Gentlemen Bastards: On the Ground in Afghanistan with America's Elite Special Forces

Description

The Green Berets-a legendary corps of soldiers whose exploits made military history. But now, its very identity and role as a fighting force may be forever changed . . . The Green Berets-a legendary corps of soldiers whose exploits made military history. But now, its very identity and role as a fighting force may be forever changed . . . Until the war in Iraq, Special Forces were the military's counterinsurgency experts. Their specialty was going behind enemy lines and training insurgent forces. In Afghanistan, they toppled the Taliban by transforming Northern Alliance fighters into cohesive units. But since that time, Special Forces units have focused on offensive raids. With time running short, the Green Berets have now gone back to their roots. Award-winning journalist Kevin Maurer traveled with a Special Forces team in Afghanistan, finding out firsthand the inside story of the lives of this elite group of highly trained soldiers. He witnessed the intense brotherhood, the rigorous selection process, and the arduous training that makes them the best on the battlefield. Here, Maurer delivers a compelling account of modern warfare and of a fighting force that is doing everything in its power to achieve victory. ' A powerful look at Special Forces and the daily grind of tracking down the Taliban, terrorists, and other bad guys in Afghanistan.'Mitch Weiss, Pulitzer Prize - winning journalist and critically acclaimed author of Tiger Force and No Way Out 'Humorous, stark, and honest, Gentlemen Bastards shows the reality of the war in Afghanistan.'Nathan Edmondson, author of The Activity Includes Photos

Kevin Maurer has covered special-operations forces for nine years. He has been embedded with the Special Forces in Afghanistan six times, spent a month in 2006 with special-operations units in east Africa, and has embedded with US forces in Iraq and Haiti. He is the author of four books, including several about special operations.

"This story brings to life the unique men who form the ranks of the Green Berets and the Herculean tasks they must accomplish."-Rusty Bradley, author of Lions of Kandahar "[A] powerful look at Special Forces and the daily grind of tracking down the Taliban, terrorists, and other bad guys in Afghanistan." -Mitch Weiss, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and critically acclaimed author of Tiger Force and No Way Out "Humorous, stark, and honest, Gentlemen Bastards shows the reality of the war in Afghanistan." -Nathan Edmondson, author of The Activity