A tense real-life thriller follows a group of retired Green Berets as they worked together to save a former comrade, along with five hundred Afghans, right before the ISIS-K suicide bombing at Kabul airport amidst the chaos of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.

INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER An edge-of-your-seat thriller about a group of retired Green Berets who come together to save a former comrade—and 500 other Afghans—being targeted by the Taliban in the chaos of America’s withdrawal from Afghanistan. In April 2021, an urgent call was placed from a Special Forces operator serving overseas. The message was clear: Get Nezam out of Afghanistan now. Nezam was part of the Afghan National Army’s first group of American-trained commandos; he passed through Fort Bragg’s legendary Q course and served alongside the US Special Forces for over a decade. But Afghanistan’s government and army were on the edge of collapse, and Nezam was receiving threatening texts from the Taliban. The message reached Nezam’s former commanding officer, retired Lt. Col. Scott Mann, who couldn’t face the idea of losing another soldier in the long War on Terror. Immediately, he sends out an SOS to a group of Afghan vets (Navy SEALs, Green Berets, CIA officers, USAID advisors). They all answer the call for one last mission. Operating out of basements and garages, Task Force Pineapple organizes an escape route for Nezam and gets him into hiding in Taliban-controlled Kabul. After many tense days, he braves the enemy checkpoints and the crowds of thousands blocking the airport gates. He finally makes it through the wire and into the American-held airport thanks to the frantic efforts of the Pineapple express, a relentless Congressional aide, and a US embassy official. Nezam is safe, but calls are coming in from all directions requesting help for other Afghan soldiers, interpreters, and at-risk women and children. Task Force Pineapple widens its scope—and ends up rescuing 500 more Afghans from Kabul in the three chaotic days before the ISIS-K suicide bombing. Operation Pineapple Express is a thrilling, suspenseful tale of service and loyalty amidst the chaos of the US withdrawal from Afghanistan.

"Those who wonder how the international community failed so dramatically in Afghanistan need look no further ... Losing Afghanistan explores the arguments for and against intervention and highlights the difficulty of establishing unity of purpose and effort in such demanding circumstances. Above all, it poses a question: how can we in the West claim we know so much, yet demonstrate in Afghanistan that we understand so little?" – General (retd) Sir Jack Deverell OBE, former Commander-in-Chief of Allied Forces Northern Europe "A wonderful book of insightful essays on Afghanistan from an outsider lens." – Ezatullah Adib, head of research at Integrity Watch Afghanistan and national country representative at the World Association for Public Opinion Research "The strategic question posed by these brilliant essays is: how can the doctrine of liberal intervention be reframed to ensure the West intervenes overseas to manage future humanitarian calamities for reasons beyond just national security?" – Brigadier (retd) Justin Hedges OBE *** When Taliban forces took Kabul on 15 August 2021, it marked the end of the Western intervention that had begun nearly twenty years earlier with the US-led invasion. The fall of Afghanistan triggered a seismic shock in the West, where US President Joe Biden announced an end to America's involvement in conflicts overseas. In Afghanistan itself it produced terror for the future for those who had worked with and grown up under the coalition-supported administration. Now, with the country spiralling into economic collapse and famine, Losing Afghanistan is a plea for us to keep our gaze on the plight of the people of Afghanistan and to understand how action and inaction in the West shaped the fate of the nation. Why was Afghanistan lost? Can it be regained? And what happens next? Edited by international development expert Brian Brivati, this collection of twenty-one essays by analysts, politicians, soldiers, commentators and practitioners – interspersed with powerful eyewitness testimony from Afghan voices – explains what happened in Afghanistan and why, and what the future holds both for its people and for liberal intervention.

Wall Street Journal Bestseller USA Today Bestseller Publishers Weekly Bestseller As Seen on Tucker Carlson Combat-decorated Marine officer Stuart Scheller speaks out against the debacle of the Afghan pullout as the culmination of a decades-long and still-ongoing betrayal of military members by top leadership, from generals to the commander in chief, comes to light. Lieutenant Colonel Stuart Scheller was the perfect Marine. Battle tested. A leader. Decorated for valor. Yet when the United States acted like the Keystone Cops in a panicked haphazard exit from Afghanistan for political reasons, Scheller spoke out, and the generals lashed out. In fact, they jailed him to keep him quiet, claiming he lost the “trust and confidence” bestowed upon him by the Marines. When the faith and trust is exactly what our generals and even our commander-in-chief betrayed by exercising such reckless and derelict policies. Now Scheller is free from the shackles of the Marine Corps and can speak his mind. And in Crisis of Command, that he does. He holds our generals’ feet to the fire. The same generals who play frivolously with the lives of our service men and women for political gain. The same general who lied to political leaders to further their own agendas and careers. Stuart Scheller is here to say that the buck stops here. Accountability starts now. It’s time to demand accountability and stand up for our military. In this book, Stuart Scheller shows us how.

Ever since the days of Homer, warriors have faced an epic battle for which many were ill-prepared - coming home after a life of military service. Whether you served three years or thirty, transitioning to civilian life is an Odyssey in its own right. Despite over 40,000 veteran advocacy organizations trying to assist military members, massive corporate hiring programs for veterans, and increased efforts by the Department of Defense, veteran transition is tough stuff - not just for our military service members but their families as well. Many veterans say that transition to civilian life is the biggest obstacle they've ever faced. What if it didn't have to be this way? What if everything you needed for a happy and prosperous transition was already inside you? What if the very warrior ethos forged in the mission-focused environment of military service was the single greatest asset in your kit bag? Mission America combines a no B.S. look at the realities of military transition and an eye-opening perspective on how to leverage the highly relevant warrior attributes you already possess. Retired Green Beret and strategic entrepreneur Scott Mann takes you on a journey where you'll see that, in order to live the life you've so richly earned through your selfless service, there is still one more mission in front of you...MISSION AMERICA.

These are unprecedented times. We have a persistent threat knocking on our door and leading through this chaos is no easy task. We have to overcome fear while we deal with these very real internal and external threats because at the end of the day, the people who are going to lead us out of this aren't our government and politicians...it will be leaders like you. Full of tips and principles never-before shared with the civilian world, Retired Green Beret Scott Mann breaks down exactly what it takes to lead yourself and your team through the unthinkable and come out on the other side not just surviving, but thriving.100% of the proceeds from this book will go to help support the veteran-owned and operated establishment, Charlie Mike's in Fayetteville, N.C, who is fighting to emerge from this pandemic financially while still honoring the memories and legacies of fallen Green Berets.

A “captivating” (The Washington Post) true story of “courage, resolve, and determination” (Christian Science Monitor), author Ralph White’s successful effort to save nearly the entire staff of the Saigon branch of Chase Manhattan bank and their families before the city fell to the North Vietnamese Army. In April 1975, Ralph White was asked by his boss to transfer from the Bangkok branch of the Chase Manhattan Bank to the Saigon Branch. He was tasked with closing the branch if and when it appeared that Saigon would fall to the North Vietnamese army and ensure the safety of the senior Vietnamese employees. But when he arrived, he realized the situation in Saigon was far more perilous than he had imagined. The senior staff members there urged him to evacuate the entire staff of the branch and their families, which was far more than he was authorized to do. Quickly he realized that no one would be safe when the city fell, and it was no longer a question of whether to evacuate but how. Getting Out of Saigon is an “edge-of-your-seat” (Oprah Daily) story of a city on the eve of destruction and the colorful characters who respond differently to impending doom. It’s a remarkable account of one man’s quest to save innocent lives not because he was ordered but because it was the right thing to do.

Meet your next crisis head on and get through it stronger than ever by using the hard-earned strategies and core principles from Marc Polymeropoulos, a highly decorated, 26-year operations officer with the CIA. Marc Polymeropoulos has had to live with the consequences of decisions made under the most high-stress circumstances you can imagine as a senior intelligence officer in the CIA, retiring from his 26 years of service as one of the CIA’s most decorated field officers. Though your crisis situations may not entail international counter terrorism as Marc’s did, in our age of social media and a 24-hour news cycle, the consequences of mishandling a crisis can escalate quickly, leaving irreparable damage to a company’s reputation and bottom line in its wake. In Clarity in Crisis, Marc shares how true leaders need to lead in and through times of crisis and thrive under conditions of ambiguity, rather than message their way out or duck from hard decisions. This book provides proven strategies and core principles that leaders can apply to meet any crisis head on and lead through it, including: The critical elements to managing crisis, such as knowing who you can always count on to execute under high-stress situations. An understanding of the importance of following and stressing key fundamentals and avoiding shortcuts that often do more harm than good. Implementation guidance from the “Mad Minute” section at the end of each chapter that summarizes key points and action items you can begin applying right away. How to gain confidence that you are ready for the next crisis and embrace any situation with no fear. Far from mere theory, Clarity in Crisis outlines the unique mindset and strategies Marc himself practiced and honed throughout his remarkable career. The core principles outlined in these pages will help you find unshakeable clarity in crisis and lead when others want to flee.

When my mother was diagnosed with dementia, my life changed for the better My life became richer, more complete and filled with joy as I watched the triumph of my mother's spirit. Dementia may have affected her physically but it could not touch her beautiful spirit. What is eternal about our life is not our physical experience but our spiritual essence and therefore the depth of our relationship grew into something more than I ever could have imagined. Life with someone who has Alzheimer's and dementia can be a celebration and an important time. This disease will either be a source of suffering or a source of joy depending on whether we connect with our spirit and the spirit of those around us. It is our choice. Be empowered to live life as a celebration of joy and connectedness by understanding that this moment is the only one we have and that happiness and compassion are only a moment of choice away. People with Alzheimer's and dementia can thrive and have a wonderful quality of life when we believe in this possibility, recognize their spiritual energy and give them the opportunity to live their lives in an environment that is nurturing and responsive to their needs. This book will help the reader begin to rethink what is possible for their loved one and for their own life. Note: Alzheimer's is one of the many dementia's which also include Lewy Body, Multi-Infarct, Frontotemporal, and Parkinson's. While my mother had Frontotemporal dementia, the title of this book was chosen in the hopes that it would facilitate a higher visibility and therefore touch the most lives possible of the loved ones that are going through this experience. ..".a fresh and compassionate insight into the care of persons with Alzheimer's and the life-affirming role caregivers can play." Kay Redington CEO Alzheimer's Association, Central & North Florida Chapter

SUCCESS WITHOUT STRUGGLE! Have you tried to follow the old rules for success and found that they don't work anymore? Have you already achieved professional and personal success but secretly fear that you have accomplished everything that you ever will? Do you have a cherished dream that you want to realize? If so, read on. Extreme Success can be yours! In this life-changing book, sought-after personal coach and extreme athlete Rich Fettke doesn't just lead us down the path to success, he shows us that it can be easier and, yes, more fun. By applying the lessons he has learned from extreme sports in his seven-part program, he shows us that learning to take risks is as important as doing your homework. Using quizzes, captivating stories, and specific step-by-step strategies, he explains how you can: CREATE YOUR OWN "LUCK" DEVELOP THE COURAGE FOR CHANGE USE PARTNERSHIPS AND ALLIANCES TO EXPAND POSSIBILITIES MAKE FEAR YOUR FRIEND GET -- AND STAY -- IN THE ZONE AND MUCH MORE!