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The Infidel Now Available on Kindle & Nook USA!

I’m pleased to announce that The Infidel is now availabe for download on Kindle and Nook USA for the introductory price of only US$2.99 A modern-day Afghan war epic inspired by Rudyard Kipling’s classic tale The Man Who Would Be King, The Infidel was influenced by my work as a security advisor to media and diplomats in Kabul, Kunar, and Nuristan Provinces, Afghanisan. My goal: create a cracking good page turner that would reveal the true nature of one of the deadliest conflicts of our time.

I am able to offer a substantial discount to readers in North America because I have published The Infidel myself in those territories and eliminated the premium associated with going through a traditional publishing house. You can only take advantage of this special offer if you hold an Amazon or B&N account in North America or change your Kindle country settings to these territories. Otherwise, you can purchase the ebook through Kindle UK, iBooks UK, and Waterstones UK. And of course, the paperback is available to order through Amazon.co.uk and other UK and Commonwealth retailers.

Praise for The Infidel…

“The Infidel is an intelligent can’t-put-it-down adventure story written by an author who knows the heart and guts of NATO’s war in Afghanistan. If you want to know what we’re up against, read this book.” — Karl Marlantes, Author, Matterhorn

“Shepherd’s boots on the ground experience exposes the raw and rugged beauty of Afghanistan and its people. His high intensity narrative is as bone jarring as it is gripping and provides valuable insight in to this complex country.” — Nic Robertson, Sr. International Correspondent, CNN

“An old Afghan hand, Bob’s fingertips drip with the detail readers devour – from weapons and tactics to people and places. However, his knowledge is bang up to date and his insight into the political and social effects of military campaigns rival any Newsnight commentator.

More than that, Bob’s a great soldier who’s also a great storyteller. His characters are believable, his plot is epic in scale and his style blends muscle with understanding. This book is as comfortable on a shelf beside Kipling, Conan Doyle and Conrad as it is beside McNab, Ryan or Lee Child.”

—Stephen Armstrong, Sunday Times journalist

Afghanistan: 10 Years On For British Forces

Published October 7, 2011 Afghan War , Afghanistan , British Defence , British Politics 6 Comments
Tags: Afghanistan, Afghanistan Anniversary, British Forces Afghanistan, British Policy Afghanistan, NATO, Taliban

Afghanistan, Graveyard of Empires

In 2004, two years before British troops were deployed to Helmand, I escorted two television journalists from Kabul to Lashkar Gah by road. Operating outside the security bubble of Kabul and military embeds was a real eye opener. It was obvious that the locals did not support the coalition. I encountered a group of young Taliban down by the Helmand River who told me that should western troops ever attempt to set up bases in their province, there would be blood; an ominous prediction which indeed proved true.

Over the years, unilateral media excursions in Afghanistan became increasingly risky due to the deteriorating security situation. The Taliban were regrouping effectively, targeting NATO troops and anyone believed to be associated with the coalition. The evidence was indisputable. NATO casualties were steadily increasing year after year as were deaths of NGO personnel, the lynchpin of NATO’s hearts and minds strategy. Conditions outside Kabul became so dangerous for aid organizations that many were forced to abandon their projects or contract them out to local third parties whose progress, not to mention use of foreign aid funds, was impossible to monitor. Sadly though, the British public was largely unaware of what was really happening in Afghanistan because our military and political leaders insisted the campaign was going swimmingly.

One of the greatest misperceptions about the Afghan conflict is that the Taliban is waging an insurgency against NATO. There is no insurgency in Afghanistan; it’s a civil war in which NATO has taken sides. The distinction is crucial for understanding the limits of what can be achieved. The coalition backs the tribes of the former Northern Alliance which has been engaged in a festering 30-year civil war with the Pashtoon tribes of the southern and eastern provinces. Against this context, it is easy to see why British, American and other NATO forces have and continue to encounter such fierce resistance in Helmand. As far as the local Pashtoon are concerned, NATO has sided with their mortal enemies. Continue reading ‘Afghanistan: 10 Years On For British Forces’

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Archive for the 'Afghan War' Category

The Infidel Now Available on Kindle & Nook USA!

Afghanistan: 10 Years On For British Forces

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