and humbly indebted to the many who have bravely fought and faced enemies, and who would do it all over again in the name of freedom.
Horse Soldiers February 2, 2010
R. Werly
this book is a reminder of how much we owe these "unsung heros". This book shares the day to day challenges, including victories and defeats of our special forces working behind the scenes.
 A lot of characters, but a good story. January 25, 2010
Cindy A. Mcdaniel (Ojai, CA)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
It was hard to keep track of all of the characters and their ranks. But all in all a good story that I passed on to a family member to read.
Great book! January 14, 2010
Marvin C. (NY, NY)
The book describes the activities of a group of U.S. special forces that assisted the Northern Alliance in defeating the Taliban. The last part of the book focuses on the Qala-I-Janghi prison riot. This riot was well covered by the news media. News footage of the riot and ensuing battle can be found on youtube. This was an eye-opening book. It covered the relevant history of the Taliban in Afghanistan, its battles with the Northern Alliance and the close relationship between the Northern Alliance and the special forces. Battles are described in gripping detail.
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