The Three Battles of Wanat
And Other True Stories
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
From the #1 New York Times–bestselling author of Black Hawk Down: “a first-rate collection” of long-form journalism on war, sports, politics, and more (Booklist).
Mark Bowden has established himself as one of America’s leading journalists and nonfiction writers. The Three Battles of Wanat collects the best of his long-form articles, including pieces from the Atlantic, Vanity Fair, the New Yorker, and the Philadelphia Inquirer.
The titular article delves into one of the bloodiest days of the War in Afghanistan and the years-long fallout it generated within the United States military. In “The Killing Machines,” Bowden examines the strategic, legal, and moral issues surrounding armed drones. And in a brilliant piece on Kim Jong-un called “The Bright Sun of Juche,” he recalibrates our understanding of the world’s youngest and most baffling dictator.
Also included are profiles of newspaper scion Arthur Sulzberger; renowned defense attorney and anti-death-penalty activist Judy Clarke; professional gambler Don Johnson, who won six million dollars in a single night playing blackjack; and David Simon, the creator of the legendary HBO series The Wire.
“Mark Bowden marshals his finest for The Three Battles of Wanat.” —Vanity Fair
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
The author of the bestselling Black Hawk Down will please fans and win new ones with this bracing collection of essays. Bowden is in his element charting the familiar and complex territory of American engagement in foreign conflicts, as in the titular essay, a tragic and nuanced account of "the worst single day in the seven-year Afghan conflict," in 2008, and its repercussions for the U.S. military and the families of the American soldiers whose lives were lost. But those only familiar with Bowden's war reportage will be pleasantly surprised to discover the variety of topics he has tackled in this collection, which includes a profile of Kim Jong Un that is by turns enlightening, level-headed, and hilarious, and an essay about journalism in the age of the Internet. In his introduction, Bowden justly thanks the Atlantic and Vanity Fair, which published the majority of pieces collected here, for their continued commitment to funding quality, in-depth reporting. With his rigorous and respectful approach to his subjects, multifaceted viewpoint, and wry sense of humor, Bowden proves that American journalism hasn't kicked the bucket yet.
