Enduring the Freedom: A Rogue Historian in Afghanistan (ISBN 1574889532)

A Military Professor's first-hand observations from Afghanistan:
This book provides an unequaled, first-hand account of both NATO and American small unit tactics from Afghanistan . Sean Maloney, a professor of military science at the Canadian Royal Military College, traveled to Afghanistan to gain insight into how operations are being conducted. The future military officers attending his classes are in for quite a treat. Maloney combines his experience as a company commander during the Cold War, with his formal training as a military historian. Maloney shares his experiences meeting with the mullahs as well as humping a rucksack through the mountains during Operation Valiant Strike. His resulting book is an insightful, yet often irreverent, perspective from on the ground. The candid no-holds-barred writing style may take some readers aback, but his message will keep you rapt from the very beginning. "Enduring the Freedom" gives the reader a background as to how Operation Enduring Freedom, and International Security Assistance Force came to be. Through personal accounts, the book discusses both small unit operations across the spectrum of combat. From the infantryman on the ground, to Public Affairs, Information Operations, and Explosive Ordnance Disposal - Maloney covers it. As a departure from American-centric history books, this book offers two additional perspectives. Written by a pro-American Canadian, it offers a relatively impartial perspective on the conflict's background. The second piece emphasizes the contributions of NATO, which don't receive the same amount of American media coverage. Nearly a third of the book discusses the various efforts of NATO, reinforcing that this truly is a Global War on Terror. If you are deploying to Afghanistan, make this book part of your reading list. The message needs to be understood by every leader of small units, from the fire-team leader to the company commander. I can't wait to read his other books.

Solid information but poorly written:
This book provides a detailed account of OEF but it is so poorly written that it is difficult to get through the text. Maloney needs an editor make sense of the long, convoluted sentences. He did his research, but botches the book with his writing style.