America’s Favorite Warlord (Hardback)

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Advance Praise for the book from experts in the field:

“The story of Abdul Raziq — rising from a young, illiterate criminal along the border with Pakistan to becoming the most powerful man in the greater Helmand Valley region — provides a fitting example of Afghanistan’s volatility over the last two decades. Jacob Hagstrom has meticulously captured all the ambiguity, charisma, courage, and shortcomings of this compelling figure. For anyone working in a little-known part of the world, with leaders who are very unlike us yet resonate with the people who live there, this is a must read. Compelling narrative, readable and important!”
—David McKiernan, General (ret), U.S. Army, Commander of ISAF and U.S. Forces Afghanistan, 2008-9

“This excellent book explores one of Afghanistan’s most effective and brutal field commanders. Hagstrom explains why United States and coalition military leaders routinely overlooked Raziq’s dismal human rights record in their futile search for sustained battlefield success. A must read for scholars, practitioners, and veterans of America’s longest war.”
—Stephen M. Grenier, Faculty Director, Global Security Studies Program, Johns Hopkins University

“A deep dive into the daunting complexities of America's long and costly War in Afghanistan. Why did the United States fail so abysmally? Jacob Hagstrom's monograph is essential reading for anyone seeking answers to that question.”
—Andrew Bacevich, Co-founder, Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft

Jacob Hagstrom

This book shares an intriguing look into at the complicated task which the United States assigned to its fighting men. America’s Favorite Warlord is a look at the life and death of the Afghan General Adbul Raziq, who managed to simultaneously be a hero for his country and a divisive figure, who tortured and executed his enemies. Raziq also engaged in the drug trade and stole from the public coffers but, in so doing, he managed to build a brief island of stability that helped to protect me and the Soldier of 4th squadron, 2 Second Cavalry Regiment when we ventured into the Afghan/Pakistan borderlands in 2010-2011. The Author began this project as an oral history interviewing numerous veterans, including me, Afghan interpreters, and government officials and it was a surreal experience to read those interviews and the resulting book. In it he captures the essence of the problem set of America seeking to expand governance in a lawless place, without further entrenching local self-interested strongmen. The tools to support building a functional democracy in a war zone were a bunch of 19–25-year-old cavalrymen, guns, armored vehicles, and cash, with support from a few dedicated state department and USAID enablers. It was an impossibly ambiguous mission, and the book captures the various approaches that several battalion and brigade commanders took to try to fulfill it. It is available from Pen and Sword in the UK publication at this link and is set for U.S. publication in June. I would recommend to anyone interested in knowing more about this unique experience and about some of the American’s who gave their life in the attempt to bring governance to Southern Afghanistan.

Thad Fox