American Spartan: The Promise, the Mission, and the Betrayal of Special Forces Major Jim Gant

Ann Scott Tyson

Mar 2014 · Harper Collins

About this ebook

A gripping account of a U.S. Army Special Forces major’s journey into the tribal Pashtuns of Afghanistan by a Pulitzer Prize–nominated author.

One of the most charismatic, controversial U.S. commanders of modern memory, Army Special Forces Major Jim Gant changed the face of America’s war in Afghanistan when his critical white paper, “One Tribe at a Time,” went viral at the Pentagon, the White House, and on Capitol Hill in 2009.

A decorated Green Beret who had spent years training indigenous fighters, Jim argued for embedding autonomous units with tribes across Afghanistan: these American soldiers would live among Afghans for extended periods, not only to train tribal militias but also to fight with them in battle. He argued that these small U.S. teams could earn the trust of the Afghans and transform them into reliable allies with whom we could defeat the Taliban and Al Qaeda networks.

Correspondent Ann Scott Tyson came to share Jim’s vision that Americans and Pashtuns could fight side-by-side and create real change across the region, so she accompanied him to Afghanistan. This remarkable story—of Jim’s close relationships with village elder Noor Afzhal, the fierce fighting they took straight to the enemy in the mountains of Konar Province, and Ann and Jim’s deepening love for each other—is told with a keen sense of drama and immediacy.

A story like no other, American Spartan is one of the most remarkable and emotionally resonant narratives of war ever published.

Ratings and reviews

If you want to know how US Special Forces need to fight and work with local people and culture, this is the story for you. It also illustrates the utter failure of the higher chain of command to be able to understand the essence of SF work even though the actors calling the shots are themselves SF. Strength and honor Major Gant!

The best book on modern uncoventional warfare I've found to date. A detailed and thorough portrayal of the Afghan culture and subcultures. I truely wish I had read this prior to all 3 deployments. A must read!

Story of a man that was tasked to do an almost impossible job and then resented for the manner in which he successfully accomplished his mission.

About the author

Ann Scott Tyson is a war correspondent with a decade of combat experience, beginning with the invasion of Iraq. A Pulitzer Prize nominee, she has written for the Christian Science Monitor and the Washington Post and contributed to the Wall Street Journal. She and Jim Gant are married and live in Seattle, Washington.