American Spartan

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

By: Ann Scott Tyson

Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell, Danny Campbell

Lawrence of Arabia meets Sebastian Junger's War in this unique, incendiary, and dramatic true story of heroism and heartbreak in Afghanistan written by a Pulitzer Prize-nominated war correspondent.

Some have called him "Lawrence of Afghanistan". To the Pashtun tribesmen he is "Commander Jim", leader of the "bearded ones". He is Army Special Forces Major Jim Gant, one of the most charismatic and controversial U.S. commanders of modern memory, a man who 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 and equip tribal militias, but to fight - and even die - alongside them in battle. He argued that we could earn the trust of the Afghans and transform them into a reliable ally with whom we could defeat the Taliban and Al Qaeda networks. The military's top brass, including General David Petraeus, then commander of U.S. Central Command and overseeing the war in Afghanistan, and Admiral Eric Olson, head of Special Operations Command, approved the plan and gave Jim the go-ahead to embark on the mission.

p>A war story like no other, an unprecedented account of a warrior who took up the cause of villagers as if it were his own, and of a woman on the front lines of a distant war, American Spartan is an unforgettable tale - and one of the most remarkable and emotionally resonant narratives of war ever published.

©2014 Ann Scott Tyson (P)2014 HarperCollins Publishers

Very few good GBs left

This truth was emotional and hit home for many reasons. I am proud to be an American and to have listened to Jim and Ann's story. I thank you both for sharing your personal life. God Bless!!!

an amazing story

an amazing story account of a man who wanted to do great things and was.

Unconventional Warfare is Risky Business

The story is amazing. The characters deep. Opens the door a crack and gives a peek at the dark side. Not all heros are spit and polish super snipers with high and tights. This book helps explain why.

Book review..

The book was well written and performed..def a must read recommendation..wish the best to Jim And Ann.

What happened to Jim Gant was absolutely atrocious

This book illuminates exactly what is wrong with the United States military. What happened to Jim shows that senior leadership does not have an accurate depiction of what is taking place on the ground. Jim wasn't fighting a war Jim was ending a war the right way. gym was bringing people together to end the bloodshed. The biggest problem was senior leadership wanted a war and they wanted to keep the war. And Jim threatened that. Jim is not only a great military officer, he's one of the greatest, he is a good human and one of the best representatives of humanity. History will show the legacy of Jim Gant.

Phenomenal

Phenomenal is the best word I can think of to describe this read—PHENOMENAL. Period.

The best guy ever

I could not stop listening – I’d get the bends when I had to do anything that got in the way. Narrator Cassandra Campbell made me feel that author Ann Scott Tyson was talking to me in real time!

What I love about this story the most is how Jim Gant grabbed the initiative in the war and kept it no matter what. By comparison, my experience with other good Afghanistan War books showed our fighters responding to enemy attacks over and over again. It’s nice to get out of response mode and take it to the enemy. This book put me into a positive, can-do mindset.

But what a few of our own Army brass did to our war-winning Jim Gant! The names of what I think of as our nation’s traitors, a few officers who apparently have no idea how to win a war and who obviously look down on the poor mountain people of Afghanistan, are forever memorialized in this book. These insolent traitors are repugnant, a disgrace to our flag and the children of our nation, in my view. Of course, I only heard one side of the story, but had to get that out.

Thank you for your service, Jim. How is the Medal of Honor not around your neck? Are we going to have to wait 10-30 years?
Thank you for your service, Ann. The Presidential Medal of Freedom for sure!

Peshmerican Warrior

Fantastic book! I highly recommend this to anybody interested in unconventional warfare within the context of the US's policies and approach in Afghanistan. Not your typical war story!

Hit Close to Home

I may not have been sf but my service and subsequent discharge in 2009 had many similarities. This book not only reassured me that I was not alone but also that I am not crazy in thinking our current military brass have lost their minds with who the kick out and who they keep. The ending of this book hit me hard and brought up my own memories of being told I was no longer fit for service and many of the identity and honor issues Jim faces in the wake were similar to my own. This book is amazing insight into the minds of today's warrior vets and just how bad the military and it's strategy is lost its way. I highly suggest this book to everyone I meet.

Unconventional warrior in the realest sense.

A warrior at heart struggling to accomplish the very essence of special forces missions, embed with the local population and raise an indigenous force that furthers US interest and policy in that region. Maj Gant was probably the only SF officer to actually accomplish the true mission in keeping with the original mandate of special forces. While he may have crossed lines and broke strict rules, his actions were precisely what was needed to win the hearts and minds of our Afghan compatriots. Cheers to a great American warrior.