Horse Soldiers by Doug Stanton

It reads like a tale from the American frontier. A small group of resourceful and superbly-trained Special Forces soldiers arrived secretly at the base of Northern Alliance forces in northern Afghanistan shortly after 9/11 to aid them in their war against the Taliban. The Afghan forces fought with whatever weapons they could scrounge, lived on one spare meal a day, wore slippers and suitcoats and rode on horseback into battle.
 

Few of the Americans had ever ridden horses, let alone trusted the animals to transport them over perilous mountain trails. The Taliban far outnumbered the Afghans, but the combination of Afghani ferocious courage and laser-guided bombs aimed by the American specialists turned the course of the war. It’s an inspiring, jaw-dropping story based on hundreds of interviews and documents. Stanton’s sincere respect for these soldiers shines through this page-turning tale of their battles. The training given to Special Forces troops and the care they took to respect the culture of their allies are of particular interest as the U.S. focuses more attention on this rugged country.
 

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