Horse Soldiers: The Extraordinary Story of a Band of US Soldiers Who Rode to Victory in Afghanistan

Horse Soldiers recounts the true story of a small band of US Army Special Forces soldiers who entered Afghanistan following September 11 and rode to war on horses against the Taliban. Outnumbered forty-to-one, they pursued the enemy across mountainous terrain and, after intense battles, captured the city of Mazar-i-Sharif, a strategically important objective for defeating their opponent throughout the country. Initially welcomed as liberators, the soldiers faced an unexpected crisis when six hundred Taliban troops ambushed them during a surrender at the fortress Qala-i-Janghi, the House of War. Dangerously overpowered, they fought for survival while the military gains of the entire campaign hung in the balance. The soldiers combined ancient cavalry warfare strategies with twenty-first-century aerial bombardment technology to accomplish their objective. Their efforts to win the support of local townspeople also provided lessons for America's ongoing efforts in Afghanistan.