Lions of Kandahar

The Story of a Fight Against All Odds

By: Major Rusty Bradley, Kevin Maurer

Narrated by: Eric G. Dove

Length: 8 hrs and 37 mins

Publisher's summary

One of the most critical battles of the Afghan War is now revealed as never before. Lions of Kandahar is an inside account from the unique perspective of an active-duty U.S. Army Special Forces commander, an unparalled warrior with multiple deployments to the theater who has only recently returned from combat.

Southern Afghanistan was slipping away. That was clear to then-Captain Rusty Bradley as he began his third tour of duty there in 2006. The Taliban and their allies were infiltrating everywhere, poised to reclaim Kandahar Province, their strategically vital onetime capital. To stop them, the NATO coalition launched Operation Medusa, the largest offensive in its history. The battlefield was the Panjwayi Valley, a densely packed warren of walled compounds that doubled neatly as enemy bunkers, lush orchards, and towering marijuana stands, laced through with treacherous irrigation ditches. A mass exodus of civilians heralded the carnage to come.

Dispatched as a diversionary force in support of the main coalition attack, Bradley’s Special Forces A-team and two others, along with their longtime Afghan Army allies, watched from across the valley as the NATO force was quickly engulfed in a vicious counterattack. Key to relieving it and calling in effective air strikes was possession of a modest patch of high ground called Sperwan Ghar. Bradley’s small detachment assaulted the hill and, in the midst of a savage and unforgettable firefight, soon learned they were facing nearly a thousand seasoned fighters - from whom they seized an impossible victory.

Now Bradley recounts the whole remarkable story as it actually happened. The blistering trek across Afghanistan’s infamous Red Desert. The eerie traces of the elusive Taliban. The close relations with the Afghan people and army, a primary mission focus. Sperwan Ghar itself: unremitting waves of fire from machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades; a targeted truck turned into an inferno; the death trap of a cut-off compound. Most important: the men, Americans and Afghans alike - the “shaky” medic with nerves of steel and a surgeon’s hands in battle; the tireless sergeant who seems to be everywhere at once; the soft-spoken intelligence officer with laser-sharp insight; the diminutive Afghan commander with a Goliath-sized heart; the cool maverick who risks all to rescue a grievously wounded comrade - each unique, all indelible in their everyday exercise of extraordinary heroism.

©2012 Brilliance Audio, Inc.; 2011 Rusty Bradley

Gripping patriotic story

This story outlines perfectly the mission of Special Forces in not only winning the war but winning the peace. Expertly written ,suspenseful, and entertaining this should be required reading for American high school students. A great account of special forces in Afghanistan.

Great account

Loved this book, very easy to set into, and very hard to stop. Great voice, one of the best for this book.

These Soldiers Give Us Freedom

I laughed, I cried, I cringed! As a Vietnam veteran's wife, I can totally relate to these stories. I loved this story so much, I am going to listen to it again.

My own experiences as a Green Beret...

pale alongside those of the men of ODA 331 and ODA 333…The Lions of Kandahar... but I am proud beyond words to have walked with Giants and to be able to say that I too lived “De Oppresso Liber”. Thank you, Brother, for bringing home the spirit, devotion, and
comradely of the Special Forces. Damian T. Horne, IN, SF, JA 5/19th SFG (ABN)

worth your time to read or listen

believable story with enough military details and jargon to create a sense of reality about the fiercest top secret special forces battle that no one ever heard of...

Great history!

Audible always keeps me listening. The titles they have always keep me coming back. Great app

A great read

A must read for any military member and civilian who wants to try to understand the history of the war in Afghanistan.

Great book and performance

Great book from start to finish.....so well performed at every chapter. Would recommend to anyone who enjoys real life story.

Gripping

Awe inspiring story, told very well. Good reminder of the debt we owe to our servicemen and women.

thoughtful and meaningful account of the battle

a thoughtful and meaningful account of the sacrifices during the battle for Kandahar. Two words