American Spartan: The Promise, the Mission, and the Betrayal of Special Forces Major Jim Gant

Lawrence of Arabia meets Sebastian Junger’s War in this unique, poignantly dramatic true story of heroism and heartbreak in Afghanistan, written by a veteran war correspondent—one of the most remarkable stories of love and war ever told.

Army Special Forces Major Jim Gant changed the face of America’s war effort in Afghanistan. A decorated Green Beret who spent years in Afghanistan and Iraq training indigenous fighters, Gant argued for embedding autonomous units with tribes across Afghanistan to earn the Afghans’ trust and transform them into a reliable ally to defeat the Taliban and counter al-Qaeda networks. The military's top brass, including General David Petraeus, commander of U.S. Forces in Afghanistan, approved, and Gant was tasked with implementing his controversial strategy.

Veteran war correspondent Ann Scott Tyson first spoke with Gant when he was awarded the Silver Star in 2007. Spending time with him, she began to share his vision. Risking her life, she accompanied him to Afghanistan to cover the story. And then they fell in love.

Illustrated with dozens of photographs, American Spartan is their remarkable story—one of the most riveting, emotional narratives of wartime ever published.