First published 2010
Sebastian Junger follows one platoon through fifteen months at a remote outpost in Afghanistan's Korengal Valley. The author of The Perfect Storm turns his attention to modern warfare, documenting the daily reality these soldiers face in one of the war's most dangerous locations. Junger examines how extreme circumstances forge bonds between men whose lives depend on each other. He explores the psychology of combat through direct observation, showing how fear and trust operate when death becomes a constant possibility. The book reveals what military service means when survival requires total commitment to fellow soldiers. Junger presents an unfiltered view of contemporary warfare through the experiences of young Americans fighting far from home.
Genres: war, military-fiction, action, non-fiction, 21st-century, american-history
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, survival
Setting: Afghanistan, Korengal Valley
Period: Contemporary
304 pages · Hardcover · Twelve
Content warnings: death, graphic-violence, war