The Outpost: An Untold Story of American Valor (Paperback)

Staff Reviews
When commanders in Washington D.C. decide to build an outpost in the valley of one of the most remote regions in Afghanistan, many of the soldiers tasked with operating from it have their doubts about the outpost’s placement. The terrain makes it too difficult to supply the outpost from the air so the only way to get supplies is from a treacherously narrow and deteriorating road. Each trip is met with increasingly effective ambushes. The enemy has the high ground and it seems that everyone, including the local villagers knows a large attack is impending. On October 3rd 2009 that attack happened. An estimated 400 insurgents attacked the 53 soldiers living at outpost. This book is a terrific look in the realities of the war in Afghanistan, told with the perspectives of the soldiers whose lives are impacted by the misguided decisions of far-off commanders.
— EonDescription
In The Outpost, Jake Tapper gives us the powerful saga of COP Keating, from its establishment to eventual destruction, introducing us to an unforgettable cast of soldiers and their families, and to a place and war that has remained profoundly distant to most Americans. A runaway bestseller, it makes a savage war real, and American courage manifest.
About the Author
CNN anchor and Chief Washington Correspondent Jake Tapper joined the network in January 2013. The Lead with Jake Tapper, his one-hour weekday program, debuted in March 2013. Tapper was named host of the network's Sunday morning show, State of the Union, in June 2015. Tapper has been a widely respected reporter in the nation's capital for more nearly 20 years. He is also the author of the bestseller The Outpost and the novel The Hellfire Club.
Praise For…
"The power of THE OUTPOSTlies in Tapper's development of the main characters ... He juxtaposes dramatic battles, complete with limbs blown off and eyes dangling from sockets, with poignant scenes of wives and parents first learning of the deaths of their loved ones."—Seth Jones, Washington Post
"The Outpost is a mind-boggling, all-too-true story of heroism, hubris, failed strategy, and heartbreaking sacrifice. If you want to understand how the war in Afghanistan went off the rails, you need to read this book."—Jon Krakauer, author of Into Thin Air and Where Men Win Glory
"This is a narrative, not a polemic, and Tapper patiently lays out the history of what happened at Keating in a gripping, forceful style...[T]his unadorned, powerful accountchallenges the purposes and wisdom of America's ongoing military presence [in Afghanistan]...A timely indictment of a thoughtless waste of young American lives."—Kirkus
"Tapper always finds just the right personality traits and stories about [the troops'] backgrounds, allowing readers to respect them and relate to them...The Outpost is an alternately exhilarating, heartbreaking and maddening book. But ultimately...it's a testament to the fact that the brave men and women who serve and sacrifice for the United States deserve our appreciation."—Patheos.com
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