The Outpost: An Untold Story of American Valor

Author(s): Jake Tapper

Biography

At 6:00 a.m. on the morning of October 3, 2009, Combat Outpost Keating was viciously attacked by Taliban insurgents. The 53 U.S. troops, having been stationed at the bottom of three steep mountains, were severely outmanned by nearly 400 Taliban fighters. Though the Americans ultimately prevailed, their casualties made it one of the war's deadliest battles for U.S. forces. And after more than three years in that dangerous and vulnerable valley a mere 14 miles from the Pakistan border, the U.S. abandoned and bombed the camp. A Pentagon investigation later concluded that there was no reason for Outpost Keating to have been there in the first place. THE OUTPOST is a tour de force of investigative journalism. Jake Tapper exposes the origins of this tragic and confounding story, exploring the history of the camp and detailing the stories of soldiers heroic and doomed, shadowed by the recklessness of their commanders in Washington, D.C., and a war built on constantly shifting sands.


Product Information

Jake Tapper, ABC News Senior White House Correspondent, delivers an epic account of valor and sacrifice in one of America's deadliest Afghanistan battles.

Commended for L.A. Times Book Prize (Current Interest) 2012.

"Tapper, the network's ambitious, telegenic Senior White House Correspondent, has made a name for himself as a tough questioner...ABC's tenacious reporter is already proving to be the new star of the White House press pack."-- The Daily Beast "Tapper's sassy style...gives the book a humorous angle that probably won't be found in most mainstream books about Election 2000....For those who are looking for an insider's view and tales, this is the book to buy."-- National Journal ""The Army uses the term 'BLUF' - bottom line up front. The BLUF on Jake Tapper's new book on Afghanistan, THE OUTPOST, is that you need to read it."--breitbart.com "Likely one of the most important books to come out on Afghanistan."-- The Jewish Daily Forward "Curt Schleier " "The most important book I read all year."-- Seattle Times "Mary Ann Gwinn " "Meticulously researched, excellently written and a must-read...It may prove one of the most important [books] of the year."-- Seattle Times "Curt Schleier " "THE OUTPOST is a valuable because its faithful account of bravery, stupidity, and inertia makes the objective case for admiration and outrage."--Sam Jacobson, Commentary ""The Outpost" is a mind-boggling, all-too-true story of heroism, hubris, failed strategy, and heartbreaking sacrifice. If you want to understand how the war in Afghanistan went off the rails, you need to read this book." Jon Krakauer, "author of Into Thin Air and Where Men Win Glory"" "The power of THE OUTPOSTlies in Tapper's development of the main characters ... He juxtaposes dramatic battles, complete with limbs blown off and eyes dangling from sockets, with poignant scenes of wives and parents first learning of the deaths of their loved ones." "Seth Jones, Washington Post"" "The power of THE OUTPOST lies in Tapper's development of the main characters ... He juxtaposes dramatic battles, complete with limbs blown off and eyes dangling from sockets, with poignant scenes of wives and parents first learning of the deaths of their loved ones." "Seth Jones, Washington Post"" "What is evident in THE OUTPOST is the sacrifice made by dozens of men who answered the call of their country."--Erica Blake, Toledo Blade "Tapper always finds just the right personality traits and stories about [the troops'] backgrounds, allowing readers to respect them and relate to them...The Outpost is an alternately exhilarating, heartbreaking and maddening book. But ultimately...it's a testament to the fact that the brave men and women who serve and sacrifice for the United States deserve our appreciation."--Tony Rossi, Patheos.com "A chronicle of the commitment and heroism of individual soldiers. As such, it can rarely have been surpassed in the history of military writing."--John Hinderaker, powerlineblog.com "A heartbreaking, detailed day-to-day account ... Tapper does what all great narrators do: He brings to life the individual men in a way that allows readers to see each soldier in full, with their unique backgrounds, hopes, dreams and families."--Susan Gardner, dailykos.com "The Army uses the term 'BLUF' - bottom line up front. The BLUF on Jake Tapper's new book on Afghanistan, THE OUTPOST, is that you need to read it."--Kurt Schlichter, breitbart.com "[An] incredible account of how this outpost was horribly jeopardized."--Booklist "This is a narrative, not a polemic, and Tapper patiently lays out the history of what happened at Keating in a gripping, forceful style...[T]his unadorned, powerful account challenges the purposes and wisdom of America's ongoing military presence [in Afghanistan]...A timely indictment of a thoughtless waste of young American lives."--Kirkus Reviews "As Rudyard Kipling did in the nineteenth century, now, in his magnificent book, Jake Tapper takes us to an untamed part of Afghanistan at war. Journey to THE OUTPOST to understand what our troops go through-and why they go through it."--James Bradley, author of FLAGS OF OUR FATHERS, FLYBOYS and THE IMPERIAL CRUISE "A heartbreaking chronicle of the rotation of soldiers asked to oversee an underfunded, often thankless mission."--Sam Stein, Huffington Post "Mr. Tapper lays bare the poor decision-making that shattered dozens of American lives in the pursuit of an ill-conceived goal."--Sarah Chayes, Wall Street Journal "THE OUTPOST is valuable because its faithful account of bravery, stupidity, and inertia makes the objective case for admiration and outrage."--Sam Jacobson, Commentary "The seminal work of documentary journalism to emerge out of the post-9/11 war in Afghanistan."--Anand Sankar, Business Standard "The power of THE OUTPOST lies in Tapper's development of the main characters ... He juxtaposes dramatic battles, complete with limbs blown off and eyes dangling from sockets, with poignant scenes of wives and parents first learning of the deaths of their loved ones."--Seth Jones, Washington Post "One of the most important [books] of the year. Jake Tapper's book is meticulously researched, excellently written and a must-read for everyone who does more than just mouth the phrase, 'I support the troops.' "--Curt Schleier, Minneapolis Star-Tribune "[A] fascinating history...Tapper delivers a blow by blow account of [the soldier's] actions, their personal stories, and the tortured, often incomprehensible command decisions that kept them fighting despite inadequate support and an ally, Pakistan, that actively encouraged the enemy."--Publishers Weekly "[Jake Tapper] has woven an intricate account about battlefield bravery hamstrung by military bureaucracy...[his] voice is understated, not polemical-just a good reporter letting the facts speak for themselves."--Tony Perry, Los Angeles Times "Jake Tapper has written perhaps the best book set in Afghanistan to date...He provides a window into the false hopes and visions that enabled this failed experiment, an attempt to create government in spaces that had actively avoided such."--Douglas Ollivant, Foreign Policy "Analyzing the consequences of decisions, large and small, is what makes Tapper's book so important...for those wishing to understand the middle years of the war, they could do no better than to read THE OUTPOST."--Nate Rawlings, Time "Brilliant, dedicated reporting by a journalist who goes to ground to get the truth. A sad, real tale about this war, America and the brave warriors who live-and die-at the point of the spear."--Bob Woodward, author of PLAN OF ATTACK, THE COMMANDERS and OBAMA'S WARS "There have been many books written on the subject of America's seemingly endless engagement in Afghanistan, but none better than The Outpost."--Jeffrey Goldberg, The Atlantic "The Outpost is a mind-boggling, all-too-true story of heroism, hubris, failed strategy, and heartbreaking sacrifice. If you want to understand how the war in Afghanistan went off the rails, you need to read this book."--Jon Krakauer, author of Into Thin Air and Where Men Win Glory

Jake Tapper is the senior White House correspondent for ABC News. He is the host "Political Punch with Jake Tapper," a web show the gives an inside look at the White House, and appears regularly on "Good Morning America," "Nightline," and "World News with Diane Sawyer." Prior to joining ABC News, he was the national correspondent for Salon.com and was a columnist for TALK Magazine. He has written for The New Yorker, New York Times Magazine, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, and The Weekly Standard, among many other publications. He is author of Down and Dirty: The Plot to Steal the Presidency. He lives in Washington, D.C.

General Fields

  • : 9780316185394
  • : Little, Brown & Company
  • : Little, Brown & Company
  • : 0.93
  • : February 2013
  • : 234mm X 153mm X 46mm
  • : United States
  • : February 2013
  • : books

Special Fields

  • : Jake Tapper
  • : Hardback
  • : 958.104742
  • : 688
  • : integrated: 16 pages of photos & maps