Not A Good Day To Die: The Untold Story Of Operation Anaconda

At dawn on March 2, 2002, America's first major battle of the 21st century began. Over 200 soldiers of the 101st Airborne and 10th Mountain Division flew into Afghanistan's Shahilot valley — and into the mouth of a buzz saw. They were about to pay a bloody price for strategic, high-level miscalculations that underestimated the enemy's strength and willingness to fight. Now, award-winning journalist Sean Naylor, an eyewitness to the battle, details the failures of military intelligence and planning, and vividly portrays the astonishing heroism of these young, untested U.S. soldiers. Denied the extra support with which they trained, these troops nevertheless proved their worth in brutal combat and prevented an American military disaster.

Reviews
Sean Naylor, a longtime correspondent for ARMY TIMES, was with the American troops during a March 2002 operation in the Shahikot Mountains of Afghanistan. Despite bad intelligence and a lack of coordination among the forces involved, as well as a lack of key combat support, U.S. Forces did well, inflicting a large number of casualties on al Qaeda terrorists. Narrator John Henry Cox gives an entirely competent reading of this detailed and engrossing work. His delivery is much like he is giving a report, calm and steady. His well-modulated baritone gives a performance that matches well with Naylor's text. M.T.F. © AudioFile 2005, Portland, Maine

About the Author
Sean Naylor is a senior writer for the Army Times. He has covered the Afghan mujahideen's war against the Soviets, and American military operations in Somalia, Haiti, Bosnia, Afghanistan, and Iraq. He earned the White House Correspondents' Association's prestigious Edgar A. Poe Award for his coverage of Operation Anaconda. He lives in Washington, D.C.