The Devils of Eden

Book excerpt: When it comes to contemporary war, The Devils of Eden is one of the most accurate stories written. The memoir is told from the perspective of a paratrooper from the arrival at his unit, through the occupation of Firebase Gardez in eastern Afghanistan. The narrative follows a squad of recon paratroopers for a four month period of what was called by Time Magazine, the most dangerous place on earth. Each character is a disparate representation of the array of attitudes and perspectives concerning life in contemporary American the Afghanistan War, and the human condition in general.