Elliot Ackerman

I quite enjoyed this book, which is, without question, well thought out and well-written, although I was a bit bothered by its odd-duck hybrid construction. Part memoir, part political commentary, Elliot Ackerman's THE FIFTH ACT: AMERICA'S END IN AFGHANISTAN comes across as a perhaps overly critical assessment of how the war in Afghanistan was waged - for twenty years no less - and the author is especially angry and frustrated at how it was precipitously ended, with the barely planned and show more poorly executed pullout of the last US troops, leaving behind hundreds, perhaps thousands of loyal Afghan allies and their families who had worked for and with our forces, now exposed and vulnerable to the vengeful whims of the chaotic, newly formed Taliban government.

As an eight-year veteran of the Marine Corps who served tours in Afghanistan (and Iraq), followed by a briefer time as a CIA paramilitary operative in-country, Ackerman certainly has had "skin in the game," and personal knowledge and experience of that ill-conceived conflict, and it shows. His frustration is especially evident in the chapters where he is in nearly constant phone contact, via calls, texts and voice mail, with those left behind, trying desperately to arrange safe passage and evacuation for them in those final few days of the pullout. And these negotiations are oddly juxtaposed with his own current situation: he is on vacation in Europe with his wife and children.

I did very much enjoy the memoir chapters where he told of the enduring friendships he made during his training and deployments with the Corps. But Ackerman's most important premise here, which becomes crystal clear in the latter part of the book, seems to be the increasingly dangerous politicization of our all-volunteer forces. He notes -

"If this trend of increased military politicization seeps into the active-duty ranks, it could lead to dangerous outcomes, particularly around elections, and specifically a presidential one."

The author is also very much aware of the current political divide, and how cable news networks, especially FoxNews, have exacerbated this divide, noting: "The politicization of American life is swiftly becoming total, with virtually no opinion or thought existing outside the realm of partisan sorting."

Just as Eisenhower once warned about the military-industrial complex, Ackerman now warns us -

"Our passions are being inflamed and manipulated for profit by a political-industrial complex that feeds off our basest fears of one another."

There is indeed much to consider in this slim volume of "early history." I could not help but wonder if the author might one day use this book as a basis for a future run for political office. If so, he's got a good head start. Go for it, Elliot. America needs you. Very highly recommended.

- Tim Bazzett, author of the memoir, BOOKLOVER show less

Dark at the reading, too. The author's military background in Afghanistan (setting of his debut novel Green on Blue), Iraq, and Syria wouldn't be enough to make this such a riveting and shame-making novel for every American - he's also a master at plot and dialogue. In this story, Haris, who served the US Army in Iraq as an interpreter, receives American citizenship as a reward (won't happen now - thanks, Trump) and settles with his sister in Michigan, working at a menial job while she show more attends college. Once his sister is engaged to an Emerati - and Ackerman is very clear on who's got all the luck out of all the Mideast countries - the ones with oil wealth and American backing - his restlessness brings him to Syria to join the Free Army in the fight against Al-Assad and Daesh. What could go wrong for Haris? Just about everything. What could go right for the reader? Just about everything in this fine novel of circumstances and of miserable choices, complete with an unexpectedly devastating ending. Painful and necessary. show less

I’ll come back to this with a fuller review. Suffice to say for now that this book had so much promise and potential, but in the end was simply a well written disappointment that barely manages three stars from me. Sigh.

- longer review with more comments -

This book is such a disappointment, such a waste of several interesting premises. It squeaks by with 2.5 stars simply because it is well written, by which I mean literally that the writing is generally of good quality, despite the lack show more of substance. The ending of the book is just shockingly, face-slappingly bad.

Be warned that there may be spoilers after this, and that I am going to go on at greater length than I usually do.

I have read and enjoyed a number of other books by this author. I heard him interviewed about this book on a podcast, and was intrigued, not by the central sci fi premise that death can be reversed, but the idea of “American compromise,” as it pertained to the Civil War, and the efforts of the United States to come back together after the shooting in that conflict ceased. In my view, the sci fi premise is really just window dressing.

The way this book frames the notion of “American compromise” is by considering the way southern apologist and non-historian Shelby Foote framed it:

“It consists of Southerners admitting freely that it's probably best that the Union wasn't divided, and the North admits, rather freely, that the South fought bravely for a cause in which it believed.”

And the thing is, this notion of “compromise” is utter bullshit, one which anesthetizes the reasons for which the war was fought - as easily verified by reading the actual articles of secession - and is fundamentally designed to do one thing - allow Southerners and their descendants and fellow travelers to feel good about the actions of their ancestors and heroes.

They must not be troubled, you see, by the reasons for the war, by actual sedition and treason. No, they must be allowed a gauzy curtain to cover over the blood and institutionalized oppression on which the vaunted “Southern way of life” were founded.

The fact that this compromise is garbage can be illustrated by, for example, imagining if such a view would be accepted of, let’s say, SS or Wehrmacht soldiers who fought for Nazi Germany, or Imperial Japanese soldiers, etc. It wasn’t and wouldn’t be.

The reasons should be obvious.

Since the “compromise” at the core of the book is garbage, the book for me never comes close to getting off the ground.

The notion that knocking down monuments that glorify actual traitors and enemies “erases history” is garbage as well. There is a big difference between a plaque or a scar-like memorial and something that romanticizes and glorifies. Ask yourself - have we forgotten Hitler because we don’t have statues of him ? Okay, that’s an obvious one, granted. But why not statues of brave and talented Nazi commanders - Rommel, Kesselring, maybe Skorzeny or Pieper? After all ,they fought bravely for a cause they believed in...right ? How about Giap or Ho Chi Minh? How about Bin Laden? They all fought bravely for a cause they believed in, didn’t they?

I get it. People are complex. No one can look in the mirror and say, I am blameless, I revere all the right causes and revile all the bad ones and I am perfect. But the protagonists in this book are generally clueless at best, dangerous at worst.

Again, I gave the book three stars because the writing is too good not to, and it’s possible the book’s terrible ending is itself a commentary along the above lines, but I don’t know. Read at your own risk. It’s hard for me to recommend it. show less

Sad yet inspiring

Brilliantly written, the story engages the reader at a deep level as it toggles back and forth. Told through the eyes of his best friend and fellow soldier this story bears a strong resemblance to The Diving Bell and the Butterfly. Eden demonstrates the traits of humanity few possess and knowing death nears he remains within them. I look forward to other stories by this author an recommend you add this book to your list.