-
The Fifth Act
- America's End in Afghanistan
- Narrated by: Elliot Ackerman
- Length: 6 hrs and 16 mins
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Buy for $15.75
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Publisher's summary
“The American betrayal of Afghanistan took twenty years. Elliot Ackerman, a participant and witness, tells the story with unsparing honesty in this intensely personal chronicle.”—George Packer
A powerful and revelatory eyewitness account of the American collapse in Afghanistan, its desperate endgame, and the war’s echoing legacy
Elliot Ackerman left the American military ten years ago, but his time in Afghanistan and Iraq with the Marines and later as a CIA paramilitary officer marked him indelibly. When the Taliban began to close in on Kabul in August 2021 and the Afghan regime began its death spiral, he found himself pulled back into the conflict. Afghan nationals who had worked closely with the American military and intelligence communities for years now faced brutal reprisal and sought frantically to flee the country with their families. The official US government evacuation effort was a bureaucratic failure that led to a humanitarian catastrophe. With former colleagues and friends protecting the airport in Kabul, Ackerman joined an impromptu effort by a group of journalists and other veterans to arrange flights and negotiate with both Taliban and American forces to secure the safe evacuation of hundreds. These were desperate measures taken during a desperate end to America's longest war. For Ackerman, it also became a chance to reconcile his past with his present.
The Fifth Act is an astonishing human document that brings the weight of twenty years of war to bear on a single week, the week the war ended. Using the dramatic rescue efforts in Kabul as his lattice, Ackerman weaves a personal history of the war's long progression, beginning with the initial invasion in the months after 9/11. It is a play in five acts, the fifth act being the story’s tragic denouement, a prelude to Afghanistan's dark future. Any listener who wants to understand what went wrong with the war’s trajectory will find a trenchant account here. But The Fifth Act also brings listeners into close contact with a remarkable group of characters, American and Afghan, who fought the war with courage and dedication, and at great personal cost. Ackerman's story is a first draft of history that feels like a timeless classic.
Listeners also enjoyed...
-
Places and Names
- On War, Revolution, and Returning
- By: Elliot Ackerman
- Narrated by: Elliot Ackerman, Mark Deakins
- Length: 6 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Toward the beginning of Places and Names, Elliot Ackerman sits in a refugee camp in Turkey, across the table from a man named Abu Hassar, who fought for al-Qaeda in Iraq, and whose connections to the Islamic State are murky. At first, Ackerman pretends to be a journalist, but after establishing a rapport with Abu Hassar, he takes a risk by revealing to him that in fact he was a Marine special operation officer. Ackerman then draws the shape of the Euphrates River on a large piece of paper, and his one-time adversary quickly joins him in the game of filling in the map.
-
-
A crazy ride through the Mideast.
- By Kent Prochazka on 12-05-19
By: Elliot Ackerman
-
Once a Warrior
- How One Veteran Found a New Mission Closer to Home
- By: Jake Wood
- Narrated by: Jake Wood
- Length: 8 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From Marine sniper Jake Wood comes a riveting memoir of leading over 100,000 veterans to a life of renewed service, volunteering to battle, hurricanes, tornados, wildfires, pandemics, and civil wars, and inspiring onlookers as their unique military training saved lives and rebuilt our country.
-
-
Powerful, Reality
- By RoxB on 04-29-21
By: Jake Wood
-
A Peace to End All Peace
- The Fall of the Ottoman Empire and the Creation of the Modern Middle East
- By: David Fromkin
- Narrated by: David de Vries
- Length: 23 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Middle East has long been a region of rival religions, ideologies, nationalisms, and ambitions. All of these conflicts are rooted in the region's political inheritance: the arrangements, unities, and divisions imposed by the Allies after the First World War. Author David Fromkin reveals how and why the Allies drew lines on an empty map that remade the geography and politics of the Middle East. Focusing on the formative years of 1914 to 1922, when all seemed possible, he delivers in this sweeping and magisterial book the definitive account of this defining time.
-
-
Still A Great Book On The Topic
- By Nostromo on 02-03-19
By: David Fromkin
-
Never Quit
- From Alaskan Wilderness Rescues to Afghanistan Firefights as an Elite Special Ops PJ
- By: Jimmy Settle, Don Rearden
- Narrated by: Chris Abell
- Length: 9 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
"That Others May Live" is a mantra that defines the fearless men of Alaska's 212th Pararescue Unit, the PJs, one of the most elite military forces on the planet. Whether they are rescuing citizens injured and freezing in the Alaskan wilderness or saving wounded Rangers and SEALs in blazing firefights at war, the PJs are the least known and most highly trained of America's warriors. Never Quit is the true story of how Jimmy Settle, an Alaskan shoe-store clerk, became a Special Forces Operator and war hero.
-
-
Unbelievable Heroism by AF Parajumpers
- By Larry on 11-26-17
By: Jimmy Settle, and others
-
2034
- A Novel of the Next World War
- By: Elliot Ackerman, Admiral James Stavridis USN
- Narrated by: Emily Woo Zeller, P.J. Ochlan, Vikas Adam, and others
- Length: 10 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From two former military officers and award-winning authors comes a chillingly authentic geopolitical thriller that imagines a naval clash between the US and China in the South China Sea in 2034 - and the path from there to a nightmarish global conflagration.
-
-
Meh....
- By Ronald A McBroom-Teasley on 03-10-21
By: Elliot Ackerman, and others
-
Freedom's Furies
- How Isabel Paterson, Rose Wilder Lane, and Ayn Rand Found Liberty in an Age of Darkness
- By: Timothy Sandefur
- Narrated by: Timothy Sandefur
- Length: 16 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 1943, three books appeared that changed American politics forever: Isabel Paterson’s The God of the Machine" Rose Wilder Lane’s The Discovery of Freedom, and Ayn Rand’s The Fountainhead. Together, they laid the groundwork for what became the modern libertarian movement. Even more striking were the women behind these books.
-
-
Must read
- By Aaron Crum on 03-09-23
By: Timothy Sandefur
-
Places and Names
- On War, Revolution, and Returning
- By: Elliot Ackerman
- Narrated by: Elliot Ackerman, Mark Deakins
- Length: 6 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Toward the beginning of Places and Names, Elliot Ackerman sits in a refugee camp in Turkey, across the table from a man named Abu Hassar, who fought for al-Qaeda in Iraq, and whose connections to the Islamic State are murky. At first, Ackerman pretends to be a journalist, but after establishing a rapport with Abu Hassar, he takes a risk by revealing to him that in fact he was a Marine special operation officer. Ackerman then draws the shape of the Euphrates River on a large piece of paper, and his one-time adversary quickly joins him in the game of filling in the map.
-
-
A crazy ride through the Mideast.
- By Kent Prochazka on 12-05-19
By: Elliot Ackerman
-
Once a Warrior
- How One Veteran Found a New Mission Closer to Home
- By: Jake Wood
- Narrated by: Jake Wood
- Length: 8 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From Marine sniper Jake Wood comes a riveting memoir of leading over 100,000 veterans to a life of renewed service, volunteering to battle, hurricanes, tornados, wildfires, pandemics, and civil wars, and inspiring onlookers as their unique military training saved lives and rebuilt our country.
-
-
Powerful, Reality
- By RoxB on 04-29-21
By: Jake Wood
-
A Peace to End All Peace
- The Fall of the Ottoman Empire and the Creation of the Modern Middle East
- By: David Fromkin
- Narrated by: David de Vries
- Length: 23 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Middle East has long been a region of rival religions, ideologies, nationalisms, and ambitions. All of these conflicts are rooted in the region's political inheritance: the arrangements, unities, and divisions imposed by the Allies after the First World War. Author David Fromkin reveals how and why the Allies drew lines on an empty map that remade the geography and politics of the Middle East. Focusing on the formative years of 1914 to 1922, when all seemed possible, he delivers in this sweeping and magisterial book the definitive account of this defining time.
-
-
Still A Great Book On The Topic
- By Nostromo on 02-03-19
By: David Fromkin
-
Never Quit
- From Alaskan Wilderness Rescues to Afghanistan Firefights as an Elite Special Ops PJ
- By: Jimmy Settle, Don Rearden
- Narrated by: Chris Abell
- Length: 9 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
"That Others May Live" is a mantra that defines the fearless men of Alaska's 212th Pararescue Unit, the PJs, one of the most elite military forces on the planet. Whether they are rescuing citizens injured and freezing in the Alaskan wilderness or saving wounded Rangers and SEALs in blazing firefights at war, the PJs are the least known and most highly trained of America's warriors. Never Quit is the true story of how Jimmy Settle, an Alaskan shoe-store clerk, became a Special Forces Operator and war hero.
-
-
Unbelievable Heroism by AF Parajumpers
- By Larry on 11-26-17
By: Jimmy Settle, and others
-
2034
- A Novel of the Next World War
- By: Elliot Ackerman, Admiral James Stavridis USN
- Narrated by: Emily Woo Zeller, P.J. Ochlan, Vikas Adam, and others
- Length: 10 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From two former military officers and award-winning authors comes a chillingly authentic geopolitical thriller that imagines a naval clash between the US and China in the South China Sea in 2034 - and the path from there to a nightmarish global conflagration.
-
-
Meh....
- By Ronald A McBroom-Teasley on 03-10-21
By: Elliot Ackerman, and others
-
Freedom's Furies
- How Isabel Paterson, Rose Wilder Lane, and Ayn Rand Found Liberty in an Age of Darkness
- By: Timothy Sandefur
- Narrated by: Timothy Sandefur
- Length: 16 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 1943, three books appeared that changed American politics forever: Isabel Paterson’s The God of the Machine" Rose Wilder Lane’s The Discovery of Freedom, and Ayn Rand’s The Fountainhead. Together, they laid the groundwork for what became the modern libertarian movement. Even more striking were the women behind these books.
-
-
Must read
- By Aaron Crum on 03-09-23
By: Timothy Sandefur
-
Halcyon
- A Novel
- By: Elliot Ackerman
- Narrated by: Steven Jay Cohen
- Length: 8 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Virginia, 2004. Gore is entering his second term as president. Our narrator, Martin Neumann, recently divorced, is living at Halcyon, the estate of renowned lawyer and World War II hero Robert Ableson. When news breaks that scientists funded by the Gore administration have discovered a cure for death, it calls into question everything Martin thought he understood about life, not least his work as a historian. Who is Ableson, really, and why did he draw Martin into his orbit? Is this new science a miraculous good or an insidious evil?
-
-
The Blueridge!
- By Mark Stein on 06-03-23
By: Elliot Ackerman
-
Waiting for Eden
- A Novel
- By: Elliot Ackerman
- Narrated by: MacLeod Andrews
- Length: 3 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Eden lies in a hospital bed, unable to move or speak. His wife Mary spends every day on the sofa in his room. We see them through the eyes of Eden’s best friend, a fellow Marine who didn’t make it back home — and who must relive the secrets held between all three of them as he waits for Eden to finally, mercifully die and join him in whatever comes after.
-
-
Mesmerizing
- By diana lynn on 10-11-18
By: Elliot Ackerman
-
The American War in Afghanistan
- A History 1st Edition
- By: Carter Malkasian
- Narrated by: Jonathan Todd Ross
- Length: 27 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The American war in Afghanistan, which began in 2001, is now the longest armed conflict in the nation's history. It is currently winding down, and American troops are likely to leave soon - but only after a stay of nearly two decades.
-
-
A superb summary of the Afghan war
- By Charles Olmsted on 06-18-22
By: Carter Malkasian
-
Always Faithful
- A Story of the War in Afghanistan, the Fall of Kabul, and the Unshakable Bond Between a Marine and an Interpreter
- By: Thomas Schueman, Zainullah Zaki
- Narrated by: Patrick Kirchner, Wali Habib
- Length: 12 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Band of Brothers meets Argo in this dramatic and heartfelt dual memoir of the war in Afghanistan told by two men from opposite worlds. Always Faithful entwines the stories of Marine Major Tom Schueman, and his friend and Afghan interpreter, Zainullah “Zak” Zaki, as they describe their parallel lives, converging paths, and unbreakable bond in the face of overwhelming danger, culminating in Zak and his family’s harrowing escape from Kabul.
-
-
Great Read!
- By justin on 08-13-22
By: Thomas Schueman, and others
-
The Afghanistan Papers
- A Secret History of the War
- By: Craig Whitlock, The Washington Post
- Narrated by: Dan Bittner
- Length: 9 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Unlike the wars in Vietnam and Iraq, the US invasion of Afghanistan in 2001 had near-unanimous public support. At first, the goals were straightforward and clear: Defeat al-Qaeda and prevent a repeat of 9/11. Yet soon after the United States and its allies removed the Taliban from power, the mission veered off-course and US officials lost sight of their original objectives.
-
-
Eye-Opening Book
- By David J Ray on 09-01-21
By: Craig Whitlock, and others
-
First Casualty
- The Untold Story of the CIA Mission to Avenge 9/11
- By: Toby Harnden
- Narrated by: Dan Woren
- Length: 14 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This dramatic true story reveals the secret mission of the eight members of the CIA’s Team Alpha, the first Americans to be dropped behind enemy lines in Afghanistan after 9/11.
-
-
Deeply researched
- By Jason G on 09-08-21
By: Toby Harnden
-
Operation Pineapple Express
- By: Scott Mann
- Narrated by: Lt. Col. Scott Mann
- Length: 10 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In April 2021, an urgent call was placed from a Special Forces operator serving overseas. The message was clear: Get Nezam out of Afghanistan now. Nezam was part of the Afghan National Army’s first group of American-trained commandos; he passed through Fort Bragg’s legendary Q course and served alongside the US Special Forces for over a decade. But Afghanistan’s government and army were on the edge of collapse, and Nezam was receiving threatening texts from the Taliban.
-
-
amazing, uplifting, heart wrenching
- By Lisa L. Weinley on 09-13-22
By: Scott Mann
-
Imperfect Union
- How Jessie and John Frémont Mapped the West, Invented Celebrity, and Helped Cause the Civil War
- By: Steve Inskeep
- Narrated by: Steve Inskeep
- Length: 13 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
With rare detail and in consummate style, Steve Inskeep tells the story of a couple whose joint ambitions and talents intertwined with those of the nascent United States itself. Taking advantage of expanding news media, aided by an increasingly literate public, the two linked their names to the three great national movements of the time - westward settlement, women’s rights, and opposition to slavery. Together, John and Jessie Frémont took parts in events that defined the country and gave rise to a new, more global America.
-
-
The ending is odd.
- By Kevin E. Werner on 12-26-20
By: Steve Inskeep
-
Danger Zone
- The Coming Conflict with China
- By: Hal Brands, Michael Beckley
- Narrated by: Nancy Wu
- Length: 8 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Sino-American contest is driven by clashing geopolitical interests and a stark ideological dispute over whether authoritarianism or democracy will dominate the twenty-first century. But both history and China's current trajectory suggest that this rivalry will reach its moment of maximum danger in the 2020s. The Chinese challenge will most likely prove more manageable than many pessimists currently believe—but during the 2020s, the pace of Sino-American conflict will accelerate, and the prospect of war will be frighteningly real.
-
-
Quality control issues
- By Rock Island on 09-17-22
By: Hal Brands, and others
-
This Town
- Two Parties and a Funeral - Plus, Plenty of Valet Parking! - in America’s Gilded Capital
- By: Mark Leibovich
- Narrated by: Joe Barrett
- Length: 11 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The great thing about Washington is no matter how many elections you lose, how many times you're indicted, how many scandals you've been tainted by, well, the great thing is you can always eat lunch in that town again. What keeps the permanent government spinning on its carousel is the freedom of shamelessness, and that mother's milk of politics, cash. What Julia Phillips did for Hollywood, Timothy Crouse did for journalists, and Michael Lewis did for Wall Street, Mark Leibovich does for our nation's capital.
-
-
They're out of touch ... and how!
- By John S. on 08-07-13
By: Mark Leibovich
-
Indestructible
- The Unforgettable Memoir of a Marine Hero at the Battle of Iwo Jima
- By: Jack H. Lucas, D.K. Drum
- Narrated by: Lloyd James
- Length: 5 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On February 20, 1945, the second day of the assault on Iwo Jima - one of the bloodiest battles of the Pacific theater in World War II - Private Jack Lucas, who was only 17, and three other Marines engaged in a close-proximity firefight with Japanese soldiers. When two enemy grenades landed in their trench, Lucas jumped on one and pulled the other under his body to save the lives of his comrades. Lucas was blown into the air as his body was torn apart by 250 entrance wounds. He was so severely wounded that his team left him for dead. Miraculously, he survived.
-
-
Not Really About Iwo Jima
- By Barbara on 02-25-21
By: Jack H. Lucas, and others
-
American Crusade
- Our Fight to Stay Free
- By: Pete Hegseth
- Narrated by: Pete Hegseth
- Length: 9 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Join the political and cultural fight for America's freedom - and learn how to protect our nation from the leftist agenda - with this essential guide from Fox & Friends Weekend co-host Pete Hegseth. In American Crusade, Pete Hegseth explores whether the election of President Donald J. Trump was sign of a national rebirth, or instead the final act of a nation that has surrendered to Leftists who demand socialism, globalism, secularism, and politically correct elitism. Can real America still win? And how?
-
-
Beyond Expectations!
- By Matthew on 05-24-20
By: Pete Hegseth
Critic reviews
"A master of his genre . . . among the best in war literature, like Norman Mailer’s The Naked and the Dead or Hemingway. Read this book.”—Bernard-Henri Lévy, Tablet
“Ackerman’s prose successfully transports the reader to the battlefield and into the midst of ambiguities facing young combatants required to make life-and-death decisions. He writes lovingly of his comrades, bringing them to life and heightening the poignancy of the stories he tells.”—Foreign Affairs
“The quality of the writing stands out. . . . part of a distinguished and growing literature by American veterans trying to understand the experience of those who served. . . . The Fifth Act’s contribution to understanding the war lies foremost in passages of reflection and well-chosen quotes . . . They give pause and offer a window into deeper thought.”—Washington Post
Related to this topic
-
The Mirror Test
- America at War in Iraq and Afghanistan
- By: J. Kael Weston
- Narrated by: J. Kael Weston
- Length: 22 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
J. Kael Weston spent seven years on the ground in Iraq and Afghanistan working for the US State Department in some of the most dangerous frontline locations. Upon his return home, while traveling the country to pay respect to the dead and wounded, he asked himself: When will these wars end? How will they be remembered and memorialized? What lessons can we learn from them?
-
-
A Must Read
- By Jessica Myrick on 06-04-16
By: J. Kael Weston
-
Places and Names
- On War, Revolution, and Returning
- By: Elliot Ackerman
- Narrated by: Elliot Ackerman, Mark Deakins
- Length: 6 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Toward the beginning of Places and Names, Elliot Ackerman sits in a refugee camp in Turkey, across the table from a man named Abu Hassar, who fought for al-Qaeda in Iraq, and whose connections to the Islamic State are murky. At first, Ackerman pretends to be a journalist, but after establishing a rapport with Abu Hassar, he takes a risk by revealing to him that in fact he was a Marine special operation officer. Ackerman then draws the shape of the Euphrates River on a large piece of paper, and his one-time adversary quickly joins him in the game of filling in the map.
-
-
A crazy ride through the Mideast.
- By Kent Prochazka on 12-05-19
By: Elliot Ackerman
-
Shatter the Nations
- ISIS and the War for the Caliphate
- By: Mike Giglio
- Narrated by: Robert Fass
- Length: 9 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The battle to defeat ISIS was an unremittingly brutal and dystopian struggle, a multi-sided war of gritty local commandos and militias. Mike Giglio takes listeners to the heart of this shifting, uncertain conflict, capturing the essence of a modern war. At its peak, ISIS controlled a self-styled "caliphate" the size of Great Britain, with a population cast into servitude that numbered in the millions. Its territory spread across Iraq and Syria as its influence stretched throughout the wider world.
-
-
Most important book for the coming decade
- By Peter A. on 01-01-20
By: Mike Giglio
-
Sacrifice
- A Gold Star Widow's Fight for the Truth
- By: Michelle Black
- Narrated by: Brittany Pressley
- Length: 10 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When Green Beret Bryan Black was killed in an ambush in Niger in 2017, his wife, Michelle, saw her worst nightmare become a reality. She was left alone with her grief and with two young sons to raise. But what followed Bryan's death was an even more difficult journey for the young widow. After receiving very few details about the attack that took her husband's life, it was up to Michelle to find answers. It became her mission to learn the truth about that day in Niger - and Sacrifice is the result of that mission.
-
-
A story of honor, heroism and courage
- By Marty on 06-04-21
By: Michelle Black
-
Operation Pineapple Express
- By: Scott Mann
- Narrated by: Lt. Col. Scott Mann
- Length: 10 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In April 2021, an urgent call was placed from a Special Forces operator serving overseas. The message was clear: Get Nezam out of Afghanistan now. Nezam was part of the Afghan National Army’s first group of American-trained commandos; he passed through Fort Bragg’s legendary Q course and served alongside the US Special Forces for over a decade. But Afghanistan’s government and army were on the edge of collapse, and Nezam was receiving threatening texts from the Taliban.
-
-
amazing, uplifting, heart wrenching
- By Lisa L. Weinley on 09-13-22
By: Scott Mann
-
Foxtrot in Kandahar
- A Memoir of a CIA Officer in Afghanistan at the Inception of America’s Longest War
- By: Duane Evans
- Narrated by: Eric Martin
- Length: 6 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Kandahar. The ancient desert crossroads and, as of fall of 2001, ground zero for the Taliban and al-Qa'ida in southern Afghanistan. In the northern part of the country, the US-supported Northern Alliance has made progress on the battlefield, but in the south, the country is still under the Taliban's bloody hold and al-Qa'ida continues to operate there. With no "Southern Alliance" for the US to support, a new strategy is needed if victory is to be achieved. Veteran CIA officer Duane Evans is dispatched to Pakistan to "get something going in the South." Foxtrot in Kandahar is his story.
-
-
amazing story
- By Ryan Palmer on 10-05-18
By: Duane Evans
-
The Mirror Test
- America at War in Iraq and Afghanistan
- By: J. Kael Weston
- Narrated by: J. Kael Weston
- Length: 22 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
J. Kael Weston spent seven years on the ground in Iraq and Afghanistan working for the US State Department in some of the most dangerous frontline locations. Upon his return home, while traveling the country to pay respect to the dead and wounded, he asked himself: When will these wars end? How will they be remembered and memorialized? What lessons can we learn from them?
-
-
A Must Read
- By Jessica Myrick on 06-04-16
By: J. Kael Weston
-
Places and Names
- On War, Revolution, and Returning
- By: Elliot Ackerman
- Narrated by: Elliot Ackerman, Mark Deakins
- Length: 6 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Toward the beginning of Places and Names, Elliot Ackerman sits in a refugee camp in Turkey, across the table from a man named Abu Hassar, who fought for al-Qaeda in Iraq, and whose connections to the Islamic State are murky. At first, Ackerman pretends to be a journalist, but after establishing a rapport with Abu Hassar, he takes a risk by revealing to him that in fact he was a Marine special operation officer. Ackerman then draws the shape of the Euphrates River on a large piece of paper, and his one-time adversary quickly joins him in the game of filling in the map.
-
-
A crazy ride through the Mideast.
- By Kent Prochazka on 12-05-19
By: Elliot Ackerman
-
Shatter the Nations
- ISIS and the War for the Caliphate
- By: Mike Giglio
- Narrated by: Robert Fass
- Length: 9 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The battle to defeat ISIS was an unremittingly brutal and dystopian struggle, a multi-sided war of gritty local commandos and militias. Mike Giglio takes listeners to the heart of this shifting, uncertain conflict, capturing the essence of a modern war. At its peak, ISIS controlled a self-styled "caliphate" the size of Great Britain, with a population cast into servitude that numbered in the millions. Its territory spread across Iraq and Syria as its influence stretched throughout the wider world.
-
-
Most important book for the coming decade
- By Peter A. on 01-01-20
By: Mike Giglio
-
Sacrifice
- A Gold Star Widow's Fight for the Truth
- By: Michelle Black
- Narrated by: Brittany Pressley
- Length: 10 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When Green Beret Bryan Black was killed in an ambush in Niger in 2017, his wife, Michelle, saw her worst nightmare become a reality. She was left alone with her grief and with two young sons to raise. But what followed Bryan's death was an even more difficult journey for the young widow. After receiving very few details about the attack that took her husband's life, it was up to Michelle to find answers. It became her mission to learn the truth about that day in Niger - and Sacrifice is the result of that mission.
-
-
A story of honor, heroism and courage
- By Marty on 06-04-21
By: Michelle Black
-
Operation Pineapple Express
- By: Scott Mann
- Narrated by: Lt. Col. Scott Mann
- Length: 10 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In April 2021, an urgent call was placed from a Special Forces operator serving overseas. The message was clear: Get Nezam out of Afghanistan now. Nezam was part of the Afghan National Army’s first group of American-trained commandos; he passed through Fort Bragg’s legendary Q course and served alongside the US Special Forces for over a decade. But Afghanistan’s government and army were on the edge of collapse, and Nezam was receiving threatening texts from the Taliban.
-
-
amazing, uplifting, heart wrenching
- By Lisa L. Weinley on 09-13-22
By: Scott Mann
-
Foxtrot in Kandahar
- A Memoir of a CIA Officer in Afghanistan at the Inception of America’s Longest War
- By: Duane Evans
- Narrated by: Eric Martin
- Length: 6 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Kandahar. The ancient desert crossroads and, as of fall of 2001, ground zero for the Taliban and al-Qa'ida in southern Afghanistan. In the northern part of the country, the US-supported Northern Alliance has made progress on the battlefield, but in the south, the country is still under the Taliban's bloody hold and al-Qa'ida continues to operate there. With no "Southern Alliance" for the US to support, a new strategy is needed if victory is to be achieved. Veteran CIA officer Duane Evans is dispatched to Pakistan to "get something going in the South." Foxtrot in Kandahar is his story.
-
-
amazing story
- By Ryan Palmer on 10-05-18
By: Duane Evans
-
Truth Worth Telling
- By: Scott Pelley
- Narrated by: Scott Pelley
- Length: 16 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A 60 Minutes correspondent and former anchor of the CBS Evening News, Scott Pelley writes as a witness to events that changed our world. In moving, detailed prose, he stands with firefighters at the collapsing World Trade Center on 9/11, advances with American troops in combat in Afghanistan and Iraq, and reveals private moments with presidents (and would-be presidents) he’s known for decades. Pelley also offers a resounding defense of free speech and a free press as the rights that guarantee all others.
-
-
A great listen... worth your time
- By Christina on 05-26-19
By: Scott Pelley
-
The Operators
- The Wild and Terrifying Inside Story of America's War in Afghanistan
- By: Michael Hastings
- Narrated by: Lloyd James
- Length: 12 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
An explosive, behind-the-scenes look into the workings of the U.S. war in Afghanistan that lifts the curtain of the world stage to reveal the devastating greed, waste, and failure surrounding this unwinnable war.
-
-
VERY INTERESTING STORY
- By Professor on 01-04-13
By: Michael Hastings
-
Imperial Grunts
- On the Ground with the American Military, from Mongolia to the Philippines to Iraq and Beyond...
- By: Robert D. Kaplan
- Narrated by: John H. Mayer
- Length: 18 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Plunging deep into midst of some of the hottest conflicts on the globe, Robert D. Kaplan takes us through mud and jungle, desert and dirt to the men and women on the ground who are leading the charge against threats to American security. These soldiers, fighting in thick Colombian jungles or on dusty Afghani plains, are the forefront of the new American foreign policy, a policy being implemented one soldier at a time.
-
-
Excellent book
- By Rob on 10-03-05
By: Robert D. Kaplan
-
Checkpoint Charlie
- The Cold War, the Berlin Wall, and the Most Dangerous Place on Earth
- By: Iain MacGregor
- Narrated by: Dugald Bruce Lockhart
- Length: 10 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A powerful, fascinating, and groundbreaking history of Checkpoint Charlie, the famous military gate on the border of East and West Berlin where the US confronted the USSR during the Cold War.
-
-
Hard to follow
- By J.Brock on 03-07-21
By: Iain MacGregor
-
Eagle Down
- The Last Special Forces Fighting the Forever War
- By: Jessica Donati
- Narrated by: Brittany Pressley
- Length: 9 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A Wall Street Journal national security reporter takes listeners into the lives of US Special Forces on the front lines against the Taliban and Islamic State, where a new and covert war is keeping Afghanistan from collapse.
-
-
Excellent depiction of the non tactical battle.
- By Paddy on 11-16-21
By: Jessica Donati
-
The Targeter
- My Life in the CIA, Hunting Terrorists and Challenging the White House
- By: Nada Bakos, Davin Coburn
- Narrated by: Christine Lakin
- Length: 10 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 1999, 30-year-old Nada Bakos moved from her lifelong home in Montana to Washington, DC, to join the CIA. Quickly realizing her affinity for intelligence work, Nada was determined to rise through the ranks of the agency first as an analyst and then as a Targeting Officer, eventually finding herself on the frontline of America's War against Islamic extremists. In this role, Nada was charged with determining if Iraq had a relationship with 9/11 and Al-Qaida, and finding the mastermind behind this terrorist activity: Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.
-
-
Terrible book. Feminazi Propaganda
- By Dan Wells on 08-24-19
By: Nada Bakos, and others
-
American Soldier
- By: General Tommy R. Franks, Malcolm McConnell
- Narrated by: Eric Conger
- Length: 19 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Commander in Chief of the United States Central Command from July 2000 through July 2003, General Tommy Franks made history leading American and Coalition forces to victory in Afghanistan and Iraq, the decisive battles that launched the war on terrorism.
-
-
even more proud of our military
- By Brian on 08-12-04
By: General Tommy R. Franks, and others
-
Saving Aziz
- How the Mission to Help One Became a Calling to Rescue Thousands from the Taliban
- By: Chad Robichaux, David L. Thomas - contributor, Glenn Beck
- Narrated by: Chad Robichaux, Glenn Beck
- Length: 6 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In Saving Aziz, Chad will give you a behind-the-scenes view of the evacuation efforts that saved thousands from the Taliban during the historic humanitarian crisis following the United States’ hasty withdrawal from Afghanistan.
-
-
Blessed
- By Teri Herron on 02-01-23
By: Chad Robichaux, and others
-
The Triple Agent
- The al-Qaeda Mole who Infiltrated the CIA
- By: Joby Warrick
- Narrated by: Sunil Malhotra
- Length: 7 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In December 2009, a group of the CIA’s top terrorist hunters gathered at a secret base in Khost, Afghanistan, to greet a rising superspy: Humam Khalil al-Balawi, a Jordanian double-agent who infiltrated the upper ranks of al-Qaeda. For months, he had sent shocking revelations from inside the terrorist network and now promised to help the CIA assassinate Osama bin Laden’s top deputy. Instead, as he stepped from his car, he detonated a 30-pound bomb strapped to his chest, instantly killing seven CIA operatives....
-
-
Great modern history story
- By Melissa on 08-11-11
By: Joby Warrick
-
First Casualty
- The Untold Story of the CIA Mission to Avenge 9/11
- By: Toby Harnden
- Narrated by: Dan Woren
- Length: 14 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This dramatic true story reveals the secret mission of the eight members of the CIA’s Team Alpha, the first Americans to be dropped behind enemy lines in Afghanistan after 9/11.
-
-
Deeply researched
- By Jason G on 09-08-21
By: Toby Harnden
-
My American Journey
- An Autobiography
- By: Colin Powell
- Narrated by: Colin Powell
- Length: 3 hrs and 41 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Colin Powell is the embodiment of the American dream. He was born in Harlem to immigrant parents from Jamaica. He knew the rough life of the streets. He overcame a barely average start at school. Then he joined the Army. The rest is history - including Vietnam, the Pentagon, Panama, and Desert Storm - but a history that until now has been known only on the surface.
-
-
Audio book is abridged!
- By Lydia on 02-11-21
By: Colin Powell
-
American Spartan
- The Promise, the Mission, and the Betrayal of Special Forces Major Jim Gant
- By: Ann Scott Tyson
- Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell, Danny Campbell
- Length: 15 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Some have called him "Lawrence of Afghanistan". To the Pashtun tribesmen he is "Commander Jim", leader of the "bearded ones". He is Army Special Forces Major Jim Gant, one of the most charismatic and controversial U.S. commanders of modern memory, a man who changed the face of America's war in Afghanistan when his critical white paper, "One Tribe at a Time", went viral at the Pentagon, the White House, and on Capitol Hill in 2009.
-
-
THE TRUE ARMY OF ONE!!!"THE SPARTAN"
- By Hunter on 07-17-14
By: Ann Scott Tyson
People who viewed this also viewed...
-
Places and Names
- On War, Revolution, and Returning
- By: Elliot Ackerman
- Narrated by: Elliot Ackerman, Mark Deakins
- Length: 6 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Toward the beginning of Places and Names, Elliot Ackerman sits in a refugee camp in Turkey, across the table from a man named Abu Hassar, who fought for al-Qaeda in Iraq, and whose connections to the Islamic State are murky. At first, Ackerman pretends to be a journalist, but after establishing a rapport with Abu Hassar, he takes a risk by revealing to him that in fact he was a Marine special operation officer. Ackerman then draws the shape of the Euphrates River on a large piece of paper, and his one-time adversary quickly joins him in the game of filling in the map.
-
-
A crazy ride through the Mideast.
- By Kent Prochazka on 12-05-19
By: Elliot Ackerman
-
Dark at the Crossing
- By: Elliot Ackerman
- Narrated by: Vikas Adam
- Length: 7 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Haris Abadi is a man in search of a cause. An Arab American with a conflicted past, he is now in Turkey, attempting to cross into Syria and join the fight against Bashar al-Assad's regime. But he is robbed before he can make it, and is taken in by Amir, a charismatic Syrian refugee and former revolutionary, and Amir's wife, Daphne, a sophisticated beauty haunted by grief. As it becomes clear that Daphne is also desperate to return to Syria, Haris's choices become ever more wrenching: Whose side is he really on?
-
-
Beautiful Story Well Told
- By Michael - Audible Editor on 01-07-17
By: Elliot Ackerman
-
Green on Blue
- By: Elliot Ackerman
- Narrated by: Piter Marek
- Length: 8 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Aziz and his older brother, Ali, are coming of age in a village amid the pine forests and endless mountains of Eastern Afghanistan. There is no school, but their mother teaches them to read and write and once a month sends the boys on a two-day journey to the bazaar. They are poor, but inside their mud-walled home, the family has stability, love, and routine. When a convoy of armed men arrives in their village one day, their world crumbles.
-
-
A Young Man. An Old War.
- By Ann on 03-04-15
By: Elliot Ackerman
-
2054
- A Novel
- By: Elliot Ackerman, Admiral James Stavridis USN
- Narrated by: Junior Nyong'o, Brian Nishii, Eunice Wong, and others
- Length: 9 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From the acclaimed authors of the runaway New York Times bestseller 2034 comes another explosive work of speculative fiction set twenty years further in the future, at a moment when a radical leap forward in artificial intelligence combines with America’s violent partisan divide to create an existential threat to the country, and the world.
-
-
Hope
- By ML Howard on 04-14-24
By: Elliot Ackerman, and others
-
Halcyon
- A Novel
- By: Elliot Ackerman
- Narrated by: Steven Jay Cohen
- Length: 8 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Virginia, 2004. Gore is entering his second term as president. Our narrator, Martin Neumann, recently divorced, is living at Halcyon, the estate of renowned lawyer and World War II hero Robert Ableson. When news breaks that scientists funded by the Gore administration have discovered a cure for death, it calls into question everything Martin thought he understood about life, not least his work as a historian. Who is Ableson, really, and why did he draw Martin into his orbit? Is this new science a miraculous good or an insidious evil?
-
-
The Blueridge!
- By Mark Stein on 06-03-23
By: Elliot Ackerman
-
2034
- A Novel of the Next World War
- By: Elliot Ackerman, Admiral James Stavridis USN
- Narrated by: Emily Woo Zeller, P.J. Ochlan, Vikas Adam, and others
- Length: 10 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From two former military officers and award-winning authors comes a chillingly authentic geopolitical thriller that imagines a naval clash between the US and China in the South China Sea in 2034 - and the path from there to a nightmarish global conflagration.
-
-
Meh....
- By Ronald A McBroom-Teasley on 03-10-21
By: Elliot Ackerman, and others
-
Places and Names
- On War, Revolution, and Returning
- By: Elliot Ackerman
- Narrated by: Elliot Ackerman, Mark Deakins
- Length: 6 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Toward the beginning of Places and Names, Elliot Ackerman sits in a refugee camp in Turkey, across the table from a man named Abu Hassar, who fought for al-Qaeda in Iraq, and whose connections to the Islamic State are murky. At first, Ackerman pretends to be a journalist, but after establishing a rapport with Abu Hassar, he takes a risk by revealing to him that in fact he was a Marine special operation officer. Ackerman then draws the shape of the Euphrates River on a large piece of paper, and his one-time adversary quickly joins him in the game of filling in the map.
-
-
A crazy ride through the Mideast.
- By Kent Prochazka on 12-05-19
By: Elliot Ackerman
-
Dark at the Crossing
- By: Elliot Ackerman
- Narrated by: Vikas Adam
- Length: 7 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Haris Abadi is a man in search of a cause. An Arab American with a conflicted past, he is now in Turkey, attempting to cross into Syria and join the fight against Bashar al-Assad's regime. But he is robbed before he can make it, and is taken in by Amir, a charismatic Syrian refugee and former revolutionary, and Amir's wife, Daphne, a sophisticated beauty haunted by grief. As it becomes clear that Daphne is also desperate to return to Syria, Haris's choices become ever more wrenching: Whose side is he really on?
-
-
Beautiful Story Well Told
- By Michael - Audible Editor on 01-07-17
By: Elliot Ackerman
-
Green on Blue
- By: Elliot Ackerman
- Narrated by: Piter Marek
- Length: 8 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Aziz and his older brother, Ali, are coming of age in a village amid the pine forests and endless mountains of Eastern Afghanistan. There is no school, but their mother teaches them to read and write and once a month sends the boys on a two-day journey to the bazaar. They are poor, but inside their mud-walled home, the family has stability, love, and routine. When a convoy of armed men arrives in their village one day, their world crumbles.
-
-
A Young Man. An Old War.
- By Ann on 03-04-15
By: Elliot Ackerman
-
2054
- A Novel
- By: Elliot Ackerman, Admiral James Stavridis USN
- Narrated by: Junior Nyong'o, Brian Nishii, Eunice Wong, and others
- Length: 9 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From the acclaimed authors of the runaway New York Times bestseller 2034 comes another explosive work of speculative fiction set twenty years further in the future, at a moment when a radical leap forward in artificial intelligence combines with America’s violent partisan divide to create an existential threat to the country, and the world.
-
-
Hope
- By ML Howard on 04-14-24
By: Elliot Ackerman, and others
-
Halcyon
- A Novel
- By: Elliot Ackerman
- Narrated by: Steven Jay Cohen
- Length: 8 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Virginia, 2004. Gore is entering his second term as president. Our narrator, Martin Neumann, recently divorced, is living at Halcyon, the estate of renowned lawyer and World War II hero Robert Ableson. When news breaks that scientists funded by the Gore administration have discovered a cure for death, it calls into question everything Martin thought he understood about life, not least his work as a historian. Who is Ableson, really, and why did he draw Martin into his orbit? Is this new science a miraculous good or an insidious evil?
-
-
The Blueridge!
- By Mark Stein on 06-03-23
By: Elliot Ackerman
-
2034
- A Novel of the Next World War
- By: Elliot Ackerman, Admiral James Stavridis USN
- Narrated by: Emily Woo Zeller, P.J. Ochlan, Vikas Adam, and others
- Length: 10 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From two former military officers and award-winning authors comes a chillingly authentic geopolitical thriller that imagines a naval clash between the US and China in the South China Sea in 2034 - and the path from there to a nightmarish global conflagration.
-
-
Meh....
- By Ronald A McBroom-Teasley on 03-10-21
By: Elliot Ackerman, and others
What listeners say about The Fifth Act
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- N. Tucci
- 12-17-22
Should be mandatory in all classrooms
Excellent narrative that everyone should read. I look forward to more books by this author.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Kristina
- 04-08-23
loved it!
Having the actual author narrate the book makes all the difference. Should be recommend reading for all high schools. Non partisan author. Highly recommend.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Marc
- 11-16-22
WOW!
VERY Well written and put together. Well read by the author. But just WOW! I'll buy the book too.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- David Buckingham
- 05-27-23
Thank you
Met yesterday the son of a good friend who is a naval officer committed as you were and are to serving our country. I gave him a big hug, thinking of you. Thank you!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Swan
- 11-19-23
Poignant
Ackerman is an incredible story teller. I was captivated as soon as I started this book. I’m still thinking about it and how our volunteer army has been at war for 20+ years while the rest of us have been at the mall.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Bill Becker
- 05-21-24
The Closed Abby Gate
This book puts a human face on the tragedy of the Afghan withdrawal. It's a story that questions the impact of the "Political Industrial Complex"on the war in Afghanistan. It's an excellent read.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Luke Rains
- 06-08-24
WE didn’t lose, we were failed.
It’s often said by the public that we lost the war in Afghanistan much like we ”lost” in Vietnam, and there is a small amount of truth to that statement that makes it a bitter pill to swallow. The war in Afghanistan lasted so long that it involved both my father and I, a bond that none of my siblings or my mother are able to share and to me is something special, which made our botched withdrawal sting even more. In family gatherings my uncle who served in Vietnam often let us know he was proud of us and what we were doing but we seldom shared experiences that is, until we pulled out of Afghanistan and my heart began to fill with rage and hate for the politicians that had failed not only my family but thousands of families over twenty years. After the withdrawal my uncle seemed a bit more empathetic to my father and I and it took me some time to realize it was because he knew exactly how we felt. This book has helped me to put into words some of how I feel but more importantly it has helped me understand the “survivors guilt” that many of us feel about a futile and endless war. Thank you Elliot for your service and thank you for helping me better understand that we aren’t alone and life must continue on, even in the midst of crisis
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Helen
- 10-18-22
Powerful and Poignant
This is a beautiful book to listen to. The story captures you and feel the depth of emotion that these people felt in their committment to rescue the Aghans.
I can't wait to read another of Ackerman's books.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Noble
- 10-29-22
Must read
People often use the words “must read” in reviews. I actually believe this book should be required reading for every American.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- CJ
- 12-22-22
A need to understand
Mr. Ackerman tells it like he sees it with truth and depth. It brings Afghanistan to your door step.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!