The Hooligans of Kandahar: Not All War Stories Are Heroic

De: Joseph Kassabian

Narrado por: Thomas Dukeman

During the peak of the Afghanistan War, a group of soldiers is dropped by helicopter into the remote mountains outside of Kandahar City. Mismanaged and overlooked by command, the squad must rely on each other to survive.

Their mission is to train and advise the Afghan National Police and help rebuild the country of Afghanistan. The Afghan Police station they are assigned to live in is falling apart and disease-ridden. Many of the police officers they are supposed to train are Taliban sleeper agents or the family of Taliban fighters. The ones that aren’t are often addicted to drugs, illiterate, or smuggling child slaves.

The squad is led by Slim, a Staff Sergeant in his late twenties who has so many mental issues his insanity is his most dominant personality trait. An alcoholic with a penchant for violent outbursts against both his own soldiers and the Afghans, he is more comfortable at war than at home.

Joseph Kassabian is the youngest and most junior fire team leader in the squad. He’s charged with leading a team of soldiers not even old enough to drink. He himself is only 21 years old. As a combat veteran from previous deployments with four years in the Army, he assumes he has seen it all. But he has no idea how bad things can get in war-torn Kandahar.

©2018 Joseph Kassabian (P)2019 Joseph Kassabian

Great story

Loved the story, but as others have stated the narrator was a bit much for me.

Fascinating from beginning to end.

A very real book that I hope everyone can read to understand a point of view not often spoken about in the media, other books, or films.

Joe is awesome!

I heard about his book on his podcast Loins led by donkeys and it’s amazing. The book gave me a better insight to my people who were over in Iraq the last one leaving there a year before Joes first deployment overseas. I really loved the book. It’s totally worth getting. Also he is amazingly sarcastic and bitter and I love it and being able to listen to the podcast and then this book I appreciate he shared what it was like for him so bluntly.

A "fun" modern war story

Reminds me of a Tim O'Brian story turned into a novel with a more sarcastic & nonchalant tone; less nihilistic & surrealist. Describes the absurdity of the average military member & the horrors of war smeared with the comedic lens necessary to keep one sane during their deployment. Hilarious stories mixed about with the depressing nature of everything in Afghanistan. "If a war story has a moral, its not true" pretty sure O'Brain said that. IDK love the book, wish Joe was reading it though.

Hilarious

If you’ve ever read the fictional story of the All Guardsmen, this is the true to life version. Makes you feel the frustration, connection and the hilarity of some of the shit Marines get into.