The Forever War, Dexter Filkins
I read this a long time ago, but it is still relevant so I recommend it. Filkins was a foreign correspondent for the New York Times and the only American journalist (at this point) to report on the beginnings of the Taliban, 9/11, and the Afghanistan and Iraq wars. What I remember thinking most after finishing this book is “everyone here has an opinion and no one knows what they’re talking about.” Social media has given every idiot on the planet a platform to post all day and everyone is somehow an expert about everything, which is funny because even when our government and the military has good intentions and/or are smart strategically, it is impossible to navigate this area of the world without fouling things up. Filkins details the difficulties of these wars due to tribal issues and not being able to trust informants. I’m not one to refrain from criticizing the government, especially after 9/11….but things are a lot more nuanced than people realize. If anything, read it so you understand what our brave soldiers went through and why we should do a better damn job of taking care of them when they get back.