If you haven't really read about Afghanistan and US conflict, this is a great read. It takes it from the beginning. It talks about why we went into Afghanistan and included some information on past interactions. It was written very well and kept you invested, but didn't just feel like an info dump. I definitely feel like I learned alot more and I hope we learn from our past mistakes.

This was a very interesting book about the war in Afghanistan! It is such a very brutal war! I find it so hard to believe that mankind can be that way!

This is an essential and comprehensive look at the United States' military engagement with Afghanistan. It's a book that took me months to finish, so I would not say it's a quick read, unless geopolitics is your wheelhouse.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for sharing this book with me. All thoughts are my own.

This is an eye-opening book about the war in Afghanistan. It's not an easy read, but it's well worth it. Highly recommend this to everyone.
I received a complimentary copy from St. Martin's Press via NetGalley and was not required to write a review. All opinions expressed are my own.

It was America’s longest war. Yet I suspect many of us rarely noticed except for the early fight against al-Qaeda and the failed attempt to catch Bin Ladin, the death of Bin Ladin in 2011, and the scenes of the hectic withdrawal in the summer of 2021, eerily reminiscent of the departure of the U.S. from Vietnam in 1975.

David Loyn, a BBC reporter in Afghanistan, and for a year, communications adviser to President Ashraf Ghani, traces this long history. The recurring theme seems to be the lack of a sustained investment in what was needed to decisively defeat the Taliban, protect and invest in the development of the country, and effectively hand over to the indigenous government. It felt like being prescribed an antibiotic and taking it just enough to eliminate symptoms, then backing off, allowing the resurgence and resistance of the infection, complicated by the alternatives to the Taliban–governments reliant on the support of the country’s warlords, powerful and corrupt and resented by the people.

Loyn traces the problems back to decisions made early on. The Bush administration wanted a “light footprint,” reserving forces for the Iraq invasion, which was the military’s primary focus. This led to limited U.S participation in the pursuit of Bin Ladin, allowing his escape. Efforts to eliminate al-Qaeda’s allies, the Taliban, were hampered by the character of the international force and the complicated rules of engagement under which each company operated. Nevertheless, the Taliban was pushed back from Kabul and Kandahar and into the mountainous borders with Pakistan.

This allowed the Taliban a chance to re-group and take an insurgency approach, using IED’s and other disruptive measures against occupiers, gradually regaining ground rather than engaging in open warfare, protected by supposed US allies, the Pakistanis. By 2009, at the beginning of the Obama administration, it became clear a new strategy was needed. Special ops raids to strike key Taliban targets often resulted in civilian casualties and an increased hatred of the foreign presence. And as the US fell into disfavor with the Karzai government, the Taliban succeeded in recruiting disaffected Afghanis. And so the US “surged” troops, engaging in both counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism approaches under a succession of generals (McKiernan, McChrystal, and Petraeus). McChrystal continued to press for more troops, as much to protect the population as to kill terrorists. He got part of what he wanted and timetables for withdrawal, first by 2012 and then 2014, that hamstrung these efforts.

Both the Taliban and the U.S. began to explore talks, often cutting out the Afghan government, further rankling relations. As US and UN commanders sought to train Afghanis, the number of incidents rose of Afghanis turning on and killing their supposed allies. As the pullbacks continued, sometimes temporarily interrupted during the Trump administration, the Taliban continued to regain more of the country.

Loyn’s account ends before the hurried flight of the US from Afghanistan and the victory of the Taliban over the disappearing Afghan military and government. But it is pretty clear what was coming. It was the predictable end result of efforts to fight the war “on the cheap” (even though it ended up quite costly in money and lives). He shows the folly of unclear war aims, inadequate resources to do what needs to be done, ignorance of the nature of the culture, and a labyrinthine command and operational structure.

Loyn’s perspective seems to be that a longer term investment in counter insurgency with sufficient resources to defeat the enemy while winning the people and giving the young government breathing space would have led to a different outcome. We pretended not to be nation building until we were nation building, ambivalent in our investment of resources and troops and ignorant of the warlord structures that siphoned off so much of what we spent there. It seems to me that we were never quite clear why we were there, especially after the initial offensive against al-Qaeda and the Taliban. That itself seems to be problematic.

I suspect all this will be debated for years to come. Loyn’s book is a good starting point, tracing the decisions made, the different parties to the war, and its unfolding over twenty years. Let us hope that after Vietnam and Afghanistan we will learn how to avoid embroiling ourselves in these things.

This was an very interesting book. The author gave an excellent analysis of the history of war in Afghanistan. The clarity and insight of what went wrong and what was right in America's involvement in war with Afghanistan is amazing. This books has so much information that was not really known and helps with understanding why this war went on so long and failed. The information and insight from those that were their is crucial to understanding the war. This is an excellent book for anyone studying the War in the Middle East.

This is the book that everyone that ever had questions about what really happened in Afghanistan has to read. Incisive, informative and a must read.

I can't in all honesty say that I 'enjoyed' reading THE LONG WAR: The Inside Story of America and Afghanistan Since 9/11. It is a book meant to educate not provide escape. The realities of war are bleak, yes, but also seem to lack cohesive policy and execution of mission. Perhaps the most interesting thing about the book is that it is written by a British journalist. So many of the recent tell-all books written about U.S. politics and policy have been written by those closest to the situations. This is, for all intents and purposes, written by an outsider looking in. It provides a different, and much needed, perspective.

As you read this book, the chaos of the August 2021 withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan becomes a foregone conclusion. As I watched the mad dash to leave Kabul on television, I could only associate what I was seeing to the last day in Saigon.

From the perspective of history, THE LONG WAR is worth reading. A war that lasted through four presidents and far too many generals, the Afghan war was fought on day one with every new commander, every new deployment of troops. One commander was there for counter terrorism (CT) and the next was there for counterinsurgency (COIN). The flip flop from these two points of view did nothing to bring the conflict to resolution. The connection between the Taliban and Al-Qaeda may have been good for US journalists but did not live up to lived reality on the ground. Historically, the US has backed the wrong side in this century and the last.

If you read military history, you will find this book quite good. If you are looking to find dirt on four American administrations, you will be sorely disappointed.

There are many different looks one could take at Afghanistan after twenty years. David Lyon’s Long War seems to try and mix in the political stuff when necessary, but otherwise seems positioned to give the reader an “on the ground” view of the conflict by talking to the military commanders who fought against the Taliban, Al Qaeda, and even the complex Afghanistan government. This approach I feel helps the reader understand the challenges of fighting the war in Afghanistan and the less than coherent nature of the strategy for fighting it.

One cannot outrun the “something could’ve/should’ve been different” feeling that occurs several times throughout this book as it seems like every administration has had the opportunity to just maybe get Afghanistan going in a different direction or at least in a less chaotic place for our withdrawal. Also the author had a way of writing that gave voice to an Afghanistan fatigue of sorts that seemed to settle over the reader as he/she reads page after page of firefights, nation building attempts, squabbles between the US military and our partners and Taliban resurgences, as the Afghan people watched caught in the middle.

A unique perspective on America’s longest war.

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. This book talked about the war with the Taliban that went on for two decades. In this war they were both victories as well as defeats. This book is an honest depiction of what happened during the war. This book is a must read. Thank you for opening my eyes to what happened and the tole it took.

A Comprehensive Look at the Afghanistan War

For twenty years the US has suffered through a war in Afghanistan at the cost of trillions of dollars and the lives of more that 3000 young men. The story is told by David Loyn. He was there first as a reporter for the BBC and later as an adviser to the office of the Afghan President.

The story moves from the inciting incident of 9/11 through the difficult years when three different presidents were unable to satisfactorily end the conflict. It’s the story of the generals, Petraeus, McChrystal, Dunsfor and Allen, who in spite of their abilities were unable to satisfactorily resolve the conflict.

In the aftermath of Biden’s precipitate withdrawal from Afghanistan, this is a book worth reading. It not only cover the battles, but also the policy considerations including those of our allies. Loyn’s analysis is extensive and not limited to one view of the conflict. He illuminates decisions that were right, many that were wrong, and the consequences for the US and our allies. It is a book well worth reading.

I received this book from St. Martin’s Press for this review.

Thank you for the ARC of this excellent work!

This is not a pleasure read but should be required reading.

BBC reporter David Loyn did an excellent and exhaustive job on this. After a 20 year war - all Americans should feel obligated to learn about it and this is a wonderful place to start.

There are "fun reads" and there are books we should read to better understand the world we live in. Thanks to the author for his work on this. Well done.

The author provides clear details about what happened during America's longest war, from start to finish. I found this book to be informative and well written.

'The Long War' is indeed a bit too long. A lot of politics, so many people involved with multiple presidents and several military commanders, a real chaos. Even reading the book felt chaotic.

This is a very detailed look at Afghanistan as it has emerged over the past 20 years. It is a book that will be understandable for those in the general public and intellectuals alike. It looks at the historical perspectives from not only the Americans involved but also the Afghanis. It is thoughtful that the author doesn’t offer his opinions to skew what opinions the reader will form. It forms a great resource for students who may be studying political science or international affairs in school.

I received an advance copy of, The Long War, by David Loyn. This book is about the war in Afghanistan. It is told from a military perspective. It is a very good book, on what are men and women went through. A lot of politics.

As someone who traveled to Afghanistan and Pakistan in the mid 1970s, arriving just after Mohammed Zia-Ul-Haq’s military coup in Pakistan and leaving just before the Soviets arrive in Afghanistan, I have followed politics in the region avidly. Loyn, an award-winning foreign correspondent and US Funded Afghan Government Strategic, writes a definitive history of America’s longest war, the war begun after 9/11 and ending when President Biden evacuated the troops. Loyn also served as an advisor for Afghan president Ashraf Ghani, giving Loyn a unique perspective. He writes well of what we did right, did wrong, and what could have been improved—America’s resolution not to be a nation-builder and the poor insight US politicians had into the Afghan soul.

Loyn divides the book—and the war—into five phases. The first looks at America’s entrance into the war from 9/11/2001. In the second, the Taliban returns after being quiescent since the departure of the Soviets. Phase three looks at the surge of troops and the tribulations of coordinating the involvement of the various NATO countries. The fourth phase looks at NATO withdrawing its troops. And the fifth and final phase looks at the changing roles of the American military and the aftermath of its departure.

Inhabitants often pay the price of a country’s war, and this is certainly true in Afghanistan. Civilians took the brunt of the damage and, as the Taliban moves to consolidate its power in the post-withdrawal phase, women continue to lose rights as the country moves toward more extreme beliefs in Islam.

This is highly recommended reading for anyone who is interested in military operations and who wants to understand why a quick military involvement turned into America’s twenty-year war.

The Too Long War

Inside the pages of The Long War you will learn how the war in Afghanistan was doomed from the very start. David Loyn, a reporter for the BBC, documents the story from the invasion of Afghanistan until shortly before its end. He was there and witnessed the miscalculations and mistakes that were made from the beginning. This important book will take you there, explain the actions that were taken, and not taken, from the prospective of the people in charge. Much can be learned from this waste of time, money, and personnel for a war that was never really fought to win. It is a difficult book to read, but important to help you understand the intricacies of this war and its effect on the people who were caught in its grasp. The war in Afghanistan was abruptly terminated on August 31, 2021. The tragedy of this hasty and ill-planned action may continue for years.

I received an advance copy of this book from St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley.

After 20 years, more than a trillion dollars, 3000 lives, and 4 U.S. presidents we have succeeded in kicking the Taliban out of Afghanistan and returning control to……the Taliban. Author David Loyn had the catbird’s seat, first as a BBC reporter and later as an advisor to the office of the Afghan president. He takes the reader through the early days of the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan after the 9/11 attacks, though the hiring and firing of not one, but two generals (McKiernan and later McChrystal) and through the spending of billions of U.S.dollars. “ The Long War” is essential to understand the need to know how to exit before you ever enter. The book is important to understanding that war is about more than fighting.

The Long War is by David Loyn, who was a reporter for the BBC and later (apparently 2015) became a "US Funded Afghan Government Strategic ''. Mr Loyn gives the reader his opinions and glimpses into the generals and other participants of the Afghanistan War. I think Mr Loyn has included some (all?) of the agreement Donald Trump made with the Taliban. I say I think because I cannot read whatever language it is written in. We all understand that hindsight is 20/20 and I am of the opinion that like the Afghanistan War this book is longer than it needed to be. I want to thank NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an early copy to review.