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Fool's Errand: Time to End the War in Afghanistan Paperback – August 16, 2017

by Scott Horton (Author)
4.8 4.8 out of 5 stars 349 ratings
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“In Fool’s Errand, Scott Horton masterfully explains the tragedy of America’s longest war and makes the case for immediate withdrawal. I highly recommend this excellent book on America’s futile and self-defeating occupation of Afghanistan.” — Daniel Ellsberg, Pentagon Papers whistleblower and author of The Doomsday Machine: Confessions of a Nuclear War Planner

“The real story of the disastrous U.S. war in Afghanistan must be written so that future generations may understand the folly of Washington’s warmongers. Scott Horton’s Afghan war history is an important contribution to this vital effort.” — Ron Paul, M.D., former U.S. congressman and author of Swords into Plowshares: A Life in Wartime and a Future of Peace and Prosperity

“Scott Horton’s, Fool’s Errand: Time to End the War in Afghanistan, is a definitive, authoritative and exceptionally well-resourced accounting of America’s disastrous war in Afghanistan since 2001. Scott’s book deserves not just to be read, but to be kept on your shelf, because as with David Halberstam’s The Best and Brightest or Neil Sheehan’s A Bright Shining Lie, I expect Horton’s book to not just explain and interpret a current American war, but to explain and interpret the all too predictable future American wars, and the unavoidable waste and suffering that will accompany them.” — Capt. Matthew Hoh, USMC (ret.), former senior State Department official, Zabul Province, Afghanistan, Senior Fellow at the Center for International Policy

“Fool’s Errand is a hidden history of America’s forgotten war, laid bare in damning detail. Scott Horton masterfully retells the story of America’s failed intervention, exposes how Obama’s troop surge did not bring Afghanistan any closer to peace, and warns that the conflict could go on in perpetuity — unless America ends the war. As Trump threatens to send more troops to Afghanistan, Horton shows why the answer to a brutal civil war is not more war, which makes Fool’s Errand a scintillating and sorely needed chronicle of the longest war in American history.” — Anand Gopal, journalist and author of No Good Men Among the Living: America, the Taliban, and the War Through Afghan Eyes

“Scott Horton’s new book Fool’s Errand: Time to End the War in Afghanistan has a title that tells you where it is going, but to think that is all it is about would be to sell short a comprehensive work that takes the reader on a long journey starting in the 1980s. Indeed, if there were a university course on what went wrong with Afghanistan, starting with Ronald Reagan’s Holy Warriors and continuing with George W. Bush’s ouster of the Taliban leading to 15 years of feckless nation building, this book could well serve as the textbook. Horton provides insights into key decision-making along the way as he meticulously documents the dreadful series of misadventures that have brought us to the latest surge, which will fail just like all the others. The book is highly recommended both for readers who already know a lot about Afghanistan as well as for those who want to learn the basics about America’s longest war.” — Philip Giraldi, former CIA and DIA officer, executive director of the Council for the National Interest
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  1. Print length
    317 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publication date
    August 16, 2017
  4. Dimensions
    6 x 0.72 x 9 inches
  5. ISBN-10
    1548650218
  6. ISBN-13
    978-1548650216
  7. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Scott Horton's Fool's Errand is a deeply insightful and well-informed book on America's longest war, explaining why it remains as unwinnable as it ever was. It appears at an importantmoment as the Trump administration considers once again reinforcing failure." -- Patrick Cockburn, Middle East correspondent for the Independent, author of TheAge of Jihad: Islamic State and the Great War for the Middle East

"An incisive, informative analysis of the Afghan fiasco and how we got there, scrubbed clean of propaganda and disinformation. Horton captures the situation very well indeed. I much enjoyed reading it." -- Eric S. Margolis, author of War at the Top of the World: The Struggle for Afghanistan, Kashmir and Tibet and American Raj: Liberation or Domination? Resolving the Conflict Between the West and the Muslim World

"Scott Horton's Fool'sErrand: Time to End the War in Afghanistan is a brilliant achievement and a great read. I recommended it to the faculty at the Army Command and General Staff College to be part of the course work. It's that important." -- Col. Douglas Macgregor, U.S. Army (ret.), author of Warrior's Rage: The Great Tank Battle of 73 Easting

"A lot of people think of the war in Iraq as the bad war, but Afghanistan as the good and justifiable war. That convenient view does not survive Scott Horton's careful and incisive demolition." -- Thomas E. Woods Jr., author of Nullification: How to ResistFederal Tyranny in the 21st Century and Rollback:Repealing Big Government Before the Coming Fiscal Collapse

"Why is the United States still fighting in Afghanistan? In this timely new book, Scott Horton explains why America's longest war is strategically misguided and why getting out would make the United States safer and advance America's broader national interests. Even readers who do not share Horton's libertarian world-view are likely to find themselves nodding in agreement: the war in Afghanistan has indeed become a 'fool's errand.'" -- Stephen M. Walt, professor of international affairs, Harvard University, author of The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy

About the Author

Scott Horton is director of The Libertarian Institute at LibertarianInstitute.org, editorial director of Antiwar.com, host of Antiwar Radio for Pacifica, 90.7 FM KPFK in Los Angeles, host of the Scott Horton Show podcast from ScottHorton.org and author of Fool's Errand: Time to End the War in Afghanistan and editor of The Great Ron Paul: The Scott Horton Show Interviews 2004-2019. Horton has conducted more than 5,000 interviews since 2003. He lives in Austin, Texas, with his wife, investigative reporter Larisa Alexandrovna Horton.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform; 1st edition (August 16, 2017)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 317 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1548650218
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1548650216
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 15 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 0.72 x 9 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.8 4.8 out of 5 stars 349 ratings

About the author

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Scott Horton

Scott Horton

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Scott Horton is director of The Libertarian Institute, editorial director of the online written publication Antiwar, host of Antiwar Radio for Pacifica, 90.7 FM KPFK in Los Angeles, California and host of the Scott Horton Show podcast. He has conducted more than 6,000 interviews since 2003. He is the author of Provoked: How Washington Started the New Cold War With Russia and the Catastrophe in Ukraine (2024), Enough Already: Time to End the War on Terrorism (2021), Fool's Errand: Time to End the War in Afghanistan (2017) and editor of The Great Ron Paul: The Scott Horton Show Interviews 2004–2019 (2019) and Hotter than the Sun: Time to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (2022). He lives in Austin, Texas with his wife, Larisa Alexandrovna Horton.

Customer reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars
349 global ratings

Customers say

Customers find the research quality thorough, impressive, and consistent. They also describe the book as easy to read and comprehend. Readers mention it reads like fiction and a thriller.

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Research qualityReadabilityEngrossedness
52 customers mention "Research quality"52 positive0 negative

Customers find the book thoroughly documented, with well over 1,000 citations. They say the author is a master of all the important facts and tells the story well. Readers also appreciate the extensive citation of sources. They mention the writing style is direct but packed full of meticulous detail.

"...One of the best parts of the book is the sheer number of footnotes...." Read more

"...But Horton strips away the propaganda and offers a convincing argument that U.S. forces could have accomplished that goal, and been in and out of..." Read more

"...It is a perfect length, thoroughly sourced, and engrossing enough to hold the attention of the average american...." Read more

"...The book is well researched. It is well (densely, meticulously) foot-noted and documented...." Read more

21 customers mention "Readability"21 positive0 negative

Customers find the book easy to read and comprehend. They say it reads like fiction, is accessible, and approachable. Readers also appreciate the clear, direct, and complete footnotes.

"...Nearly a third of the book is footnotes with easy-to-follow sourcing so that those that are so inclined can research the subject matter..." Read more

"...The author is clear and cogent in making the case that it is time to end the wars in Afghanistan...." Read more

"...Scott writes in a very down-to-earth style that makes him very approachable and easy to read...." Read more

"This book reads so much like fiction, so much like a Tom Clancy novel, that it would be hard to remember its just filled with facts if a large..." Read more

6 customers mention "Engrossedness"3 positive3 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the engrossingness of the book. Some mention it's fast-paced and well-written, while others say it's overwhelming.

"...It is a perfect length, thoroughly sourced, and engrossing enough to hold the attention of the average american...." Read more

"...information in this book with so many details given that it can be overwhelming at times. Definitely worth a second reading...." Read more

"...Scott's book is detailed, fast paced, well written and keeps your interest...." Read more

"...It can get overwhelming at times. The author uses some of the longest sentences I’ve seen in a while...." Read more

The most important book from the most important voice on the most important issue of our time
5 out of 5 stars
The most important book from the most important voice on the most important issue of our time
Scott Horton brings clarity to the most pressing issue of our time, endless war.The book is well researched. It is well (densely, meticulously) foot-noted and documented. The author is clear and cogent in making the case that it is time to end the wars in Afghanistan. He brings us up to speed on how we got here and why we must change course. The US is over-extended fighting for both sides in conflict after conflict. We are actively creating future problems and blowback by misguided and immoral foreign policy actions today.Why does this book matter?We, the people, must wake up and come to understand the the role that our own government's actions have played in setting the world on fire. We can't continue to shoulder shrug, and allow this to continue for another year, another decade, the rest of the century. That is where we are headed if we don't all come together to demand that our government allow us and the rest of the world to live in peace. We owe this not only to ourselves and the world's citizen's, but to our children and grandchildren.We simply cannot continue to shoulder-shrug, plod along with our "real life" day to day existences wholly oblivious or purposely ignorant of the murder & destruction of hundreds of thousands of others' real lives wrought by our government in our names.Follow Scott Horton and his work. Go to his site at the Libertarian Institute. Read his book. Buy it for your friends. Donate. Join the call for peace.Fool's Errand: Time to End the War in Afghanistan
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Top reviews from the United States

Matt Martinez
5.0 out of 5 stars The Most Important Book of 2017
Reviewed in the United States on February 4, 2018
Verified Purchase
That headline seems like some sort of exaggeration, but I can say with certainty that it is not. After a tumultuous presidential election in 2016, the POTUS took office partly due to his words of caution concerning American military interventions. Just before this book released in 2017, the decision to 'surge' in Afghanistan was announced with an increase bombings, raids and troop levels, not to mention an easing of the rules of engagement.

Scott Horton has done a great service in writing Fool's Errand; shedding light on what led to the US government becoming involved in Afghanistan, escalation to direct military action and the horrors that it has wrought. As a long time listener of his AntiWar Radio interview series, one can see why he is the perfect person to write such a piece: the decades of studies and interviews with experts on the subjects culminating in this book. Though he has written many articles, I believe this is the first full-fledged published book he's done and it is surprisingly excellent beyond all expectations.

One of the best parts of the book is the sheer number of footnotes. There is no recounting of an event, quoting of an individual or statistic without detailed citation. Nearly a third of the book is footnotes with easy-to-follow sourcing so that those that are so inclined can research the subject matter themselves.

This is the right moment to read this book and discuss it, as well as the conflict itself, with your family, your friends, your church, your coworkers and whomever else you can. This is the right moment for Americans to read and to question why our military is being asked to fight and die in this place where they are so unwelcome.
3 people found this helpful
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Michael R. Maharrey
5.0 out of 5 stars "They hate us because of our freedom
Reviewed in the United States on October 22, 2017
Verified Purchase
I did some traveling late last week and had the opportunity to finish Scott Horton's book "Fool's Errand: Time to End the War in Afghanistan."

Two words of advice. 

Read. It.

Seriously, this book is a must-read, especially if you still believe the "War on Terror" is somehow protecting and furthering American interests.

Many people who are skeptical of Iraq still buy into the war in Afghanistan. After all, it was the "good war," launched to punish the people who flew planes into American buildings on 9/11. But Horton strips away the propaganda and offers a convincing argument that U.S. forces could have accomplished that goal, and been in and out of Afghanistan within months. Instead, the war turned into an impossible nation-building mission and a military occupation that ultimately gave rise to the insurgency America continues to battle more than 15 years later. 

He also mercilessly smashes many of the myths surrounding the war, such as, "They hate us because of our freedom." "We have to fight them over there so we don't have to fight them here," and "If we pull out now, Afghanistan will become a safe-haven for terrorists."

I have been skeptical of the war in Afghanistan for a while, but really more on a gut level, sensing intuitively that U.S. foreign policy is often at odds with itself. Horton proves it in spades. Even I was shocked at how often decisions made by U.S. policymakers undermine stated objectives and goals. 

I've met Scott, and appeared a number of times on his radio show. If you've ever listened to him, you know he's an intense and passionate individual. You might get the impression that his book would be an extended emotional plea. It's not. It's seriously one of the most meticulously documented, carefully laid out works I've ever read. Some of the pages are literally half filled with footnotes. Scott's work will stand up to the most intense academic scrutiny.

There was a time in my life when I embraced every U.S. foreign policy intervention. It's only recently that I've come to realize that the same people who've made a disaster out of domestic policy also run the foreign policy. In this day and age, it's hard to get information about U.S. wars that isn't steeped in government propaganda.That's why so many people support the wars without reservation.

Horton pulls the curtain away and reveals an ugly truth most Americans haven't faced.

We need more Hortons.  
44 people found this helpful
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Pimmermen
5.0 out of 5 stars A Wake Up Call for Foreign Policy Analysis and Geopolitical Thought
Reviewed in the United States on December 30, 2017
Verified Purchase
Scott Horton's Fool's Errand is an excellent account of the US war in Afghanistan. It is a perfect length, thoroughly sourced, and engrossing enough to hold the attention of the average american. Far and away the most important point Scott makes is that attempting to build Afghanistan into a modern nation state is impossible because objectively speaking there is no such thing. In international relations, a "nation" is commonly defined as a group of people with a collective identity, shared culture, language, history, socioeconomic structure, and political aspirations. By definition then, Afghanistan is not a nation, and certainly cannot be made into a nation state in the modern sense of the term. It is also questionable whether an Afghan state should be the preferred outcome for the 10+ ethnicities that encompass the meaningless borders of Afghanistan. The global era of the nation state has been an era of total war. Clearly then, the nation state is not the final stage in human political development (if there is such a thing), and certainly not something worth foisting upon people halfway around the world.

Scott also makes clear that even from a geostrategic standpoint, staying in Afghanistan makes no sense. World history post 2000 has made abundantly clear that wars are no longer won by superior military capability and ability to hold territory. In fact, as perverse as the incentives of nation states are, it is doubtful whether competent leaders even see territorial acquisition as the ultimate goal, as opposed to economic influence. Recent cyber attacks have made clear that the future will belong to the state that dominates cyberspace (technology), after all what good are computer guided missiles, tanks, airplanes, and even rifles, if they can be rendered useless by hacking. "The Great Game" is no longer afoot in the 21st Century. It should be clear for states, whether benevolent or benign, security seeker or revisionist, or the global superpower itself, the definition of power is rapidly evolving, and only states that realize and cease this opportunity will survive and dominate.
3 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

James Boudreau
5.0 out of 5 stars Eye opening account of the war in Afghanistan. A ...
Reviewed in Canada on October 10, 2017
Verified Purchase
Eye opening account of the war in Afghanistan. A must read for someone who wants to understand the insanity of the war there. Excellently researched and written.
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Anthony C Heaford
1.0 out of 5 stars Regurgitation of a false narrative
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 6, 2024
Verified Purchase
I read 10% of this book & it felt like 90% of that was the regurgitation of false claims, assertions & lies about Osama bin Laden's role in 'Al Qaeda'. We will never stop unjust wars until the Establishment narrative is challenged & broken rather than repeated & endorsed as Mr Horton has done in Fool's Errand.
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Skully69er
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent and very interesting read
Reviewed in Canada on February 4, 2018
Verified Purchase
This book contains a wealth of information and highly referenced. Excellent and very interesting read!
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