Review: Snapshot from a Long War
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 05 10, 2011
Berenson was researching his sixth John Wells novel in Afghanistan and thankfully he recorded what he saw. The observations from his two weeks reminded me of some of the surreal histories of the Vietnam War. Though the author points out the difference in Afghanistan are the troops who are volunteers, proud of their service, even if they question the war. "They fight for each other, if no one else." This piece is part of the Kindle Single program so it is a 7,500 word article (think The Economist length). Yet, Berenson packs in incredible descriptions of Kandahar Air Field, the Boardwalk within that is basically an American mall, and the young, dedicated troops of the 101st Airborne Division who confront IEDs, corruption, bureaucracy, fear, ambiguity, and a camaraderie that sees them through.