Counterstrike The Untold Story of America's Secret Campaign Against Al Qaeda [Paperback]

Fast paced, gripping . . . [a] well written dive into the arcane world of counterterrorism over the past decade . Foreign Policy

InCounterstrike, Eric Schmitt and Thom Shanker ofThe New York Timestake readers into a previously hidden theater of war, as U.S. ground troops, intelligence operatives, and top executive branch officials have fashioned effective new strategies to fight terrorism, in sharp contrast to the cowboy slogans that once characterized the U.S. government's public posture. They show how these innovative strategies, drawn from classic Cold War deterrence theory, were employed in the dramatic raid in which Osama bin Laden was killed, and in a new afterword the authors point to the ongoing challenges and successes facing America in the Middle East, in cyberspace, and at home.

Filled with startling revelations about how our national security is being managed,Counterstrikewill change the way Americans think about the ongoing struggle with violent radical extremism.

Insightful...Counterstrike... is not just another book about Sept. 11, Iraq or Afghanistan. Rather, it focuses on the various military and civilian agency responses to terrorism [with a] strong portrayal of the many unheralded United States victories.... Americans should take comfort in this book's reminder that their government can adapt to meet threats as they change, keeping them safer--if not necessarily safe--from terrorism. Daniel Byman,The New York Times

There is a flood of 9/11 books now coming onto the market, butCounterstrikeby Eric Schmitt and Thom Shanker of theNew York Timesshould be atop the list of anyone curious about how the U.S. government has grappled with the challenges posed by al Qaeda. Time.com

Counterstrikeprovides a detailed look at the changes that have occurred and the personalities behind those decisions, as well as the complicated global chessboard of telÃ(