The Tigers and The Taliban

A Danish reconnaissance commander, in his debut, presents a thorough, you-are-there accounting of a five-week engagement with the Taliban, underlining the fact that the war on terror is a truly international effort.

In a straightforward, linear fashion, Johannesen relates his experiences as he and his men engaged in a series of skirmishes in the Afghanistan town of Musa Qala in the summer of 2006. At the time, he commanded the 1 Light Reconnaissance Squadron, which was trained as a mobile response group. However, upon arriving in Musa Qala to relieve a British contingent, they found themselves effectively hemmed in by the Taliban. Until they were relieved themselves by a British infantry unit, they were attacked on a daily basis, often multiple times per day. Throughout this account, Johannesen offers clear insight into his squadron’s role, his view of how they fit into the overall effort to defeat the Taliban, and how soldiers saw themselves during a mission that wasn’t always rigidly defined. Although the author expresses his feeling that the squadron didn’t achieve its primary objective of defeating the Taliban, he also expresses without hesitation his pride in his men and their performance, and he uses his knowledge of military operations to make clear that their work was not in vain. Readers accustomed to U.S. accounts of military operations may find the author’s evenhandedness and calm demeanor unusual at first. He shares his observations about working in Musa Qala with Afghan National Police officers and soldiers from different nations, and his ability to understand and explain contrasting viewpoints lends authority to his words.

This detailed military memoir’s reasoned viewpoint makes for an engrossing read.