The Valley's Edge

"Dan Green spent a fascinating year in the heart of Taliban country as the insurgency began to gather steam there. His valuable book is a rich and detailed assessment of what worked (and what didnt) to pacify Uruzgan, one of the most dangerous and remote provinces in Afghanistan."Peter L. Bergen, author of The Longest War: The Enduring Conflict between America and al-Qaeda "Dan Green provides a unique and insightful perspective on the war in Afghanistan. He takes a sympathetic but critical look at our efforts there and the challenges that remain for the U.S. to prevail in Central Asia. If you want to know what Americans are doing in Afghanistan, read The Valleys Edge."Amb. James Dobbins, special envoy for Afghanistan "A blunt, detailed account from the frontlines that describes why nation-building is so astoundingly difficultif not impossible. A warning in bold, human terms about the stultifying effects of military and civilian bureaucracies, no matter how well intentioned they are."Bing West, former assistant secretary of defense and author of The Village, The Strongest Tribe, and The Wrong War "Dan Green has provided us with a rare and insightful look at the ground-level efforts for reconstruction in the dangerous south of Afghanistan. He cuts through the fog of war to give us a clear image of where weve succeeded, balanced by the honest assessment of where we have failed. Combine that with a civilian perspective of a man, not embedded with, but working alongside the U.S. and coalition forces, and what you have in your hands is a must read for anybody hoping to understand the hard realities of the war in Afghanistan."Eric Blehm, author of The Only Thing Worth Dying For and The Last Season "You've read the theory of counterinsurgencynow see it in practice. Dan Green's memoir is a bracing account of the hazards of state-building in Afghanistan."Nathan Hodge, author of Armed Humanitarians "The Valleys Edge is a moving, finely grained portrait of an American's efforts to understand and help Afghanistan from within a well-intentioned but often hapless U.S. bureaucracy. Dan Green's memoir of his tour as a civilian adviser in Uruzgan Province makes a signal contribution to the literature on the war and in particular to understanding the role of this southern Pashtun province in the ongoing conflict. It is ground-level, first-person history at its best."Linda Robinson, author of Tell Me How This Ends and Masters of Chaos

Daniel R. Green is a Soref Fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy and is pursuing a PhD in political science at the George Washington University. For his work in Afghanistan in 20052006, he received the U.S. Department of States Superior Honor Award, the U.S. Armys Superior Civilian Honor Award, and a personal letter of commendation from thenchairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Peter Pace. He has also received the Office of the Secretary of Defenses Exceptional Public Service Award and in 2007 served with the U.S. military in Fallujah, Iraq. He lives in Washington, D.C. Ronald E. Neumann, now president of the American Academy of Diplomacy, served previously as a deputy assistant secretary and three times as ambassador, to Algeria (199497), Bahrain (20014), and finally to the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (20057). Prior to his stint in Afghanistan, Neumann, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, served in Baghdad from February 2004 with the Coalition Provisional Authority and then as the embassys principal interlocutor with the Multinational Command. He lives in Arlington, Virginia.