Into the Viper's Nest: The First Pivotal Battle of the Afghan War

Description

Recounts the dramatic three-day battle for the Taliban stronghold of Musa Qala that started on 7 December 2007. With a pre-battle population of fifteen to twenty thousand, Musa Qala was the only significant town held by the Taliban at that time. Attacking against two thousand Taliban fighters, who were heavily dug in after occupying the town for more than nine months, the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) was spearheaded by Task Force 1 Fury: 1st Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, of the 82nd Airborne Division. For the ISAF Musa Qala was a target of immense importance; the Taliban had to be driven out and the town secured. With months of occupation to get ready, the Taliban were prepared to stand and fight. What resulted was one of the biggest and most terrible battles of the war.

Stephen Grey is a journalist based in London, best known for breaking the international exclusive story of the CIA's secret rendition program for which he won the 2005 Amnesty International Media Award and formed the basis for his book Ghost Plane. He is a former editor of the Sunday Times and continues to contribute there as well as the New York Times, Guardian, Times, Independent, and Newsweek.

HISTORYTIMES.COM It took a long time for the British public to fully appreciate the deadly nature of the war in Afghanistan. Now though, through the television coverage and books such as Into the Viper's Nest, no-one underestimates the difficult and challenging circumstances under which our armed forces have to operate. LIBRARY JOURNAL Skillfully and sympathetically told from the point of view of the hard-pressed soldiers, Grey's book will be a strong addition to the growing literature on the Afghan war. THE VETERANS REPORTER ...a welcome addition to the literature of U.S. involvement in Afghanistan.