The Best History Books of February 2018

Directorate S: The C.I.A. and America’s Secret Wars in Afghanistan and Pakistan, by Steve Coll
As President Trump’s recent remarks reminded us, the relationship between the United States and Pakistan is crucial to American interests in the region. Pakistan’s Directorate S is a secret group within Inter-Service Intelligence (ISI) charged with prosecuting illegal operations. In Afghanistan, Directorate S and the CIA often find themselves working against each other while trying to maintain a fiction of cooperation between some of the most uncomfortable allies in history. Taking an admirably objective and non-partisan view of the politics and cultures of three nations and several non-nation groups (such as the Taliban), Coll paints a complex picture of realpolitik that offers hints of what the future of the region and U.S. policy might bring.

Dodge City: Wyatt Earp, Bat Masterson, and the Wickedest Town in the American West, by Tom Clavin
Bringing a level of factual rigor to the legend of Wyatt Earp and Bat Masterson in Dodge City isn’t an easy task; the story of those pioneering lawmen, and the famed gunfight at the OK Corral, is slathered with mythic overtones. In this revealing work, Clavin strips away the unnecessary flourishes to focus on the facets of the story he can verify—and that unadorned tale turns out to be just as fascinating, especially his telling of the lesser-known Dodge City War, a bloodless affair that saw Earp and Masterson return to the area years later to firmly establish the rule of law, once and for all. You might think you know the story of Dodge City’s most famous gunslingers, but like as not, you only know the Hollywood version. Here’s your chance to fix that.

The Unmaking of the President 2016: How FBI Director James Comey Cost Hillary Clinton the Presidency, by Lanny J. Davis
A year later, both sides of the political divide in this country are still trying to understand the 2016 election. Davis is a long time operator in Washington, and well-versed in modern political maneuvers, and he argues that the single event that destroyed Hillary Clinton’s chance at becoming president was the letter James Comey sent to Congress just eleven days before the vote took place. That remarkable letter stated that the FBI was investigating new information in the Clinton email case, and sent shockwaves through the campaign. The letter was remarkable; there was actually no new information to investigate, and releasing it contravened long-standing protocols. Davis lays out the theory that Comey’s action caused a significant shift in voter opinion, essentially causing Clinton to lose an election she had in the bag.

Full Battle Rattle: My Story as the Longest-Serving Special Forces A-Team Soldier in American History, by Changiz Lahidji and Ralph Pezzullo
On TV and in movies, fictional characters get involved in intense military and intelligence operations, going undercover, taking fire, and changing the fate of nations. In real life, such people are few and far between—but Master Sergeant Changiz Lahidji is one of them. The longest-serving member of American Special Forces, Lahidji is one of the most highly-decorated non-commissioned officers in history, and has been front and center at almost every significant military event involving the U.S. over the last three decades, from Tehran to Mogadishu to Fallujah. His stories are incredible, demonstrating bravery, patriotism, and professionalism far beyond what you might think possible. This is a must-read for anyone seeking to understand the true cost of American exceptionalism.

Rise and Kill First: The Secret History of Israel’s Targeted Assassinations, by Ronen Bergman
Israel’s Mossad is widely considered to be one of—if not the—most effective intelligence organizations in the world, and the Israel Defense Force, one of the most effective armed forces. But what has set Israel apart from other nations is its unrepentant embrace of targeted, state-sponsored assassination in the service of national survival. Bergman leverages access to some of the most important players in Israel’s government, intelligence services, and military to craft a definitive history of a nation that much of the world wishes to destroy, and the extraordinary means undertaken in its defense. His inclusion of extremely detailed descriptions of operations gives this book a bit of a thriller edge, while never losing sight of the ethical quandary these policies inevitably spark.

Richard Nixon: The Life, by John A. Farrell
There are few more complex figures in American political history than Richard Nixon. Brilliant, paranoid, both a failure and a great success—Nixon was a man who defied expectations throughout his career. Farrell smartly focuses on smaller moments in Nixon’s lengthy legacy, the sort of grace notes often overlooked in favor of grand achievements—or scandals—but which can offer insight into the thought process of a man who managed one of the greatest political comebacks ever, and then was brought low by perhaps the most unnecessary political scandal of all time.

A False Report: A True Story of Rape in America, by T. Christian Miller and Ken Armstrong
Pulitzer Prize-winning journalists Miller and Armstrong take an unblinking look at the often brutally unfair and clearly misogynistic state of law enforcement when it comes to rape allegations. Pivoting off a horrifying story of a young woman who was convinced by skeptical police that she’d imagined an assault, only later to be vindicated by evidence recovered in a separate incident, they explore how slanted against accusers the criminal justice system is when it comes to rape, and how difficult it can be for victims to come forward and be heard. Deeply researched—and deeply depressing—this is the ideal book for the current #MeToo moment.