I hope military readers will excuse my simplifications of rank, gear, terminology, uniforms, and tactics; it’s a story for civilians too, guys. Readers familiar with Nuristan and its peoples, languages, and geography will similarly recognize the points where this Nuristan departs from the actual, which I have never visited. The work of Richard Strand and Eric Newby, among others, was especially useful on this score, though any errors are of course my own. There are many valleys in Nuristan, but there is no Valley, and the places depicted there aren’t real. Most importantly, while this story took inspiration from many places and events, and many honorable people, nothing in it is meant to stand in for their actual stories, which only they can tell truthfully.
I am indebted to Alex London, whose generosity got me on the road. My agent, Robert Guinsler, is a gentleman and a force; he stuck with me, improved my work, and made it happen so smoothly. Bryan Fyffe is an extraordinary illustrator who managed to do a war book cover like no other. Geddy, Alex, and Neil: We’ve never met but if you see this, please accept a fan’s humble offering. Finally, I am deeply fortunate to have worked with my editor, Ben Sevier, whose talents are formidable, and his team at Penguin, especially Stephanie Kelly and Nancy Resnick. Ben saw just what needed to be done and showed the way.
I am grateful to any reader who has made it this far. Mostly, to the Bravo guys: I wouldn’t know anything about real soldiers if you hadn’t shown me.