Books > Horse Soldiers

Horse Soldiers
The Extraordinary Story of a Band of US Soldiers Who Rode to Victory in Afghanistan  
This edition: Hardcover, 416 pages
Availability: Usually ships within 2-3 days
Our Price: $28.00
Also available in

National Bestseller

Description

Horse Soldiers is the dramatic account of a small band of Special Forces soldiers who secretly entered Afghanistan following 9/11 and rode to war on horses against the Taliban. The bone-weary American soldiers were welcomed as liberators, and overjoyed Afghans thronged the streets. Then the action took a wholly unexpected turn. During a surrender of six hundred Taliban troops, the Horse Soldiers were ambushed. Dangerously outnumbered, they fought for their lives. At risk were the military gains of the entire campaign: if the soldiers perished or were captured, the effort to defeat the Taliban might be doomed.

Until now the full story of the Horse Soldiers has never been told. Doug Stanton received unprecedented cooperation from the U.S. Army's Special Forces soldiers and Special Operations helicopter pilots, as well as access to voluminous after-battle reports. In addition, he interviewed more than one hundred participants and walked every inch of the climactic battleground.

Reaching across the cold mountains of Afghanistan and into the homes of small-town America, Horse Soldiers is a big-hearted and thrilling epic story from one of our preeminent storytellers.

Hear an Excerpt from the Audiobook

Related multimediaclose x

Video

1 to 2 of 2
  • 1635265513_27771308001_thumb-1d8ea50f-b681-42e8-8c1f-640bef412603
    1. Doug Stanton: Horse Soldiers
    02:50
    27802903001
  • 1635265513_29589575001_thumb-67ff58cf-609e-4dcd-90fb-2647d4eea72d
    2. Doug Stanton: Horse Soldiers
    02:49
    27881453001

Audio

1 to 1 of 1
  • 1635265513_27277672001_th-27277278001
    1. Doug Stanton: Off The Shelf
    13:57
    27277075001
See more multimedia
“A fascinating account…This is not just a battle story—it’s also about the home front. An important book.” –The Today Show
“A thrilling action ride of a book.” –Bruce Barcott, cover of The New York Times Book Review 
"Doug Stanton's Horse Soldiers is the story of the first large American unconventional warfare operation since World War II. My Green Berets were launched deep into enemy territory to befriend, recruit, equip, advise, and lead their Afghan counterparts to attack the Taliban. The Horse Soldiers succeeded brilliantly with a highly decentralized campaign, reinforced with modern airpower's precision weapons, forcing the Taliban government's collapse in a few months. Doug Stanton captures the gritty realities of the campaign as no other can."
-- Geoffrey C. Lambert, major general (retired), U.S. Army, and commanding general of the U.S. Army Special Forces Command (Airborne), 2001-2003
"Not just an epic war story, Horse Soldiers is a beautifully written, intimate portrait of the men and women who lived the battle on the fields of fire -- and at home, too. Their secret mission against the Taliban was intelligent, brave, and undertaken with great care for the good people of Afghanistan. Doug Stanton's superb account is an invaluable insight for policy makers and the public for years to come."
-- Greg Mortenson, author of Three Cups of Tea
"In the spirit of Black Hawk Down and Flags of Our Fathers, Doug Stanton plunges into the heart of a single mission and returns with a stark understanding not only of what happened but what was truly at stake. Through precise reportage and hauntingly rendered battle scenes, Stanton shows that we may ignore this 'forgotten' theater only at our own peril."
-- Hampton Sides, author of Ghost Soldiers and Blood and Thunder
"Spellbinding...action packed prose. [Stanton's] gritty narrative is thoroughly researched and the details of military operations jarringly precise...The book reads more like a novel than a military history...the Horse Soldier's secret mission remains the U.S. military's finest moment in what has since arguably been a muddled war."
-- USA Today
"Stanton packs a huge amount of research into a thrilling action-ride of a book... deserves a hallowed place in American military history...."
-- Bruce Barcott, cover of The New York Times Book Review
"Horse Soldiers reads like a cross between an old-fashioned Western and a modern spy thriller."
-- Parade Magazine
"Stanton has captured the inner workings of... Special Forces operations. A thorough recounting of the events told from the soldiers' point of view."
-- Veritas, Journal of Special Operations History
Record-Eagle, December 26, 2009
...CITY -- A handful of independent bookstores and dozens of book clubs have blossomed in northern Michigan, and Doug Stanton thinks that makes this the perfect place to launch a writers' series. The Traverse City National Writers' Series ...
MySanAntonio, December 25, 2009
...Márquez: A Life" by Gerald Martin; "Satchel: The Life and Times of an American Legend" by Larry Tye; "Horse Soldiers: The Extraordinary Story of a Band of U.S. Soldiers Who Rode to Victory in Afghanistan" by Doug Stanton; and "Gifts of War" ...
Record-Eagle, November 11, 2009
...TRAVERSE CITY -- Doug Stanton didn't understand the e-mail of congratulations he received this week from an editor at Scribner, the publisher of his latest book. Congratulations? For what? Turns out his book ...
KFYR-TV, August 14, 2009
...'Horse Soldiers' is the true story of soldiers and their victory over the Taliban. It takes place in Afghanistan in the weeks following 9/11 and the destruction of the World ...
New York Times, August 9, 2009
...4. Bobby And Jackie, by C. David Heymann. (Atria, $26.) The connection between Bobby and Jackie Kennedy. 5. Horse Soldiers, by Doug Stanton. (Scribner, $28.) An uplifting account of how Special Forces soldiers joined with mounted local ...
Indy.com, June 28, 2009
...Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie,/b by Alan Bradley, a mystery starring a precocious 11-year-old. braquo; Horse Soldiers: The Extraordinary Story of a Band of US Soldiers Who Rode to Victory in Afghanistan,/b by Doug Stanton, about a ...
American Chronicle, June 26, 2009
...Michelle Malsbury, BSBM, MM Doug Stanton, author of Horse Soldiers, has written one other book In Harm´s Way: The Sinking of the USS Indianapolis and penned numerous articles for Esquire, Sports Afield, Outside, and Men´s ...
Los Angeles Chronicle, June 24, 2009
...Author of Horse Soldiers: The Extraordinary Story of a Band of U.S. Soldiers Who Rode to Victory in Afghanistan Horse Soldiers is the untold story of a victory won by U.S ...
Suite101.com, June 24, 2009
...» True Story of U.S. Soldiers in Afghanistan Who Fought on Horseback © Suzanne Pitner Best-selling author Doug Stanton tells of the heroics of American Special Forces in Afghanistan who rode to war on horseback against Taliban soldiers. ...
Washington Post, June 12, 2009
...HORSE SOLDIERS The Extraordinary Story of a Band of U.S. Soldiers Who Rode to Victory in Afghanistan By Doug Stanton Scribner. 393 pp.$28 'Horse Soldiers' tells the important story ...
Record-Eagle, May 30, 2009
...A series of panel discussions featuring writers and their books will be coming to Traverse City. Local author Doug Stanton told a full house Thursday at the City Opera House, at an event that wrapped a month-long tour for his new book, ...
Visalia Times-Delta, May 29, 2009
...the Pie' by Alan Bradley (in stores), a mystery starring a precocious 11-year-old. Nonfiction titles with bookseller backing:'Horse Soldiers: The Extraordinary Story of a Band of U.S. Soldiers Who Rode to Victory in Afghanistan' by Doug ...
9&10 News, May 28, 2009
...It's only been out a few weeks, but 'Horse Soldiers' is already climbing the New York Times Bestseller List. It was written by Traverse City author, Doug Stanton. The book tells the true story of the small group of ...
Record-Eagle, May 28, 2009
...Doug Stanton will discuss 'Horse Soldiers' lvanhulle@record-eagle.com TRAVERSE CITY -- Local author Doug Stanton will discuss his latest book, 'Horse Soldiers,' tonight at the City Opera House, accompanied by a ...
Gaylord Herald Times, May 22, 2009
...GAYLORD -- Doug Stanton, author of the New York Times bestseller In Harms Way: The Sinking of the U.S.S. Indianapolis and the Extraordinary Story of Its Survivors will have signed copies ...
News-Press.com, May 17, 2009
...Pie' by Alan Bradley (in stores), a mystery starring a precocious 11-year-old. Non-fiction titles with bookseller backing include: 'Horse Soldiers: The Extraordinary Story of a Band of U.S. Soldiers Who Rode to Victory in Afghanistan' by ...
Visalia Times-Delta, May 16, 2009
...the Pie' by Alan Bradley (in stores), a mystery starring a precocious 11-year-old. Nonfiction titles with bookseller backing:'Horse Soldiers: The Extraordinary Story of a Band of U.S. Soldiers Who Rode to Victory in Afghanistan' by Doug ...
Record-Eagle, May 16, 2009
...TRAVERSE CITY -- Doug Stanton doesn't know what day it is. You'll have to forgive him. For the last two weeks, his days started early and ended late, and he often wakes ...
Lansing State Journal, May 11, 2009
...horseback, like 19th-century cavalrymen.'It was like a time warp,' said Col. Mark Mitchell, a key figure in 'Horse Soldiers,' a new book by Michigan author Doug Stanton that tells their story. 'You're living in caves, watching these (Afghan) ...
CFRB AM 1010, May 10, 2009
...horseback, like 19th-century cavalrymen. 'It was like a time warp,' said Col. Mark Mitchell, a key figure in 'Horse Soldiers,' a new book by Michigan author Doug Stanton that tells their story. 'You're living in caves, watching these ...
Livingston Daily.com, May 9, 2009
...horseback, like 19th-century cavalrymen. 'It was like a time warp,' said Col. Mark Mitchell, a key figure in 'Horse Soldiers,' a new book by Michigan author Doug Stanton that tells their story. 'You're living in caves, watching these ...
USA Today, May 8, 2009
...the Pie by Alan Bradley (in stores), a mystery starring a precocious 11-year-old. Non-fiction titles with bookseller backing: "Horse Soldiers: The Extraordinary Story of a Band of U.S. Soldiers Who Rode to Victory in Afghanistan by Doug ...
Navy Times, May 7, 2009
...Pie? by Alan Bradley (in stores), a mystery starring a precocious 11-year-old. Non-fiction titles with bookseller backing: ? ?Horse Soldiers: The Extraordinary Story of a Band of U.S. Soldiers Who Rode to Victory in Afghanistan? by Doug ...
USA Today, May 7, 2009
...the Pie by Alan Bradley (in stores), a mystery starring a precocious 11-year-old. Non-fiction titles with bookseller backing: "Horse Soldiers: The Extraordinary Story of a Band of U.S. Soldiers Who Rode to Victory in Afghanistan by Doug ...
USA Today, May 6, 2009
...the Pie by Alan Bradley (in stores), a mystery starring a precocious 11-year-old. Non-fiction titles with bookseller backing: "Horse Soldiers: The Extraordinary Story of a Band of U.S. Soldiers Who Rode to Victory in Afghanistan by Doug ...
USA Today, May 6, 2009
...the Pie by Alan Bradley (in stores), a mystery starring a precocious 11-year-old. Non-fiction titles with bookseller backing: "Horse Soldiers: The Extraordinary Story of a Band of U.S. Soldiers Who Rode to Victory in Afghanistan by Doug ...
Record-Eagle, May 3, 2009
...TC author Doug Stanton gets to the heart of mission Special to the Record-Eagle n 'Horse Soldiers: The Extraordinary Story of a Band of US Soldiers Who Rode to Victory in Afghanistan,' by ...
Record-Eagle, May 3, 2009
...Local writer's new book hits shelves this week Editor's note: Traverse City resident and best-selling author Doug Stanton's new book, 'Horse Soldiers,' goes on sale this week and Stanton embarks on a national book tour to support the work ...
Record-Eagle, May 3, 2009
...Editor's note: Traverse City resident and New York Times best-selling author Doug Stanton begins a tour this week to support the release of his new book, 'Horse Soldiers.' Stanton agreed to share his thoughts on the book and 'In Harm's Way ...
Record-Eagle, May 3, 2009
... Tour dates Beginning Tuesday, local author Doug Stanton will travel the country to promote his new book, 'Horse Soldiers.' The tour will begin in Ann Arbor and move on to Washington, D.C., New York, North Carolina ...