Swords of Lightning

Green Beret Horse Soldiers and America's Response to 9/11

By: Mark Nutsch, Bob Pennington, Jim DeFelice

Narrated by: Mike Chamberlain

The first-person account of how a small band of Green Berets used horses and laser-guided bombs to overthrow the Taliban and al-Qaeda in Afghanistan after 9/11.

They landed in a dust storm so thick the chopper pilot used dead reckoning and a guess to find the ground. Welcomed by a band of heavily armed militiamen, they climbed a mountain on horseback to meet the most ferocious warlord in Asia. They plotted a war of nineteenth-century maneuvers against a twenty-first-century foe. They trekked through minefields, sometimes past the mangled bodies of local tribesmen who'd shared food with them hours before. They saved babies and treated fractures, sewed up wounded who'd been transported from the battlefield by donkey.

They found their enemy hiding in thick bunkers, dodged bullets from machine-gun-laden pickup trucks, and survived mass rocket attacks from vintage Soviet-era launchers. They battled the Taliban while mediating blood feuds between rival allies. They fought with everything they had, from smart bombs to AK-47s.

The men they helped called them brothers. Hollywood called them the Horse Soldiers.

They called themselves Green Berets—Special Forces ODA 595.

©2022 Mark Nutsch, Bob Pennington, and Jim DeFelice (P)2022 Tantor

Grateful American

Incredible story of what the initial months of America's war on terror looked like. This ODA Team's mission, against all odds was a heroic success. I loved it. Thank you for writing it.

Liked the format

Post 9/11 experiences of some very brave, well trained and emotionally intelligent men. The level of restraint and ego checking that this mission required would have been a disaster for 99% of the population. These men were exceptional men indeed.

Utterly fantastic!!!

If you have read and enjoyed "Horse Soldiers" or seen "12 Strong", you must listen to this book.

Horse Soldiers

You saw the movie 12 Strong read the first hand account here. It's filled with info and a great true story of American Heroes.

The Real Experience of The Horse Soldiers

Great book! It’s nice to hear the story of the Horse Soldiers told from men that completed that mission. Great narration and great story