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The Only Thing Worth Dying For: How Eleven Green Berets Fought for a New Afghanistan Audiobook
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(4.01) - 586 listener ratings
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""The one book you must read if you have any hope of understanding what our fine American soldiers are up against in Afghanistan.” —Former Congressman Charlie Wilson
From the author of the award-winning THE LAST SEASON, the untold story of the U.S. Army Special Forces team that conquered the Taliban against overwhelming odds while protecting Hamid Karzai, viewed at the time as the country’s best hope for a successful, democratically-elected leader.
On a moonless night just weeks after September 11, 2001, a U.S. Special Forces team of Green Berets known as ODA 574 infiltrated the mountains of southern Afghanistan with a seemingly impossible mission: to foment a tribal revolt and force the Taliban to surrender. Armed solely with the equipment they could carry on their backs, shockingly scant intelligence, and their mastery of guerrilla warfare, Captain Jason Amerine and his ten men had no choice but to trust their only ally, a little-known Pashtun statesman named Hamid Karzai. Having returned from exile, Karzai—on the run from the Taliban—was traveling the countryside to raise a militia.
The Only Thing Worth Dying For chronicles the most important mission in the early days of the Global War on Terror, when the men on the ground knew little about the enemy—and their commanders in Washington knew even less. With unprecedented access to surviving members of ODA 574, key war planners, and Karzai himself, award-winning author Eric Blehm cuts through the noise of politicians and high-level military officials to narrate for the first time a story of uncommon bravery and terrible sacrifice, intimately exposing the realities of unconventional warfare and nation-building in Afghanistan that continue to shape the region today.
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"An amazing story. A little difficult to follow at times. Lots of miliatry jargon. Coming to the last few chapters which tell about what happened to these men and the response to try and save them left me angry, sad, and thankful at the same time. Well worth the read."
— Tim (4 out of 5 stars)
The Only Thing Worth Dying For Listener Reviews
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" ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS I HAVE READ ABOUT SPECIAL FORCES AND CIA INVOLVEMENT IN, AFGHANISTAN! "
— Mikey, 1/14/2014 -
" Great book looking at the opening days of a few boots on the ground in Afghanistan. Capt. Amerine is a hero in the truest sense, I put him up there with men like Major Winters from Easy Company in WWII. "
— Jim, 1/11/2014 -
" A very detailed look at the early days of the invasion of Afghanistan and what a few courageous Americans had to go thru to protect Hamid Karzai and his role in the country's future "
— Brett, 1/1/2014 -
" Surprisingly good read. Picked it up on a whim. "
— Michael, 12/27/2013 -
" What an amazing story about an unknown group of heroes. "
— Tony, 12/25/2013 -
" I am reading up on IRAQ war stories to try and get a feel of what Adam lived. "
— Veronica, 12/14/2013 -
" This was an amazing tale of Green Berets who helped shape a democracy in Afghanistan. The author details the exploits of a squad of amazing soldiers who put it all on the line for freedom. An interesting, well-written tale of courage and persistence. A great read! "
— Shaun, 11/18/2013 -
" A great read about a very tough assignment politically, environmentally, and socially "
— Paul, 11/2/2013 -
" Very well-written narrative non-fiction. If you are unaware of the involvement America had in helping Hamid Karzai rise to power, or of the opening days of our actions in Afghanistan after 9/11/01, I highly recommend this book. "
— Kevin, 10/24/2013 -
" I have to admit I did not actually finish this book. And I probably never will. I got to the part where the guys were going to start dying and I just couldn't bring myself to read about it. It feels like I got to know them and I just don't want to read about the end. "
— Lori, 7/27/2013 -
" I remember this time very good as i was part of the St. Petersberg detail and remember the early years in AFG very well. These events are part of my own past, which is weird to see a book about that. "
— Mike, 6/22/2013 -
" Pretty intense. Helped me to better understand what my special forces friends did out there in Afghanistan "
— Jeff, 5/2/2013 -
" If you are into military drama, this is the book for you. The last 100 pages are the most exciting, detailing what happens to the ODA 574 group in Afghanistan. Lots of military acronyms that I had a hard time remembering. "
— Amy, 1/11/2013 -
" Incredible to read how the start to the war in Afghanistan began the effect it had on the men who were there for the start. "
— Eric, 12/1/2012 -
" Hit home for me in many ways. May we always remember our fallen soldiers and those who have sacrificed so much. "
— Michelle, 9/17/2012 -
" Well written and informative. Good insight into SF mentality and how they operate. I usually prefer books written by the actual guys on the ground instead of a journalist, but this one seemed well researched. "
— Annie, 7/23/2012 -
" The scope of this book was amazing. I don't look at the military the same, or Operation Enduring Freedom... "
— Jeanette, 6/17/2012
About Eric Blehm
Eric Blehm is a bestselling author and award-winning journalist, who has contributed to GQ, Outside, Men’s Journal, Backpacker, Climbing, Couloir, Hemispheres, and the Los Angeles Times. In 1999 he broke ground as the first journalist to accompany and keep pace with an elite Army Ranger unit on a training mission. His access to the Special Operations community and reportage set an important milestone for American war journalism two years before reporters began to gain widespread embedded status with the US military in the War on Terror. Blehm gained a reputation for following stories to remote and risky environments, which has led him to previously untold stories, including one of an elite team of eleven Green Berets who operated in the hinterland of Taliban-held Afghanistan just weeks after 9/11. Winner of the Barnes & Noble Discover Award for The Last Season, he has distinguished himself as one of America’s most important new nonfiction writers. He is also widely known for his participatory coverage of outdoor sports and topics in the realm of adventure travel.
About P. J. Ochlan
P. J. Ochlan is an Audie Award–winning, multiple Earphones Award–winning, and Voice Arts Award–nominated narrator of hundreds of audiobooks. His acting career spans more than thirty years and has also included Broadway, the New York Shakespeare Festival under Joseph Papp, critically acclaimed feature films, and television series regular roles.