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First Casualty
- Narrated by: John Hopkins
- Length: 12 hrs and 36 mins
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First Casualty
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Summary
'Reads like a Tom Clancy thriller, yet every word is true ... This is modern warfare close-up and raw' Andrew Roberts
Bestselling and Orwell Prize-winning author Toby Harnden tells the gripping and incredible story of the six-day battle that began the War in Afghanistan and how it set the scene for twenty years of conflict.
The West is in shock. Al-Qaeda has struck the US on 9/11 and thousands are dead.
Within weeks, UK Special Forces enter the fray in Afghanistan alongside the CIA's Team Alpha and US troops.
Victory is swift, but fragile. Hundreds of jihadists surrender and two operatives from Team Alpha enter Qala-i Jangi – the 'Fort of War' – to interrogate them. The prisoners revolt, one CIA man falls, and the other is trapped inside the fort. Seven members of the SBS – elite British Special Forces – volunteer for the rescue force and race into danger and the unknown.
The six-day battle that follows proves to be one of the bloodiest of the Afghanistan war as the SBS and their American comrades face an enemy determined to die in the mud citadel.
Superbly researched, First Casualty is based on unprecedented access to the CIA, SBS, and US Special Forces. Orwell Prize-winning author Toby Harnden recounts the gripping story of that first battle in Afghanistan and how the haunting foretelling it contained – unreliable allies, ethnic rivalries, suicide attacks, and errant bombs – was ignored, fueling the twenty-year conflict to come.
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- j dog
- 24-10-23
Incredible journalism
Having been on assignment in Afghanistan during the Soviet occupation I know how accurate the accounts truly are.
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- GREGORY PRATT
- 23-07-23
Excellent account of early days Afghanistan!
Great account of those early days of the war in Afghanistan from first hand memoirs and interviews of those that were there and the battle at Qali-I-Jangi. Intimate detail and analysis of the beginning of the war and superb summary on how it fatally up-ended.
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- Foxy
- 23-07-22
Fantastic.
I couldn’t recommend this book enough. I’ve now listened to it and read it. The research and details in the book is fantastic.
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- Eugene Mitchell
- 01-06-23
We owe so much to so few, this is an amazing story
We owe so much to so few, this is an amazing story, I have been in tears more than once and I couldn't stop listening to it. written so well and with such understanding of real people and families. Not just from the side of the US & UK forces but the Afghanis too. I have done my best to read as much about the wars of my life time where Brothers and Sisters have made the ultimate sacrifice out of respect for them and their families. So if this is something you're looking for then this is for you.
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- Josh R.
- 17-04-24
Slow start but persevere
Start is a bit slow but it really gets going in the middle and towards the end. A fascinating insight
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- A.B
- 23-03-22
an amazing story that needed to be written
great details. paints a vivid picture of the early days of GWAT . essential listening
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- Nigel
- 30-12-22
Outstanding
Refined and excellent presentation of this revised perspective; with diligent and extensive research, this was absorbing. Many historical studies inform and immerse, but this left me feeling redirected and gifted with fresh insight.
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- steve armitt
- 04-11-22
Excellent listening
I am a veteran of UK military, I spent most of the 1970,s in Ulster. This true account of the trauma men go through in combat has helped me quieten my demons.
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- Brummy
- 25-01-23
Fascinating
Brilliantly researched and exceptionally detailed account of the individuals and events leading up to and during the battle.
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- Anonymous User
- 23-06-23
Very interesting and insightful, worth a listen.
This book is very interesting on many levels. If you are interested in developing an understanding of what led to what in the early days of the Afghanistan war this is a good start.
The book is not afraid to talk about other parties involved that are not CIA or there associated ODA teams. There is constant reference to what war lords are doing along with their fighters. This in many ways is some of the more insightful listening. There is a clear understanding of the massive cultural differences, which makes this book more valuable that some.
My only mild criticism(more of an observation) is that it is clearly written by an American, this is not a problem, it is exactly who I would hope would write this. However it does mean at points it can be a bit obtuse about it. As an example at a point the British SBS is directly compared to the American Seals, while not totally untrue may not me 100% perfect either.
But over all this book is an amazing insight into a world that many people don't even know existed. If you have any interest in this kind of thing I would wholeheartedly recommend the book. I cart thank all those involved both in the story it's self and the creation of this book enough.
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