- Doug Stanton
This is the dramatic account of a small band of Special Forces soldiers who entered Afghanistan immediately following September 11, 2001 and, riding to war on horses, defeated the Taliban.
Outnumbered 40 to 1, they capture the strategic Afghan city of Mazar-e Sharif, and thereby effectively defeat theTaliban throughout the rest of the country. They are welcomed as liberators as they ride on horses into the city. And then, the action takes a wholly unexpected turn. During a surrender of Taliban troops, the Horse Soldiers are ambushed by the would-be P.O.W.s and, still dangerously outnumbered, they must fight for their lives in the city's ancient fortress known as Qala-I Janghi, or the House of War….
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What a fantastic read! I had watched the film and enjoyed the story, but wanted to fill in the Hollywood Holes by reading the book. Modern warfare fought with futuristic weapons from the backs of horses. One thing I appreciated about the story was how the team was inserted in-country, worked with the locals and helped them defeat their common enemy w/out the US military coming in heavy-handed and without finesse to prevent collateral damages from occurring. Quite a bit of delicacy and mental maneuvering was required for this to be a success and I appreciate the soldiers' efforts.
Heidi Y.