The Fifth Act – America’s End in Afghanistan by Elliot Ackerman

In April, I recommended Elliot Ackerman’s Waiting for Eden with a promise I had another Elliot Ackerman book waiting in the wings. Here it is: The Fifth Act – America’s End in Afghanistan. As with Waiting for Eden, I cannot recommend this book enough.

The Fifth Act is a nonfiction account of Ackerman’s efforts to assist Afghans trying to escape from the Taliban during the week of Kabul’s fall. The book tells the story through the literary device of a narrative five act play. The scenes within each act intermingle background from Ackerman’s time as a Marine and CIA operative in Afghanistan with his efforts during a family vacation in Rome to help orchestrate the logistics necessary to get loyal Afghans out of Kabul before the international airport closes.

The book is compelling on many levels. First, after reading about Ackerman’s own experience in Afghanistan, I felt like he has a legitimate voice that needs to be heard. Put another way, now when I read one of his novels, I know he is speaking with authority because he lived the experience. Second, I was amazed at the connections Ackerman developed as a young Marine and how he was able to pull together all the loose ends, including at the highest levels of government, necessary to help Afghans who had assisted the United States during the long, drawn-out war. Finally, the book hammers home the tragedy of war and its consequences.

Ackerman pulls no punches in The Fifth Act. He attributes fault where he sees it, calling on his personal experience and research to give weight to his conclusions. He is also self-critical, describing some of his own demons resulting from the war. I could not put this book down (or more accurately, stop listening to it). So far, I am two-for-two with Elliot Ackerman, and both The Fifth Act and Waiting for Eden have me wanting more. 

The Fifth Act is available on Amazon and you can buy by clicking here.