The Mercenary

A Story of Brotherhood and Terror in the Afghanistan War

By: Jeffrey E. Stern

Narrated by: Ray Corasani

A thrilling and emotional story about the bonds forged in war and good intentions gone wrong.

In the early days of the Afghanistan war, Jeff Stern was scouring the streets of Kabul for a big story. He was accompanied by a driver, Aimal, who had ambitions of his own: to get rich off the sudden infusion of foreign attention and cash.

In this gripping adventure story, Stern writes of how he and Aimal navigated an environment full of guns and danger and opportunity, and how they forged a deep bond.

Then Stern got a call that changed everything. He discovered that Aimal had become an arms dealer, and was ultimately forced to flee the country to protect his family from his increasingly dangerous business partners.

Tragic, powerful, and layered, The Mercenary is more than a wartime drama. It is a Rashomon-like story about how politics and violence warp our humanity, and keep the most important truths hidden.

©2023 Jeffrey E. Stern (P)2023 PublicAffairs

Critic reviews

The Mercenary is one of the most important books about America’s longest war. It is a story of two individuals from two different continents brought together by war, and their courage, absolute commitment, and sacrifices for each other will make you laugh, cry, rage, break your heart, then make you laugh again and again until you are healed. It reads like an immersive thriller, but it is more compelling because the events are true and riveting. Mr. Stern has managed to show how the levers of power in Afghanistan devastate ordinary Afghans who try to make a living. The Mercenary is a must-read.—Qais Akbar Omar, author of A Fort of Nine Towers

It’s remarkable how little we understand about what really went on in America’s twenty-year war in Afghanistan. The Mercenary is not just a story about that war—it’s a story about the misunderstanding that defined it. At once heart-pounding and complex, personal and expansive, this book is full of guns and dust and fast cars, but also something key to great war reporting: heart.—Peter Bergen, CNN National Security Analyst

A moving story full of humanity and great curiosity. A riveting and heart-pounding war story. The Mercenary is a special book.—Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin, Oscar-winning directors of Free Solo

Brilliant, honest, engrossing and raw

Jeffery E. Stern is a fantastic writer and storyteller.

Ray Corasani does justice to Stern’s incisive prose with pitch-perfect narration.

Stern is such a talented storyteller that this book moves along relentlessly. He is so honest and self-critical that I sometimes wanted to ask him not to be so hard on himself, but his prose are always clear and accurate and, at times, profoundly moving while never sentimental.

This book was recommended to me by a friend, and I did not know what to expect. What I can tell you is that you are unlikely to regret listening to or reading it. Some moments may make you uncomfortable, they may make you confront difficult questions about war, friendship, and justice, and they may even make you wonder whether you are doing enough to help people in need, but it will never bore you.

Stern divided the book into three main sections. The first section is written from his point of view, his path to becoming a war correspondent in Afghanistan. While his path is almost an accident, he is so consistently lucky that it must be more natural skill than luck. Early on, he meets a driver in this section called Alex, who becomes the key to breaking into a real war reporting job without experience. The relationship between the author and Alex is the critical storyline that ties this book together.

Section two runs through the same timeline as section one but from Aimal’s (Alex’s Afgan name) point of view. I feel Stern added more depth of emotion and sympathy to Aimal’s story than his own, even though Aimal gets caught up with some frightening people and runs a dangerous business.

And finally, section three pulls all these threads together as an ad hoc group of people work to save Afghan women and teachers as the West withdrawals and the Taliban takes control.

Throughout the book, the story unfolds artfully, part journalism, part war drama, part relationships story about the bonds created under stress when everything is at risk and when someone dependable can be the difference between life and death.

Stern’s prose drives the book forward, his honesty makes you believe, and the relationship between Aimal/Alex and him runs so deep and moving that I found myself tearing up in the end, even as the narrative is so clear-eyed.

You can’t help but marvel at the work done by groups like 30 Birds https://www.30birdsfoundation.org, who Stern worked nonstop with to get Afghans out in the end and settle in Canada, the real hero’s who I could not resist donating to, you might consider it too.

If you want a great read that puts you in the center of a dynamic story, is well-written, and leaves you more knowledgeable about the dynamics of war, this is your next book. It will give you faith that just a few people can make a big difference in the toughest of circumstances.

Important and thrilling read

A powerful book about war, friendship and understanding humanity. Great for anyone who wants to know more about Afghanistan, journalism, and the human condition. Couldn’t put it down!

Holy enthralling book, Batman!

I wasn't going to bed until this book was finished. It was beautiful, and heart-breaking, and captivating. i laughed, I cried, and I was genuinely moved. I loved it, man. Having the fortitude to display that sort of honesty about yourself and your own shortcomings as an author was impressive. And the nail biter in the end not knowing whether his people would get out of Afghanistan. It truly had the makings of all my favorite stories: comedy, drama, heartbreak, love and love lost. Well done.

I truly hope there's a follow-up to this book somewhere later in our timeline. Truly a marvelous piece of writing and an exceptional encore to Stern's first book The Last Thousand