Tal Jones

I was disappointed that the author did not share more of the actual conversations he overheard as a high-flying linguist. Instead the book demonstrates how being involved in the Afghanistan war (and overhearing intimate conversations) affected the author’s mental health. Fritz does not respect or sympathize with the tactics and beliefs of the Taliban, but rather sees them as human beings rather than “monsters”. This compassionate viewpoint drove him into clinical depression. This is an uncomfortable experience for the reader who knows the capabilities of Taliban to maim and kill the innocent in furtherance of their barbaric belief system. Fritz accurately points out that the killing has diminished since our departure from Afghanistan, and that the scorched earth we left behind is testament to the perseverance of our enemies there.