Although books about battle aren’t usually on my “to be read” list, Lions of Kandahar, a memoir by Major Rusty Bradley and Kevin Maurer came highly recommended to me by my husband.
In 2006, Major Bradley, on his third tour of duty in Afghanistan, was part of a NATO coalition called Operation Medusa. His Special Forces A-team, also known as Green Berets, fought to take possession of Sperwan Ghar, an essential patch of high ground. When their small detachment assaulted the hill, they soon faced nearly a thousand seasoned Taliban fighters in a dramantic life or death battle.
This war memoir offers an inside look at the day-to-day operations of a Special Forces team and shows what a well-trained unit can do toward defeating insurgents determined to take control. The book describes in graphic detail the discomforts of desert fighting, the constant worry of running out of vital supplies, of managing to simply stay alive.
Lions of Kandahar is a gripping account of war and what it takes to ensure freedom. I appreciated the glossary of the often-used military acronyms, and also found interesting a list of key Afghan words. Many of the Green Berets spoke the local language, Pashto, essential in working with the Afghan National Army. Also included are photographs and maps which help readers understand situations and tactics. I would have been interested to see a page or two of graphics of the common weapons used in this fight.
This is a well-written account of an important battle, allowing the reader to better appreciate the emotions and assessments of professional military personnel, and to understand the bond between American forces and their Afghan compatriots.