Kabul

The Untold Story of Biden's Fiasco and the American Warriors Who Fought to the End

By: Jerry Dunleavy, James Hasson

Narrated by: Maxwell Hamilton

Length: 11 hrs and 52 mins

Publisher's summary

This hard-hitting book is the definitive account of the Biden administration's most disgraceful hour—and the chaos it unleashed in the world.

America’s chaotic retreat from Afghanistan in 2021 was nothing short of a horror show. Women and children were trampled to death outside the gates of the Kabul airfield. Desperate Afghans fell from the landing gear of departing planes. Taliban fighters mercilessly whipped and humiliated U.S. civilians trying to access the few square miles still controlled by American forces. Countless Afghan interpreters were abandoned to the mercy of the Taliban after risking their lives alongside American troops for years. And thirteen U.S. service members—eleven of whom were still in preschool on 9/11—were murdered in an ISIS suicide bombing that could easily have been prevented.

Still, the full story is worse than anyone imagined. Drawing from hundreds of hours of first-person interviews, investigative reporter Jerry Dunleavy and former Army Captain and Afghanistan veteran James Hasson provide an exclusive, no-holds-barred account of the disastrous events of August 2021. Kabul is packed with shocking and infuriating exclusive details about fatal politics and bureaucracy that contributed to the catastrophe. The authors also tell, for the first time, inspiring stories of the bravery and sacrifices exhibited by countless Americans on the ground.

Kabul's original reporting includes eyewitness accounts from servicemembers of all ranks who participated the rescue effort, inside information from senior intelligence officials, interviews with high-ranking members of allied governments, harrowing stories from Americans and Afghan allies willfully abandoned by craven officials in Washington, and exclusive details about veteran-led rescue missions that continue to this day. Chapter after chapter, Kabul depicts American government at its worst and “ordinary” Americans at their best.

Ultimately, this book explains how Biden’s Afghanistan retreat spurred a dangerous new era that persist for decades. While Americans watched the fall of Afghanistan with disbelief, our nation’s enemies were also paying close attention.

©2023 Jerry Dunleavy and James Hasson (P)2023 Center Street

Critic reviews

"James Hasson and Jerry Dunleavy offer a gripping and uncompromising account of one of the most shameful moments in American history. The Afghanistan withdrawal was an unmitigated disaster caused by President Biden's incompetence. Hasson and Dunleavy meticulously detail how his failed leadership humiliated America and made the world a more dangerous place."—Senator Tom Cotton (U.S. Army veteran of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan)

"Jerry Dunleavy and James Hasson provide a substantive account of the disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan that should enrage and educate every reader. Their examination of the events that took place on the ground during this crisis not only provide truthful accounts for those still grieving their lost loved ones at Abbey Gate but confirm this withdrawal was the worst American foreign policy debacle in modern day history."—Congressman Michael Waltz, former Army Green Beret and Afghan war veteran

"James Hasson and Jerry Dunleavy provide a brutal, no-holds-barred account that reveals the scope of the Biden administration’s disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan. Every American should read Kabul."—Ben Shapiro, Editor Emeritus of The Daily Wire and Host of The Ben Shapiro Show

Hard to believe people don't know about this!

It is so sad that the average American is unaware of all that happened. I remember what was being said at the time on social media and in the news and the narrative was totally different from what actually happened. I don't understand how anyone can get away with this. Why does Biden get a free pass???

Thank you for sharing

The stories of the 13 service members is very touching. It seems people our pawns of leaders everywhere in the world.

Could not stop listening

The authors document an atrocity in a compelling well laid out story. I could not stop listening. This should be mandatory for anyone with an interest in modern history or geopolitics.

Kabul

May their names always be for a blessed memory
May we all never forget the evil, unsympathetic and cruel man Joseph R. Biden is. My God rain down his wrath on him.

Horrific

This true to life story is well written and the audio very good. Highly, highly recommend it. Some reviews have said they could not stop listening, me, I have had to stop numerous times. What is revealed in this book is so horrific and upsetting, I could only take it in pieces. My anger, sorrow and depression would get so overwhelming, I had to put aside for a while and come back to it. That our own government would turn its back on our troops and the people that risked their lives to assist them is maddening. I thought what I knew of this event was bad enough but there is so much more that has been hidden from the American public that is revealed here that is almost incomprehensible. I foresee a movie being made of this account sometime in the future. Thank you to the authors, this had to be difficult to research and write but so grateful you did. Pray for our troops and pray for America, something like this should have never happened and must not happen again!

remember the 13.

I ask you to read and remember. Also, learn what happened. We should have learned from Vietnam and now need to learn from this.

An Incredible Book about a Terrible Event

I recommend this book to everyone. Whether you enjoy learning about American history, the United States military, non-fiction stories of courage, etc. this book is thoroughly researched & written. This book also does what so many other sources have not, which is to hold the Biden Administration accountable for one of the darkest moments in American history. So many awful events could have been prevented but weren't due to Biden himself and his administration. Again, I recommend this book to any individual who wants to educate themselves on the true events surrounding the United States evacuation from Afghanistan.

Insights of a modern disaster

It’s hard to describe the emotions felt while listening the accounts of lack of leadership and responsibility that resulted in one of the biggest national disasters in modern history of United States. Readers and listeners need to pay close attention to the the facts, or lack of, used public representatives at the federal and state levels. You must demand better or else be compliant with liberties and freedoms being sold out from underneath us

Infuriating.

Blood is on the hands of this administration, and continues to flow. This account needs to be spread far and wide.

Outstanding

This is an outstanding book. For those who spent time in Nam (south Vietnam), the story is painfully reminiscent of the fall of Nam in 1975. A couple other thoughts- the slothful indifference of the state department. The utter widespread INCOMPETENCE of US government at virtually all levels. The fact that NOBODY got fired. There seems to have been no serious comprehensive after action review. The authors gave credit to the private groups that rescued so many Afghan partners. Finally I don’t believe the authors said a single word about president Biden, that was a little petty, but overall criticism of president Biden well deserved.