Horse Soldiers by Doug Stanton
Horse Soldiers is the extraordinary account of a small group of Special Forces soldiers who secretly enter Afghanistan after 9/11 and rode to war on horses to fight the Taliban. Way out numbered, they pursued the enemy across mountainous terrain and, after intense battles, captured the city of Mazar-i-Sharif, which was essential if they were to defeat the Taliban.
Deeply researched, the book reads like an adventure novel. It is full of unforgettable characters – the soldiers and the wives they left at home, the CIA operatives, the afghan warlords and the Afghan people themselves. Especially unforgettable is Mike Spann, the CIA paramilitary officer from Alabama who was killed during the Taliban prisoner uprising.
Horse Soldiers gives a vivid picture of war in a primitive land and a new appreciation of what these soldiers went through to protect freedom. I highly recommend it.
