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Michael Ames

Goodreads Author

Born

The United States

Website

http://www.michael-ames.com/

Twitter

mirkel

Genre

Nonfiction, Biography, History

Member Since

January 2014

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Ames is an investigative reporter and contributor to The New Yorker, Harper's Magazine and Newsweek. He has also reported for The Atlantic, Slate, The Daily Beast, and The Believer. Prior to moving to New York City, he worked for nine years in southern Idaho as a newspaper reporter and magazine editor. In 2015, his cover story for Newsweek on the Bergdahl scandal was the first journalistic investigation to establish that the Pentagon had buried intelligence about Bergdahl’s location in Pakistan and used the missing soldier crisis as a strategic battlefield opportunity. In 2016, Ames teamed up with former Army infantryman Matt Farwell to write the definitive history of the case for Penguin Press.
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Combine Editions
Michael Ames’s books

Average rating: 4.22 · 424 ratings · 67 reviews · 6 distinct works

	American Cipher: Bowe Bergdahl and the U.S. Tragedy in Afghanistan by Matt Farwell, Michael Ames (Goodreads Author) 4.27 avg rating — 400 ratings — published 2019 — 9 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The World Beard and Moustache Championships: The First Official Book 3.39 avg rating — 18 ratings — published 2004 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Cruisers by Michael Ames (Goodreads Author), Jonny Fuego 3.83 avg rating — 6 ratings — published 2009 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	American Cipher: One Soldier’s Nightmare in the Afghanistan War by Matt Farwell, Michael Ames (Goodreads Author) really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 1 rating	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Cruisers 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings — published 2009 — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Auster: Nearly All You Wanted to Know by Michael Edward Preston, Michael Ames (Goodreads Author) 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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Michael Ames is currently reading

American Cipher: Bowe Bergdahl and the U.S. Tragedy in Afghanistan

by Matt Farwell

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Nov 14, 2021 08:04AM

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Michael Ames liked Jean Blackwood's review of American Cipher: Bowe Bergdahl and the U.S. Tragedy in Afghanistan: "This is a masterful combination of biography and history, with tragedy the theme in both. Very sad on every level."
Jul 07, 2025 07:06AM · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of American Cipher by Matt Farwell. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — American Cipher by Matt Farwell <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Michael Ames liked Mikel's review of American Cipher: Bowe Bergdahl and the U.S. Tragedy in Afghanistan: This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. "Bueno"
Jul 07, 2025 07:05AM · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of American Cipher by Matt Farwell. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — American Cipher by Matt Farwell <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Michael Ames and 1 other person liked Gretta's review of American Cipher: Bowe Bergdahl and the U.S. Tragedy in Afghanistan: "listened to this on audiobook for 12 straight hours, gripping start to finish "
Jul 07, 2025 07:05AM · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of American Cipher by Matt Farwell. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — American Cipher by Matt Farwell <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Michael Ames started reading American Cipher: Bowe Bergdahl and the U.S. Tragedy in Afghanistan by Matt Farwell	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jul 07, 2025 07:03AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of American Cipher by Matt Farwell. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — American Cipher by Matt Farwell <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Michael Ames liked Rob's review of American Cipher: Bowe Bergdahl and the U.S. Tragedy in Afghanistan: "I deeply appreciated this deeply empathetic and humane perspective on Bergdahl. In many ways, it was heartbreaking and genuinely challenging. The story of American institutions, exploiting or ignoring him to their own ends should trouble anybody read" Read more of this review »
Mar 31, 2024 02:05PM · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of American Cipher by Matt Farwell. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — American Cipher by Matt Farwell <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">