Operation Snakebite: The Explosive True Story of an Afghan Desert Siege

Description

A real life military adventure - a magnificent account of the reality of modern warfare Coming up to Christmas, and reporter Stephen Grey is embedded with B Company, 2 Yorks, in southern Afghanistan during Operation Snakebite. Their mission- to take the Taliban stronghold of Musa Qala. For some this battle will be their last. In the thick of the fighting, Grey provides a breathtaking boots-and-bullets glimpse of combat chaos as British, American and Afghan forces struggle to secure a dusty little desert town known to be crucial to the drug trade. Operation Snakebite reveals everything you need to know about the brutal conflict in Afghanistan- from the political infighting and bureaucratic interference to the frontline troops soldiering on with unsuitable gear and poor intelligence.

Stephen Grey is a 41-year-old journalist based in London best known for his world-exclusive revelations on the CIA's secret rendition program. His first book Ghost Plane, on the subject of rendition, was published in 2006. He is a former editor on the Sunday Times' investigations unit.

Exemplary. An uncommonly vivid portrait of battle, matched by sharp investigation of purposes, intrigues and cock-ups -- Max Hastings * Sunday Times * Superb, fast-paced. Captures the grit and the gore, the exhaustion and emotion, the killing and the dying. A fine piece of war reporting -- Raymond Bonner * Guardian * Grey manages to get across the chaos and the hellish fear experienced by those under fire at the sharp end of battle. Will long outlast the events it recounts * Sunday Herald * The fear, the courage, the uncertainty, the gut-wrenching personal tragedies and the sheer mayhem of two days' intensive fighting is frequently more vivid than any film. Terrific -- Misha Glenny * Mail on Sunday * A fascinating insight . . . a catalogue of doubt, criticism and anger -- David Crouch * Financial Times * A revealing, exceptional piece of reportage -- Michael Smith * New Statesman *