Greetings From Afghanistan, Send More Ammo: Dispatches from Taliban Country

by Benjamin Tupper

"Raw, direct, and powerful...This work is vitally important."
-Ken Stern, former CEO of National Public Radio

Captain Benjamin Tupper spent a year in Afghanistan in an Embedded Training Team, tasked with training, leading in combat, and mentoring the Afghan Army to victory against the brutal Taliban. Writing and recording from a remote outpost, Tupper's dispatches were posted on the blog The Sandbox and broadcast on NPR, bringing vivid snapshots of America's longest ongoing war to a wide audience back home.

Here, he takes us inside the intricacies of the war, opening up a unique and multifaceted view of both Afghan culture and the daily life of an American soldier. From the rush of gunfire to surreal, euphoric moments of cross-cultural understanding, this emotional and thought- provoking narrative is rich with humor, eloquence and contradiction. Deeply personal and darkly funny, Tupper illuminates the challenges of the war, vividly bringing to life both the mundane and the extraordinary and seeking a way forward.

Genres: Military Fiction, Nonfiction, War, History, Biography, Military History

272 pages, Hardcover

First published May 8, 2010

Reviews

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Once I realized it was a published blog, I understood why the stories felt so disjointed and why there was no overall narrative. I think that because the author was writing while going through the experience we got some very raw and blunt descriptions of what he went through. I felt that some of the entries were a little superficial, but then I'd read another that hit on all the right, relevant questions and put a spotlight on the real challenges and misunderstandings we face in this conflict. I appreciated that the wrap-up posts gave some perspective after the author had some distance from the battlefield. Although I'm left wondering if his observations and complaints have been floated up through the ranks and are being heard by people making decisions. Is our military responding and adapting as Tupper suggests they need to? If not, then why not?

The four stars are less for eloquent writing than they are for the uniqueness of the story and the bravery of the author to tell this story despite the efforts of some in the military to censor him.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not really a book but a collection of mostly blog posts and essays from a captain designated as an Embedded Training Team member, training the Afghan National Army in the 2006-2007 timeframe. Really excellent, short accounts of various aspects of the war. Reads very fast and yet he covers a lot of ground. Recommended at 4 Star level.

[Judy]

This is a collection of blog posts by someone who served there in '06-'07. Among the things I learned was how wiley and organized the Taliban are. No wonder this country has resisted occupation.

[Yoonmee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book about what it's like to be a soldier out in Afghanistan. I'm torn between 3 and 4 stars, but I'll give it 4 stars since I'm feeling generous.

I am sometimes wary of war books written by military folks b/c a lot of military folks tend to be pretty conservative, so when I picked up the book in the library I was happy to see that Tupper had been featured on NPR and Slate.com. I did some Googling and realized Tupper considers himself a progressive. Yay! I really enjoyed how Tupper didn't spend his time simply complaining about his time in Afghanistan, nor did he complain too much about the Afghans or try to imply that their ways were inferior to American ways (in fact, many times he counters his comments on Afghan culture with a reminder that we Americans are not perfect either). His stories about dealing with PTSD were also very poignant and need to be read by friends and family members of people returning from combat.

I was torn between 3 and 4 stars because, while the stories are interesting, Tupper isn't the world's best writer. I know that's a tad harsh, but, hey, I'm trying to rate this based on literary merit, timeliness, importance in history, etc.

Can anyone recommend war books written by other progressives?

[Boozy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good collection of essays from ETT's in Afghanistan. I have placed this on required reading for my new troops.

[Zandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really good book.

[Justin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actually this was much better than I perhaps was expecting. This is the collected blog entries/essays of a US Army officer embedded as a mentor to the Afghan National Army, and it really benefits from his intellect and openmindedness. He is candid about the experience of combat and the aftermath (indeed he reveals that these blog entries helped with his PTSD), and the progress and conduct of US operations in Afghanistan. The short excerpts on various themes and subjects make it extremely readable (I finished it within a 24 hour period) and he writes with humour and an eye for detail. Sometimes the bloggish nature of his writing results in a sort of "look at me at the centre of the universe" tone, but it is infrequent and relatively low key. My main criticism is that the entries are not dated and are not organized chronologically, which can make it difficult for the reader to understand what events of just happened and at what stage of his year-long deployment he is at. Instead the essays are organized thematically, another weakness of which is that the penultimate section of the book is overwhelmingly gloomy as he covers the deaths of colleagues. However, it remains engaging throughout, told from a progressive viewpoint, and is strongly sympathetic and honest about the mission and people he works with. He also makes a point of explaining that his writing remained free of official interference. This is one of the better books on modern war and the war in Afghanistan out of the many that I've read.

[Pattie · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Embrace the Suck." It was a great blog title and it was good to read a blog written from an officer's perspective. I liked the blog but the book seems to have rearranged some of the entries, which I found a bit confusing but which is no reason to skip a book so full of information.

Captain Tucker introduces his reader to the concept of Embedded Training Teams, and gives a warts-n-all look at the lives of the men sent to train up the Afghan National Army. It will surprise no one that Tucker and his men found the task a difficult one. And, sadly the problems didn't end for Tucker or his men when they returned to the US. Capt. Tucker struggled to help his men reintegrate at home, while dealing with his own disintegrating marriage and PTSD issues, showing that even officers who operate "outside the wire" are subject to the frailties of the human soul.

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tupper culled blog posts from his time in Afghanistan and combined them into this book about his experiences and his war. The posts are arranged by theme and not chronologically which adds emotional punch and a little confusion. Tupper was deployed 2005-2006.

Why I picked it up: I liked the title, knew that I needed to beef up my understanding of the ongoing war in Afghanistan.

Why I finished it: Tupper's style is blunt, engaging and wry. Very personal glimpse into what it's like, both the good and bad, funny and heartbreaking. I also liked the section at the end on the challenges of going home.

[Kurt Thonnings · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written. At times, descriptively blunt. Scary that we're over there. We shouldn't be 'training' sons to kill. Even after reading this first-hand account of a young man being over there, it didn't change my mind. We just shouldn't be over there. There's no real reason. Just another culture of fear we're allowing to perpetrate through out culture. Sorry. Those boys could be heroes at home designing a new world. Just my thoughts.

[Radek Polanski · Rating 5 out of 5]

My name is Ski, and being one of the ETTs in Ben's book I find it very realistic and it was written exactly just the way it happened: Raw and uncensored. It is the best book I have ever read because I have lived it. if you want to know exactly what is going on in Afghanistan and and lives of everyday soldier in Afghanistan and stuff you should definitely read this book. I am Ski in his book

[Roadhouse · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a collection of short stories from American soldiers in Afghanistan, and has many interesting tid bits. Did you know that, thanks to the US Military, Afghanistan is awash in Pop Tarts? Also did you know that an Afghanny kid will sell out the Taliban for a Pop Tart?

[Stephannie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It was an interesting and painful real version of the war in Afghanistan. Being that is was a compilation of blog posts, it did feel like brief, disjointed snippets, but considering the subject matter, perhaps that made it an "easier" read as it was not unwieldy.

[Kath · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent read. If there is one thing that I need it is an honest view of what our men and women are enduring while serving as well as following their tours. This book is well written and what I am looking for.

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

A solid read. It's broken up into five (themed) sections and each section has 15-ish topics. Each was originally a blog post so their pretty short, 2-5 pages. It's great to read on the go. Touching and interesting.

[Brenda S · Rating 2 out of 5]

A local author from CNY

[James · Rating 3 out of 5]

It has an interesting take on the war

[Rcopithorne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not bad. It was more of less a bunch of Essays .

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great insights to a soldiers experience in combat.

[Teresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This a compilation of blogs written by Benjamin Tupper. If you want to know what war really is all about, read this book. His blogs and insights are excellent.

[Deb Carter · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good read for any of my friends who want to know exactly what my husband did the year he was in Afghanistan. This was his job. I gave it 5 stars for its value to me.

[Flora · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the vignette setup and the fact that this soldier had visited previously as a civilian. Would have liked a little more from each chapter.

[Travis Trainer · Rating 3 out of 5]

good description of what he did in war.

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow....

[Shirley DeCou · Rating 4 out of 5]

Things not so easy to hear.

[Maggie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good Book - Quick read. Great way to understand what our troops see and experience.

[Connie Faull · Rating 2 out of 5]

With the title of this book, I expected some sarcastic sense of humor in the writing. Unfortunately, that's not what you get here. I'm a vet, so I get that sense of humor, and there were a few times I think the author was trying to be funny, but it didn't work. Another disappointment is that this was not a book. They were blog posts that were put together in a book format in order to take advantage of the public's curiosity and interest in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Unfortunately, it was obvious these were blog posts, and the writing just wasn't up to par with what I usually read. I will say that the author was thoughtful in his writings and did bring up some good observations with respect to war, Afghanistan and it's people and the relationships between military people in a war zone. Unlike books like Generation Kill and Jarhead, this book just doesn't compare.

[Douglas · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a really good, non-fiction war book.

[JADEN UTTECHT · Rating 4 out of 5]

is a great real life story of solders in Afghanistan

[Marc Gingras · Rating 4 out of 5]

very good story from someone who operated with the ANA