Choosing Defeat

A truly unique all-embracing narrative of the American war in Afghanistan from the own words of its architects. Choosing Defeat takes an unparalleled inside look at America's longest war, pulling back the curtain on the inner deliberations behind the scenes. The author combines his own extensive experience in the Army, the CIA, and the White House, with interviews from policymakers within the Bush, Obama, and Trump administrations, to produce a groundbreaking study of how American leaders make wartime decisions. Transporting you inside the White House Situation Room, every key strategic debate over twenty years – from the immediate aftermath of 9/11, to Obama's surge and withdrawal, to Trump's negotiations with the Taliban, and Biden's final pullout is carefully reconstructed. Paul D. Miller identifies issues in US leadership, governance, military strategy, and policymaking that extend beyond the war in Afghanistan and highlight the existence of deeper problems in American foreign policy.

• Paul D. Miller is among the foremost experts in the world on the Afghanistan conflict following his career as a soldier, CIA officer, and senior NSC staffer under Presidents Bush and Obama.
• Personal insights from generals, ambassadors, and cabinet members in the Bush, Obama, and Trump administrations express firsthand what policymakers believed and why they made the choices they did.
• Explores how and why the war ended the way it did, and what lessons can be salvaged in order to help avoid similar mistakes in the future.