num_pages: 432
description: Walk with America's generals, grunts, and Green Berets through the maze of unconventional wars and unsettled peace. Four-star generals who lead the military during wartime reign like proconsuls abroad in peacetime. Secretive Green Berets trained to hunt down terrorists are assigned to seduce ruthless authoritarian regimes. Pimply young soldiers taught to seize airstrips instead play mayor, detective, and social worker in a gung-ho but ill-fated attempt to rebuild a nation after the fighting stops.The Mission is a boots-on-the-ground account of America's growing dependence on our military to manage world affairs, describing a clash of culture and purpose through the eyes of soldiers and officers themselves. With unparalleled access to all levels of the military, Dana Priest traveled to eighteen countries―including Uzbekistan, Colombia, Kosovo, Indonesia, Nigeria, and Afghanistan―talking to generals, admirals, Special Forces A-teams, and infantry troops. Blending Ernie Pyle's worm's-eye view with David Halberstam's altitude, this book documents an historic and thought-provoking trend, one even more significant in the aftermath of September 11 as the country turns to its warriors to solve the complex international challenges ahead. 34 maps and illustrations
language: English
title: The Mission: Waging War and Keeping Peace with America's Military
titlecomplete: The Mission: Waging War and Keeping Peace with America's Military
genres: War, Politics, Political Science, Nonfiction, Military History, Military Fiction, Journalism, History
ratings_count: 91
awards: awardedAt: 1072944000000
name: Pulitzer Prize
category: General Nonfiction, awardedAt: 1072944000000
name: Helen Bernstein Book Award
category: Excellence in Journalism
publisher: W. W. Norton & Company