‘The Outpost’: in Afghanistan, defending the indefensible

‘The Outpost’: in Afghanistan, defending the indefensible
“The Outpost: An Untold Story of American Valor” by Jake Tapper, senior White House correspondent for ABC News, is meticulously researched, excellently written and a must-read about our troops in Afghanistan.
By Curt Schleier
Special to The Seattle Times


‘The Outpost: An Untold Story of American Valor’ by Jake Tapper
Little, Brown, 688 pp., $28.99

“The Outpost” carries with it a sense of déjà vu. There are echoes here of Sebastian Junger’s book “War” (and its associated documentary, “Restrepo”), about soldiers billeted in Afghanistan’s dangerous Korengal Valley; like them, the troops of “The Outpost” are stationed in a perilous area surrounded by insurgents.

As in several other recent books — for example, last year’s “Lions of Kandahar” — “The Outpost” also is filled with stories of brave, dedicated, intelligent young Americans put in untenable positions by leaders who at best seem stupid and at worst uncaring.

That is not to say that this is an unimportant book; on the contrary, it may prove one of the most important of the year. By Jake Tapper, senior White House correspondent for ABC News, the book is meticulously researched, excellently written and a must-read for everyone who does more than just mouth the phrase,”I support the troops.”
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