The Outpost

An Untold Story of American Valor

By: Jake Tapper

Narrated by: Rob Shapiro

Length: 22 hrs and 17 mins

Publisher's summary

The basis of the film starring Orlando Bloom and Scott Eastwood, The Outpost is the heartbreaking and inspiring story of one of America's deadliest battles during the war in Afghanistan, acclaimed by critics everywhere as a classic.

At 5:58 a.m. on October 3, 2009, Combat Outpost Keating, located in frighteningly vulnerable terrain in Afghanistan just 14 miles from the Pakistani border, was viciously attacked. Though the 53 Americans there prevailed against nearly 400 Taliban fighters, their casualties made it the deadliest fight of the war for the U.S. that year. Four months after the battle, a Pentagon review revealed that there was no reason for the troops at Keating to have been there in the first place.

In The Outpost, Jake Tapper gives us the powerful saga of COP Keating, from its establishment to eventual destruction, introducing us to an unforgettable cast of soldiers and their families, and to a place and war that has remained profoundly distant to most Americans. A runaway best seller, it makes a savage war real, and American courage manifest.

"The Outpost is a mind-boggling, all-too-true story of heroism, hubris, failed strategy, and heartbreaking sacrifice. If you want to understand how the war in Afghanistan went off the rails, you need to read this book." (Jon Krakauer)

©2012 Jake Tapper (P)2012 Simon & Schuster Audio

Critic reviews

"Tapper's sassy style...gives the book a humorous angle that probably won't be found in most mainstream books about Election 2000....For those who are looking for an insider's view and tales, this is the book to buy." (National Journal)

"Tapper, the network's ambitious, telegenic senior White House correspondent, has made a name for himself as a tough questioner...ABC's tenacious reporter is already proving to be the new star of the White House press pack." (The Daily Beast)

important to read.

so many young soldiers give the their lives for is. give ten hours of yours to hear their stories.

Fantastic Story

A believable account of the poor overall planning and defined goals the US had in this war. Ultimately as we all know things are exactly as they were 20 years ago except they posses billions of dollars of our equipment.

Should be required reading for all Americans

I listened to the Audible.com version of this book. It is an eye-opener. You have to wonder how the U.S. Army promotes officers to general, when they decide to build a small base with less than 200 soldiers at the base of three mountains, near the Pakistan border, so remote that it takes close to an hour for air support to arrive (when the aircraft are available, since the geniuses Bush and Cheney started a second war and sent most of the resources to Iraq). Add a misconceived "hearts and mind" doctrine and rules of engagement that prohibit our troops from shooting unless the target has a rifle in hand. Even if they've just taken fire from that Hahji.
The book is realistic in its depiction of the troops on the ground. He doesn't describe them in the usual stereotypes - heroes, patriots, etc. Some of them did join for patriotic reasons, some because the alternative was a dead end job at Taco Bell, or going to jail. The author shows the pain and sacrifice of the soldiers' families, dreading a phone call in the middle of the night, or the worst, when two officers knock on the door to tell them their husband or son have been killed.
After months of attrition, losing men to snipers and IED's, the higher-ups decide to close the outpost. The Taliban and the local Afghans our soldiers have been trying to help surround the outpost from three sides, well concealed in the mountains, and attack. The Afghan Army soldiers, our "allies," bug out, some of them giving their weapons to the enemy.
So many good Americans died, or were horribly maimed, all for nothing.
The author has done a real service to our troops. The men on the ground served with courage and integrity. The generals who conceived this disaster should all be cashiered.
I like this book so much, and it is so well written and full of vital information and human drama, I am listening to it a second time, and going to buy the print version.

Sitting In A Fish Bowl

Here it is the wee hours of the morning and I just finished this book and I am searching for words for this review. The ANA reminded very much of the ARVN in Viet Nam; that our young men and women are even sent out alongside men that are cowards such as the ANA in this book really made me angry. Tapper did not pull his punches. He gave a bold.truthful look at situational SNAFU's the men of Camp Keating had to endure. Endured from the land, the enemy, the villigers,and the fools somewhere up the Chain of Command who thought this was a good location even for an Outhouse much less an Outpost. Tapper introduces us to real people and true events not invented characters and made up missions.
This narrator is new to me but I thought his voice was pleasing and his style of delivery smooth. I am very glad he did not try to give these men 'voices' for that would have distracted from the meat of the story.
If you are looking for a Vince Flynn or Brad Thor type book then "The Outpost" is not for you but if you want a honest account of this one slice of the Afghan War then you will really appreciate this book.

Reveals the hopelessness and heroism of this war

Having never read (or listened) anything that Mr. Tapper had written I figured this would just be another "reporters eye view" of the war. What I found was a jewel that is so powerful I wish every man or woman who might have the power to send our armed forces into battle be required to read it.

More than once I was brought to tears as Mr. Tapper described the gut wrenching emotions of those who waited at home, and of the incredible personal sacrifice these soldiers were (and are) willing to make for one another on a battlefield whose tactical goals have become so muddled by politicians there can be no good result.

Woven into the fabric of this book is a look at the frustrating bureaucracy that has evolved due to the United States attempts to mix politics and the use of military force. The blatant disregard for the most basic rules of tactical planning and execution cast a dark shadow over the senior military officers who were at the root cause of this tragedy. It is hard for me, as a veteran, to understand how we can put men and women in harms way and then hobble them with ridiculous rules of engagement.

War is a very nasty business and needs to be fought with overwhelming force, violence and clear tactical goals. After Desert Storm I believed our leadership, both military and political, had relearned the key lessons of World War II, that being that you simply cannot fight a limited war and expect any good result. It is apparent they have not.

Mr.Tapper does a brilliant job of making that point over and over again in each of the many battle segments.

This is a great book and I hope that it will become required reading for both political and military leadership as a tool to remind all of the horrible costs our soldiers must pay when leadership forgets the basics.

Buy it, read it, and tell your friends about it. The more Americans who become enlightened about what this war has evolved into the sooner, I would hope, we will be able to make the decision to fish or cut bait.

A must read of small unit experience in Afghanista

Up there with We were Soldiers Once and Young. So well written and researched, the author gave a holistic view of the battlefield and the challenges faced by the units operating there.

Great book!

This is one of the best stories of war that I have listened to. Great performance also. Will listen to again.

eye opening and entertaining

I previously lived in ignorance when it came to our troops fighting. this was an incredibly eye opening book and made me appreciate our troops and what they and their families have sacrificed. This book kept me wanting more and was well written and well read.

Amazing

An eye opening chain of events a hard look at the lack of highest leadership

The Outpost.

This book is a must read for any one. I was in the military and things like this happen more often than you would think. It is not always the smartest person that makes the decisions.They should have found out who planed to put the outpost in that valley and court marshalled him. to loose all those men for nothing, a lot like Viet Nam. What a waste.