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The Chosen Few: A Company of Paratroopers and Its Heroic Struggle to Survive in the Mountains of Afghanistan
The never-before-told story of one of the most decorated units in the war in Afghanistan and its fifteen-month ordeal that culminated in the 2008 Battle of Wanat, the war's deadliest A single company of US paratroopers--calling themselves the "Chosen Few"--arrived in eastern Afghanistan in late 2007 hoping to win the hearts and minds of the remote mountain people and extend the Afghan government's reach into this wilderness. Instead, they spent the next fifteen months in a desperate struggle, living under almost continuous attack, forced into a slow and grinding withdrawal, and always outnumbered by Taliban fighters descending on them from all sides. Month after month, rocket-propelled grenades, rockets, and machine-gun fire poured down on the isolated and exposed paratroopers as America's focus and military resources shifted to Iraq. Just weeks before the paratroopers were to go home, they faced their last--and toughest--fight. Near the village of Wanat in Nuristan province, an estimated three hundred enemy fighters surrounded about fifty of the Chosen Few and others defending a partially finished combat base. Nine died and more than two dozen were wounded that day in July 2008, making it arguably the bloodiest battle of the war in Afghanistan.The Chosen Few would return home tempered by war. Two among them would receive the Medal of Honor. All of them would be forever changed.
378 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 24, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 67 reviews
April 13, 2017
This book really pulls on your heart strings, but is SO good! Descriptive, but not too much where you get lost in the detail. Accurately shows the bond of the Chosen Few and the story of their time in Afghanistan...be ready to go through a ton of emotions reading this!! Zoroya did a phenomenal job researching, interviewing, and ultimately portraying the story in an unbiased way with first-hand accounts from those involved. I would definitely recommend!
March 22, 2017
the story is fantastic. the writing is not typical or worthy of award-winning journalist, at least not in my experience reading such books. I cry when I read these books. the disjointed, even ludicrous, writing in this case actually saved me from much of that here, I cynically write. yet nothing can take away from the courage, love, sacrifice, brotherhood, perseverance, hope displayed within these young men. nothing can diminish the horror, tragedy, bonds of blood and moments sublime. the story told is a 4, perhaps 5; the telling of it a 2, even 1. to know these lives sometimes hurts, and though I do not regret reading of them, I do not recommend this particular tale. on another note, while I am not a blind believer in the military complex, I am a supporter and former member who would go again in time of need - I am again distraught and disgusted by the extreme handicapping done to our military members, the boots on the ground, by an increasingly politically- and socially- minded 'leadership' who seem entirely too bent on forgetting to love their fighting forces more than themselves. Sir Richard Branson's admonishment to 'take care of our employees first' applies just as well to our military. at the moment, I don't recall which modern-age American general said it, but when asked about sending men to war, said something about it being the hardest thing to do, for he was sending the thing he loved most (his men) into the face of death, and they went. if that were true of every military mind our warriors would be in much better and stronger hands.
April 18, 2020
This is a detailed account of the deadly Battle of Wanat that took place in the Nuristan Province in Afghanistan on July 13, 2008. It also covers the battle at Outpost Ranch House which took place a month prior. Not only was Wanat one of the costliest battles in Afghanistan, it led to years of investigations and controversy. The story surrounds Army Rangers who were Paratroopers of C company in the 173rd Airborne.
Throughout the book, the author gives a detailed background of dozens of the soldiers who were part of Chosen Company at OP Ranch House and Wanat. He gives the reader a clear picture of the environment there and the events that led up to each of the battles. With the mini-biographies of each of the men involved, the reader becomes closely familiar with all of Chosen Company, including all those who lost their lives. It is a sad but inspiring story.
The book is very well researched based on first-hand sources of the soldiers who were there and their families. It is very intricate and detailed and the author took special care to portray the events as they occurred based on the sources he interviewed which he verified with a second source as much as possible. Zoroya explains in detail on how this is done.
Throughout the book, the author gives a detailed background of dozens of the soldiers who were part of Chosen Company at OP Ranch House and Wanat. He gives the reader a clear picture of the environment there and the events that led up to each of the battles. With the mini-biographies of each of the men involved, the reader becomes closely familiar with all of Chosen Company, including all those who lost their lives. It is a sad but inspiring story.
The book is very well researched based on first-hand sources of the soldiers who were there and their families. It is very intricate and detailed and the author took special care to portray the events as they occurred based on the sources he interviewed which he verified with a second source as much as possible. Zoroya explains in detail on how this is done.
August 31, 2017
I've read about the Chosen, Battle, Able, Destined, & Fusion companies before in other books. Many of those books were fantastic reads and compelling stories of war, ambushes, attacks, anger, fear frustration, sadness, and loss. This book however is the epitome of all those combined, upped in orders of magnitude. What these soldiers went through was nothing short of horror. Another must read if you want to know what it's like in some of the most dangerous places in Afghanistan. The Waiygul, Pech, and Korrengal valleys are notorious For they're resistance to government & foreign troops since the time of Alexander The Great. They continue to live up to that to this day.
December 28, 2020
There’s no way this should have been a place to have troops. Just like the outpost in “Red Platoon” they were far to exposed. What a battle and what a story. Hearts of Lions.
November 9, 2017
A must read if you want to know what it's like in some of the most dangerous places in Afghanistan. Alexander the Great himself never got thru. What these brave men went thru, completely hampered & disgustingly handicapped to the extreme by people in office of both parties who’ve never served a day in their life & are way too social justice to be having their hands in the military where everyday is survival. This true story will stay with me for a long time & it’s amazing that it doesn’t get more attention. When we mess up the military we should admit it & fix. I hoped we’ve learned our lesson. Recommend.
April 4, 2025
Intense, incredibly well-researched account of Chosen Company’s historic 2007-8 Afghanistan deployment.
Written with so many personal details that both honor and authentically portray the Paratroopers’ experiences, I was disturbed, grieved, and laughing my butt off page to page.
I’ll have the privilege of taking command of this historic unit in just a couple weeks, and this book was both deeply inspiring and necessary context. It will be the honor of a lifetime.
Written with so many personal details that both honor and authentically portray the Paratroopers’ experiences, I was disturbed, grieved, and laughing my butt off page to page.
I’ll have the privilege of taking command of this historic unit in just a couple weeks, and this book was both deeply inspiring and necessary context. It will be the honor of a lifetime.
August 10, 2018
This was a really well done book. There were times I wished the soldiers or a soldier was telling the entire story but the author did a phenomenal job of grafting all the characters into the narrative. The research and work that went into the book was top notch. If you want to know what our country wants to keep silent and forgotten...read a bunch of these books. I’m convinced, after reading a large quantity of stories from Iraq and Afghanistan that our military is still home to legends and humble heroes. As if our military personnel somehow progressively became less honorable after World War Two. At the age of thirty six, I was raised in a culture that somehow whispered this false narrative into our unwritten history. American soldiers have been fighting wars with their hands tied behind their backs by weird(petty)political decisions and still manage to show the world what grit and determination is all about. Thank you American service men and women
February 8, 2024
didnt like it ngl
August 26, 2017
I couldn't put this down, it read like fiction but is really a true story. Such courageous young men.
July 6, 2017
Zoroya has written an extraordinary account of the perhaps the deadliest battle by American forces in Afghanistan, the struggle by the 2nd Battalion of the 503rd Parachute Infantry Regiment for control of the Waigal valley in eastern Afghanistan. This culminated in the desperate fight in July 2008 by Chosen Company as it fought to survive a well-planned attack by a large insurgent force that dominated the American base from the mountains above. It is very well written, as Zoroya has done an impressive amount of research and is therefore able to tell an impressive story of courage, devotion to duty and, above all, devotion to comrades in combat.
May 6, 2019
To nechapes. Clovek by cekal, ze se americane poucili z Vietnamu, ale tahle kniha je tristnim pripomenutim, ze opak je pravdou. Nejmodernejsi a nejbohatsi armadu a jednu z jejich nejlepsich beznych jednotek, kterou vysadkari byvaji, vyprasi banda talibancu v salvar kamizech. Tragikomicky pribeh o tom, ze v Afgosi meli sveho casu dva (sic!) bezpilotni letouny a pravdepodobne dost nekompetentni veleni. Boj o Wantu budiz toho dukazem, spatne misto, spatny cas, nedostatecna obrana. Tahle kniha popisuje proc to v Afganistanu dopadlo tak jak to dopadlo na prikladu roty Chosen. Na knize ocenuji fakt, ze to neni patos nebo propaganda ala Americky sniper, ale strizlivy popis toho co se delo.
February 21, 2017
This book really pulls on your heart strings, but is SO good! Descriptive, but not too much where you get lost in the detail. Accurately shows the bond of the Chosen Few and the story of their time in Afghanistan...be ready to go through a ton of emotions reading this!! Zoroya did a phenomenal job researching, interviewing, and ultimately portraying the story in an unbiased way with first-hand accounts from those involved. I would definitely recommend!
October 7, 2021
3 star account of five star soldiers in some of the heaviest, bloodiest fighting of the Afghan War. It’s clear the author wanted to get things right in terms of details and that he did plenty of research. The writing is workmanlike bordering on amateurish at times (for example, there are occasional mysterious lapses into the present tense), a high degree of repetition, and marginal organization, along with some nascent religious claptrap. Zoroya also narrated the audible book and one may fairly say his performance was …okay.
But don’t let any of that dissuade you from reading / listening and bearing witness to the bravery and sacrifice of these men in combat. That’s something we, if we are citizens of the United States, can do to honor their sacrifice, understand the nature and costs of what we have asked them to do, and the critical importance of not merely relying on tactical excellence to achieve strategic results. We owe our uniformed personnel better. A lot better.
When one studies the Afghan War one is reminded of this exchange between Col Harry Summers Jr. and an NVA Colonel in the closing days of the Vietnam War:
“You know you never beat us on the battlefield,” I told my North Vietnamese Army (NVA) counterpart, Colonel Tu, during a meeting in Hanoi a week before the fall of Saigon. “That may be so,” he replied, “but it is also irrelevant.”
We still haven’t learned this lesson.
But don’t let any of that dissuade you from reading / listening and bearing witness to the bravery and sacrifice of these men in combat. That’s something we, if we are citizens of the United States, can do to honor their sacrifice, understand the nature and costs of what we have asked them to do, and the critical importance of not merely relying on tactical excellence to achieve strategic results. We owe our uniformed personnel better. A lot better.
When one studies the Afghan War one is reminded of this exchange between Col Harry Summers Jr. and an NVA Colonel in the closing days of the Vietnam War:
“You know you never beat us on the battlefield,” I told my North Vietnamese Army (NVA) counterpart, Colonel Tu, during a meeting in Hanoi a week before the fall of Saigon. “That may be so,” he replied, “but it is also irrelevant.”
We still haven’t learned this lesson.
September 29, 2018
If you’ve read Sebastian Junger’s War and Lutrell’s Lone Survivor or watched Restrpo or the adaptation of the later book with Mark Wahlberg then you’ve had some experience of the territory this book enters. The tribes in this mountainous region of Afghanistan have been feuding with each other for 5000 years and only want to be left alone. Half a million Russians made no impact on them and why we thought we could do better eludes me. The locals know their back yard and are adapted to it in ways interlopers can never hope to understand. What we have provided them with are more efficient means of killing and in the process we’ve created new enemies.
As the book progresses we are introduced in detail to each of the protagonists and the locale that will become their ultimate battle scene as foreshadowed in the prologue. The memoir documents arrogance and a gross under-estimation of the strength and organizational capacity of the enemy.
As the book progresses we are introduced in detail to each of the protagonists and the locale that will become their ultimate battle scene as foreshadowed in the prologue. The memoir documents arrogance and a gross under-estimation of the strength and organizational capacity of the enemy.
October 15, 2021
Well, my friends, this is not what I was expecting or hoping for. I was expecting first-hand accounts of contact with the enemy. Some background of the men, yes, but primarily story-driven accounts of the war, the hardships, the pain, and the relief that the men went through as they were perhaps surrounded or nearly overrun by the Taliban. What we get is the reverse; about 80% of background and discussion, and 20% of actual action. That’s not to say it was bad or uninteresting, just not what I was expecting. If you like the personal background, insight into the men, and opinions on the war then this novel will satisfy that need. My other comment would be that I wish authors would not narrate their books. Of course, they’re familiar with what they wrote but that’s not where their talent lies. A professional may have added more emotion and personality into the tale, improving the overall experience. Three.point.five.
July 19, 2018
Wow! Gregg Zoroya portrays the selfless heroism, sacrifice, and brotherhood of Chosen Company..The Chosen Few. Each page draws the reader further into the action while at the same time leaving them emotionally drained as they empathetically suffer the loss of fellow brothers in arms. This band of brothers went where few men dared not only in their fight to the enemy in the far reaches of Afghanistan in what was, at the time, a forgotten war, but also when their raised their right hand and swore to defend the Constitution of the United States. They faced impossible odds in a hostile region and while many of them paid the ultimate sacrifice, many more were left forever changed by their experiences in mind, body, and spirit. The determination of these brave men is now forever etched in the annals of history.
June 25, 2019
Chosen Few is a superb account of the impossible tasks and scenarios that Chosen Company faced in Southern Afghanistan. This books gives an excellent glimpse into the lives of those brave men in the Waygal Valley. They endured hellish conditions as the Taliban and other insurgent groups fought tooth and nail for control of the Waygal. In one battle alone, nine soldiers were killed. This book describes three or four major firefights.
The author does these men a great blessing. He describes each man in biographical detail, allowing us as the readers to paint accurate pictures of these men in our minds. His dedication to accuracy and detail is wonderful. The story is engaging, but it is also intense. A sober mind is an asset to the material, but this book has its comedic moments. If anyone is curious into what life is like for US soldiers in Afghanistan, this is a great book to read.
The author does these men a great blessing. He describes each man in biographical detail, allowing us as the readers to paint accurate pictures of these men in our minds. His dedication to accuracy and detail is wonderful. The story is engaging, but it is also intense. A sober mind is an asset to the material, but this book has its comedic moments. If anyone is curious into what life is like for US soldiers in Afghanistan, this is a great book to read.
January 20, 2020
Terrific story of the men, their lives, their triumphs and their tragedies in the War in Afghanistan. The struggles and the battles they fought, provide incredible insight to their strength, determination, and leadership. How men, many of them hardly more than boys, came together to fight an enemy who wanted nothing more than their ultimate destruction.
I believe many fail to see the war in Afghanistan as being fought by a hardened, determined, well trained, well funded and smart enemy who's only goal is the destruction of infidels. It's a holy war for this enemy, and they are all in. And into this, are thrust the paratroopers of Chosen Company, who must come to terms with the realization there are no "hearts and minds" to win over there, survival is the only goal.
I believe many fail to see the war in Afghanistan as being fought by a hardened, determined, well trained, well funded and smart enemy who's only goal is the destruction of infidels. It's a holy war for this enemy, and they are all in. And into this, are thrust the paratroopers of Chosen Company, who must come to terms with the realization there are no "hearts and minds" to win over there, survival is the only goal.
September 15, 2021
Incredibly powerful narrative of Chosen Company, a group of paratroopers involved in three of the bloodiest encounters in the Afghanistan War. Amazing bravery and composure was exhibited by these young men barely out of their teens amid overwhelming attacks by the Taliban. The brutality of war including losing several of their fellow platoon mates is described in fascinating and sad detail by the author. Incredible research, particularly interviews with the survivors and family members of those lost in battle, forms the basis of a book that was very hard to put down. Destined to become a valuable and treasured historical record of the war in Afghanistan. I highly recommend this book.
November 17, 2022
good read
The book wasnt what I thought it was going to be. It turned out to be quite a bit more. While navigating the story, you see the issues unfold. You see how the thoughts and the minds of these young men work. I am glad that their story was told in a positive way and reflects their courage and love for their brothers in arms. Safe to say that this novel is well worth the time it took read. There were times I had to put it down if only to take a break and digest what was being said. The story telling was to the point and haunting as it finished.
Thank you for allowing me the glimpse into The Chosen Fews life.
The book wasnt what I thought it was going to be. It turned out to be quite a bit more. While navigating the story, you see the issues unfold. You see how the thoughts and the minds of these young men work. I am glad that their story was told in a positive way and reflects their courage and love for their brothers in arms. Safe to say that this novel is well worth the time it took read. There were times I had to put it down if only to take a break and digest what was being said. The story telling was to the point and haunting as it finished.
Thank you for allowing me the glimpse into The Chosen Fews life.
November 8, 2018
If you are going to read one book about the grunt's life in the Afghanistan war, read this one. It is not polished or polite, rather an unvarnished view into the truth, love, and sacrifice of war. It will make you wonder at where such integrity comes from and admire its character. It does not matter if you are pro, anti, or lukewarm regarding the military. This is a story of courage and honor above all else, qualities that all should strive to exhibit when tough times get tougher.
Chosen Company, indeed. We can learn a thing or two from these young men.
Chosen Company, indeed. We can learn a thing or two from these young men.
January 25, 2019
I just finished reading a book called “The Chosen Few” about the 173rd Airborne Brigade and their fifteen month deployment to Afghanistan 2007-2008. The Forward is written by William H McRaven Admiral (U.S Navy Retired)
The Auther is Gregg Zoroya.
This has been an outstanding read. If you have a desire to try and understand what our troops are going through and have been through this past many years, it is well worth the read.
It is very descriptive and not for the faint of heart. But the bonding the troops (brothers) go through is amazing to see.
I highly recommended this book.
Amazon books
The Auther is Gregg Zoroya.
This has been an outstanding read. If you have a desire to try and understand what our troops are going through and have been through this past many years, it is well worth the read.
It is very descriptive and not for the faint of heart. But the bonding the troops (brothers) go through is amazing to see.
I highly recommended this book.
Amazon books
December 11, 2017
Hoo-ah! Wow...what a page turner. Gregg Zoroya did an amazing job of making me feel like I was there. Major respect to the members of Chosen company for what you did against the enemy and for what you sacrificed. I hate that the rules of engagement has to be overcome by the heroics of a few.
Our nation will always be indebted to those who willingly go to war on our behalf, regardless of where each individual stands on where we should or should not be! Thank you Chosen Few!
Our nation will always be indebted to those who willingly go to war on our behalf, regardless of where each individual stands on where we should or should not be! Thank you Chosen Few!
December 31, 2018
Outstanding! Extremely well written and honors this group of brave men.
This book opens up one of the fiercest battles of any war. Not much is written about the war in Afghanistan and I was taken back by the hell that our troops face in such a savage environment. The book is highly readable and is h a rd to put down. The author did a superb job of writing this book. I highly recommend it!
This book opens up one of the fiercest battles of any war. Not much is written about the war in Afghanistan and I was taken back by the hell that our troops face in such a savage environment. The book is highly readable and is h a rd to put down. The author did a superb job of writing this book. I highly recommend it!
June 22, 2019
Intense! Anyone who has ever participated in a firefight on the two way range will truly appreciate the courage and fortitude displayed by these men during a harried tour in Afghanistan. Chosen was typical of all combat units that find themselves heavily engaged with a capable and tenacious enemy. The deep commitment and affection that are so much part of the combat unit is so readily evidenced here, along with the guilt that most feel as survivors. A phenomenon that is impossible to explain to anyone who has not been through the experience. The experience that immediately makes for common ground between combat soldiers no meter in which army they served or which war might have been their war. These men sere as an inspiration, my heart and soul go out to each of them, one combat veteran to another. Well done those men.
November 10, 2020
Riveting! This book was nearly impossible to put down. That author was so vivid in weaving the heroic battles and poetic in humanizing these men and the brotherhood they formed. This book gives you an authentic look into the war in Afghanistan, the challenges our men face and the sacrifices they make for one another. It brings both the complexities of war and the human side of the men in battle to the reader. I’ve read a lot in this genre and this one ranks at the top!
March 5, 2021
I’ve read this book 6 times...this story is so raw, surreal, and heartbreaking at times. Zorroya has done these men justice by writing what in my opinion is one of the greatest war biopics.
The amount of care that was taken in researching and interviewing these men and understanding their conditions is second to none. I’ve always appreciated those who serve but this story makes that appreciation much deeper. Well done Mr Zorroya and thank you to the Chosen Few.
The amount of care that was taken in researching and interviewing these men and understanding their conditions is second to none. I’ve always appreciated those who serve but this story makes that appreciation much deeper. Well done Mr Zorroya and thank you to the Chosen Few.
August 2, 2021
I'm a veteran. I couldn't finish this book because reading about the situations into which these exceptional soldiers were sent and expected to endure was absolutely maddening. Someone who has never fought in combat knows better than to expect a small group of men to man an outpost on valley floors with mountains ten thousand feet higher all around them, making them easy targets and nearly impossible to re-supply or extract wounded and KIA. American generals never learn.
April 9, 2025
It was hard not to compare this book to Sebastian Junger's "War," which tells the story of Battle Company's fight in the neighboring Korengal Valley with more intimate detail of the men and a psychological analysis of combat. To Zoroya's credit, he provided a wealth of background on nearly every soldier and officer, which helped contextualize what brought them to the fight and mapped out the war in Afghanistan on a broader scale.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 67 reviews