A prizewinning "New York Times" correspondent chronicles a remarkable chain of events that begins with the rise of the Taliban in the 1990s, continues with the attacks of 9/11, and moves on to the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

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NATIONAL BOOK CRITICS CIRCLE AWARD WINNER • NATIONAL BESTSELLER • The definitive account of America's conflict with Islamic fundamentalism and a searing exploration of its human costs—an instant classic of war reporting from the Pulitzer Prize winning journalist.
Through the eyes of Dexter Filkins, a foreign correspondent for the New York Times, we witness the rise of the Taliban in the 1990s, the aftermath of the attack on New York on September 11th, and the American wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Filkins is the only American journalist to have reported on all these events, and his experiences are conveyed in a riveting narrative filled with unforgettable characters and astonishing scenes.

Brilliant and fearless, The Forever War is not just about America's wars after 9/11, but about the nature of war itself.

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From the front lines of the battle against Islamic fundamentalism, a searing, unforgettable audiobook that captures the human essence of the greatest conflict of our time. Through the eyes of Dexter Filkins, the prize-winning New York Times correspondent, we witness the remarkable chain of events that began with the rise of the Taliban in the 1990s, continued with the attacks of 9/11, and moved on to the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Biography & Autobiography. History. Military. Nonfiction. HTML:From the front lines of the battle against Islamic fundamentalism, a searing, unforgettable audiobook that captures the human essence of the greatest conflict of our time. Through the eyes of Dexter Filkins, the prize-winning New York Times correspondent, we witness the remarkable chain of events that began with the rise of the Taliban in the 1990s, continued with the attacks of 9/11, and moved on to the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Filkins’s narrative moves across a vast and various landscape of amazing characters and astonishing scenes: a public amputation performed by the Taliban, children frolicking in minefields, skies streaked white by the contrails of B-52’s, a night’s sleep in the rubble of Ground Zero. We venture into a torture chamber run by Saddam Hussein.  We go into the homes of suicide bombers, meet Iraqi insurgents, and an American captain who loses a quarter of his men in eight days.

The Forever War allows us a visceral understanding of today’s battlefields and of the experiences of the people on the ground, warriors and innocents alike.  It is a brilliant, fearless work, not just about America’s wars after 9/11, but ultimately about the nature of war itself.

History. Military. Nonfiction. HTML:

"Stunning. . . . This unforgettable narrative represents . . . a haunting spiritual witness that will make this volume a part of this awful war's history." --Robert Stone, The New York Times Book Review

"Filkins makes us see, with almost hallucinogenic immediacy, the true human meaning and consequences of the "war on terror." --The New York Times

"Unflinching. . . . Filkins confronts the absurdity of war head-on. . . . This is a page-turner, and one of the most astounding books yet written about the war in Iraq." --Time

"Thanks to one reporter's heroic act of witness and brilliant recitation of what he saw, we can see the war¬ as it is, and for ourselves." --Los Angeles Times

"Not since Michael Herr in Dispatches . . . has a reporter written as vividly about combat as Filkins does from Afghanistan and Iraq." --USA Today 10 Best Books of 2008

"The Forever War . . . achieves a gripping, raw immediacy." --The Boston Globe's Year's Best Books

"Splendid." --Washington Post Book World Best Nonfiction of 2008

"Dexter Filkins's The Forever War is the best piece of war journalism I've ever read. He paints a portrait of war that is so nuanced, so filled with absurdities and heartbreak and unexpected heroes and villains, that it makes most of what we see and hear about Iraq and Afghanistan seem shrill and two-dimensional by comparison. And yet, as tragic as the events he describes are, the book manages to be a thing of towering beauty." --Dave Eggers, Guardian Best Books of the Year

"The Forever War is already a classic--it has the timeless feel of all great war literature. Dexter Filkins's combination of courage and sensitivity is so rare that books like his come along only once every major war. This one is ours." --George Packer, author of The Assassins' Gate: America in Iraq

"Dexter Filkins is the preeminent war correspondent of my generation, fearless, compassionate, and brutally honest. The Forever War is his astonishing story. It is one of the best books about war that I have ever read. It will stay with me forever." --Jeffrey Goldberg, author of Prisoners: A Muslim and a Jew Across the Middle East Divide

"Dexter Filkins has seen the rise of the Taliban in Afghanistan; he has stood in the ruins of the World Trade Center; he has been in the heat of battle in Iraq; indeed, no one else has been closer to the action than this courageous and thoughtful observer. This is a sensational book in the best sense." --Lawrence Wright, author of The Looming Tower: Al-Qaeda and the Road to 9/11

"Stunning ... it is not facetious to speak of work like that of Dexter Filkins as defining the 'culture' of a war...This unforgettable narrative [represents] ... a haunting spiritual witness that will make this volume a part of this awful war's history." --Robert Stone, on the front page of The New York Times Book Review

"Dexter Filkins's The Forever War, brutally intimate, compassionate, often poetic accounts of the battle against Islamic fundamentalism, is destined to become a classic." --Vanity Fair

"Extraordinary. . . . if what Michael Herr brought back from Vietnam in Dispatches was a sort of Jackson Pollock--streaks of blood, trickles of dread, splattershot of hard rock and harder drugs--The Forever War is like a pointillist Seurat, a neo-Impressionist juxtaposition of spots of pure color with black holes and open wounds." --John...

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National Bestseller

One of the Best Books of the Year:

New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, USA Today, Boston Globe, and Time

An instant classic of war reporting, The Forever War is the definitive account of America's conflict with Islamic fundamentalism and a searing exploration of its human costs. Through the eyes of Filkins, a foreign correspondent for the New York Times, we witness the rise of the Taliban in the 1990s, the aftermath of the attack on New York on September 11th, and the American wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Filkins is the only American journalist to have reported on all these events, and his experiences are conveyed in a riveting narrative filled with unforgettable characters and astonishing scenes.

Brilliant and fearless, The Forever War is not just about America's wars after 9/11, but about the nature of war itself.

From the Trade Paperback edition..

Provides a firsthand account of the battle against Islamic fundamentalism, from the rise of the Taliban in the 1990s, to the terrorist attacks of 9/11, to the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, offering a study of the people involved from all sides of the conflict.

Biography & Autobiography. History. Military. Nonfiction. HTML:

National Bestseller

One of the Best Books of the Year:

New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, USA Today, Boston Globe, and Time

An instant classic of war reporting, The Forever War is the definitive account of America's conflict with Islamic fundamentalism and a searing exploration of its human costs. Through the eyes of Filkins, a foreign correspondent for the New York Times, we witness the rise of the Taliban in the 1990s, the aftermath of the attack on New York on September 11th, and the American wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Filkins is the only American journalist to have reported on all these events, and his experiences are conveyed in a riveting narrative filled with unforgettable characters and astonishing scenes.

Brilliant and fearless, The Forever War is not just about America's wars after 9/11, but about the nature of war itself.

From the Trade Paperback edition..

New York Time correspondent Filkins gives readers a first-hand account of life on the front lines in the war against Islamic fundamentalism, from New York to Afghanistan and Iraq and beyond.

A portrait of the battlefields in Afghanistan and Iraq that captures the human essence of America's violent confrontations within the Islamic world.

"How they happened and why, how they've succeeded and failed. The Forever War is not that kind of book: rather than argument or hand-wringing, Dexter Filkins offers us a kaleidoscopic tour of the great conflicts of our time. Through his eyes as a reporter on the ground, we witness the events that began with the rise of the Taliban in the 1990s, led to the September 11 attacks in 2001, and culminated in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq." "The Forever War will provide a visceral understanding of the War on Terror, its victims, the people who fight it and the way these people feel. It captures the human experience - and tragedy - of war."--BOOK JACKET.

History. Military. Nonfiction. HTML:

"Harrowingly detailed . . . Filkins makes us see, with almost hallucinogenic immediacy, the true human meaning and consequences of the 'war on terror.'"

. HTML:"The gaping wounds of Iraq and Afghanistan have produced a torrent of words, but no single volume so far has the precision and power of The Forever War . . . Filkins' set pieces have the absolute clarity of lightning flashes that burn away the fog of war.". HTML:"Not since Michael Herr in Dispatches . . . has a reporter written as vividly about combat as Filkins does from Afghanistan and Iraq.". "Filkins's meticulously constructed vignettes . . . illuminate and humanize the battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan.". HTML:"The Forever War . . . achieves a gripping, raw immediacy.". "Splendid.". HTML:"Dexter Filkins's The Forever War is the best piece of war journalism I've ever read. He paints a portrait of war that is so nuanced, so filled with absurdities and heartbreak and unexpected heroes and villains, that it makes most of what we see and hear about Iraq and Afghanistan seem shrill and two-dimensional by comparison. And yet, as tragic as the events he describes are, the book manages to be a thing of towering beauty.". HTML:"The Forever War is already a classic--it has the timeless feel of all great war literature. Dexter Filkins's combination of courage and sensitivity is so rare that books like his come along only once every major war. This one is ours.". HTML:"Dexter Filkins is the preeminent war correspondent of my generation, fearless, compassionate, and brutally honest. The Forever War is his astonishing story. It is one of the best books about war that I have ever read. It will stay with me forever.". THE FOREVER WAR reads like a reporter's notebook as author Dexter Filkins gives listeners the small, intimate stories of the Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Perhaps because of its human scale, the graphic sections depicting the impact of war on real people can be difficult to listen to. The overall series of vignettes is perfect for audiobook presentation as the listener can dip in and out at will. Robertson Dean narrates in a clear, objective manner that mirrors the author's clear, objective reporting. Dean's straightforward delivery is particularly effective during the raw battle scenes, for which drama is unnecessary. Filkins's book is well worth a listen. M.O.B. (c) AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine. HTML:From the front lines of the battle against Islamic fundamentalism, a searing, unforgettable audiobook that captures the human essence of the greatest conflict of our time. Through the eyes of Dexter Filkins, the prize-winning New York Times correspondent, we witness the remarkable chain of events that began with the rise of the Taliban in the 1990s, continued with the attacks of 9/11, and moved on to the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Filkins’s narrative moves across a vast and various landscape of amazing characters and astonishing scenes: a public amputation performed by the Taliban, children frolicking in minefields, skies streaked white by the contrails of B-52’s, a night’s sleep in the rubble of Ground Zero. We venture into a torture chamber run by Saddam Hussein.  We go into the homes of suicide bombers, meet Iraqi insurgents, and an American captain who loses a quarter of his men in eight days.

The Forever War allows us a visceral understanding of today’s battlefields and of the experiences of the people on the ground, warriors and innocents alike.  It is a brilliant, fearless work, not just about America’s wars after 9/11, but ultimately about the nature of war itself.


From the Compact Disc edition..

* Many books have already been written about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and about the War on Terror - how they happened and why, how they've succeeded and failed. The Forever War is not that kind of book: rather than argument or hand-wringing, Dexter Filkins offers us a kaleidoscopic tour of the great conflicts of our time. * Through his eyes as a reporter on the ground, we witness the events that began with the rise of the Taliban in the 1990s, led to the September 11 attacks in 2001, and culminated in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. * Filkins is the only American reporter to have witnessed all these events on his own and close-up - public executions and ampatations; the destruction of the twin towers; the collapse of the Taliban in 2001; over five years of grinding struggle in Iraq. * We move across a vast and various landscape of amazing characters and astonishing scenes. We meet Iraqi insurgents and American soldiers; Afghan rebels and Taliban clerics. We travel to deserts and glaciers and mountaintops, to the scenes of suicide bombings and into the homes of the bombers themselves.*Like no other book, The Forever War will provide a visceral understanding of the War on Terror, its victims, and the people who fight it. It will show what war is, what this particular war is, and how it feels.

Dexter Filkins offers us a kaleidoscopic tour of the great conflicts of our time. Through his eyes as a reporter on the ground, we witness the events that began with the rise of the Taliban in the 1990s, led to the September 11 attacks in 2001, and culminated in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

There are already many books on the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and about the War on Terror - but this is something very different. In The Forever War, award-winning New York Times correspondent Dexter Filkins does not analyse how these wars happened and why, or where they have succeeded or failed; instead, he captures with searing immediacy, the human experience - and tragedy - of war. We meet Iraqi insurgents and American soldiers, Afghan rebels and Taliban clerics. We travel to deserts and glaciers and mountaintops, to the scene of public amputations and executions, to suicide bombings and into the homes of the bombers themselves. The result is a visceral understanding of the War on the Terror, its victims, the people who fight it and the way these people feel.

An account of the Iraq War beginning with the rise of the Taliban in the 1990s, the attacks of 9/11, and the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Presents a narrative connecting atrocities performed by the Taliban and Saddam Hussein with the horror of 9/11 with an Iraqi mother with a young soldier from Georgia.

From the front lines of the battle against Islamic fundamentalism, a searing, unforgettable book that captures, in stunning vignettes, snapshots, and episodes, the human essence of the greatest conflict of our time. New York Times correspondent Dexter Filkins's work in Iraq was hailed by David Halberstam as reporting of the highest quality imaginable. Now, through Filkins's eyes, we witness the chain of events that began with the rise of the Taliban in the 1990s, led to the attacks of 9/11, and culminated in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Filkins's camera moves across a vast and various landscape of amazing characters and astonishing scenes: deserts, mountains, and streets of carnage; a public amputation performed by Taliban; the days and nights of 9/11 rescue workers. He takes us inside the homes of suicide bombers and into street-to-street combat alongside a battalion of U.S. Marines in Falluja. We meet Iraqi insurgents; an American captain who loses a quarter of his men in eight days; Ahmed Chalabi, who tricked America into war; and Ahmed Shah Masoud, the anti-Taliban rebel killed by Al Qaeda. Like no other book, The Forever War allows us a visceral understanding of the war on terror and of the experiences of the people involved, combatants and victims alike. It is a stunning debut: a brilliant, fearless book about one war and, ultimately, about all war.

Dexter Filkins presents an unforgettable portrait of the Taliban, the 9/11 events, and the battlefields in Afghanistan and Iraq, ultimately capturing the human essence of America's violent confrontations with the Islamic world.

-- New York TimesThe Forever War allows us a visceral understanding of today's battlefields and of the experiences of the people on the ground, warriors and innocents alike. It is a brilliant, fearless work, not just about America's wars after 9/11, but ultimately about the nature of war itself.

Introduction -- Only this -- Forebodings -- New York -- Jang -- Broken hearts -- Expectant -- Gone forever : video : the kiss -- A hand in the air : blonde -- Kicking ass : view from the air -- The man within -- Kill yourself : cloud : Mogadishu -- Pearland Habibi -- Vanishing -- Communiques -- Just talking -- The Mahdi -- Proteus id -- Communiques -- The revolution devours its own : the normal -- The labyrinthe : orange moon -- Fuck us -- The boss -- The turning -- The departed -- Epilogue : laika

Originally published London Bodley Head, 2008. Includes bibliographical references and index.

NATIONAL BOOK CRITICS CIRCLE AWARD WINNER • NATIONAL BESTSELLER • The Forever War is not just about America's wars after 9/11, but about the nature of war itself.

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