First Casualty
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First Casualty
Narrated by:
John Hopkins
Buy Now for $26.99
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Narrated by:
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John Hopkins
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By:
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Toby Harnden
About this listen
'Reads like a Tom Clancy thriller, yet every word is true ... This is modern warfare close-up and raw' Andrew Roberts
Bestselling and Orwell Prize-winning author Toby Harnden tells the gripping and incredible story of the six-day battle that began the War in Afghanistan and how it set the scene for twenty years of conflict.
The West is in shock. Al-Qaeda has struck the US on 9/11 and thousands are dead.
Within weeks, UK Special Forces enter the fray in Afghanistan alongside the CIA's Team Alpha and US troops.
Victory is swift, but fragile. Hundreds of jihadists surrender and two operatives from Team Alpha enter Qala-i Jangi – the 'Fort of War' – to interrogate them. The prisoners revolt, one CIA man falls, and the other is trapped inside the fort. Seven members of the SBS – elite British Special Forces – volunteer for the rescue force and race into danger and the unknown.
The six-day battle that follows proves to be one of the bloodiest of the Afghanistan war as the SBS and their American comrades face an enemy determined to die in the mud citadel.
Superbly researched, First Casualty is based on unprecedented access to the CIA, SBS, and US Special Forces. Orwell Prize-winning author Toby Harnden recounts the gripping story of that first battle in Afghanistan and how the haunting foretelling it contained – unreliable allies, ethnic rivalries, suicide attacks, and errant bombs – was ignored, fueling the twenty-year conflict to come.©2021 Toby Harnden (P)2021 Welbeck Publishing Group
excellent book
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For anyone interested in Afghanistan, this is a must read.
Excellent read
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Essential history
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Toby Harnden’s First Casualty: The Untold Story of the CIA Mission to Avenge 9/11 is a gripping and meticulously researched account of the CIA’s Team Alpha—the first Americans dropped behind enemy lines in Afghanistan following the September 11 attacks. Embedded with Northern Alliance leaders and working alongside U.S. Green Berets, this small CIA team played a pivotal role in the early push to dismantle the Taliban.
What makes this book stand out is its focus on the CIA’s role in those initial weeks—an angle that’s often missing from other accounts of the invasion. Harnden’s work restores that perspective, highlighting how intelligence, tribal alliances, and quick decision-making were crucial to early successes.
The Qala-i-Jangi uprising is the emotional core of the book. Harnden captures the chaos and tragedy of the prison revolt where Mike Spann was killed and David Tyson fought to survive. One of the most haunting elements is the presence of John Walker Lindh—the American who joined the Taliban. Harnden interweaves Lindh’s story throughout, from his radicalisation to his chilling silence in the moments before Spann’s death, and later, to his trial and release. It adds an eerie and complex layer to the narrative.
Harnden also doesn't shy away from exploring the psychological toll. Tyson’s mental unraveling and struggle with PTSD in the aftermath of the uprising is portrayed with care and honesty. It’s a sobering reminder that trauma doesn’t end when the fighting stops.
A particularly striking moment is the involvement of the British SBS. Though they weren’t embedded with Team Alpha, their decision to defy orders and help recover Spann’s body under fire was a powerful act of courage and solidarity—one that underscores the value of allied cooperation in moments of crisis.
While a more critical lens on parts of Tyson’s version of events would have been welcome, First Casualty remains a standout in post-9/11 nonfiction. Fast-paced yet deeply human, it honours the sacrifices made while raising important questions about what came next. A compelling and necessary read.
CIA's untold fight, courage, and early sacrifice.
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Very good
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Most boring book I have ever listened to
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