Choosing Defeat
The Twenty-Year Saga of How America Lost Afghanistan

The first comprehensive narrative of the American war in Afghanistan drawn from the own words of policymakers.

Paul D. Miller (Author)

9781009614375, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 7 October 2025

545 pages
23.5 x 16.3 x 3.5 cm, 0.91 kg

'It is rare to find this level of honest critique of events in which one participated, and we should be grateful for Miller's fortitude in confronting these truths. … As the War in Afghanistan is dissected by historians, Miller's book will be recognized as an essential part of the understanding of the conflict and a roadmap of errors to avoid in future wars.' Mike Nelson, Providence

A truly unique all-embracing narrative of the American war in Afghanistan from the own words of its architects. Choosing Defeat takes an unparalleled inside look at America's longest war, pulling back the curtain on the inner deliberations behind the scenes. The author combines his own extensive experience in the Army, the CIA, and the White House, with interviews from policymakers within the Bush, Obama, and Trump administrations, to produce a groundbreaking study of how American leaders make wartime decisions. Transporting you inside the White House Situation Room, every key strategic debate over twenty years – from the immediate aftermath of 9/11, to Obama's surge and withdrawal, to Trump's negotiations with the Taliban, and Biden's final pullout is carefully reconstructed. Paul D. Miller identifies issues in US leadership, governance, military strategy, and policymaking that extend beyond the war in Afghanistan and highlight the existence of deeper problems in American foreign policy.

1. Myths and mysteries of war in Afghanistan
2. 2001: victory
3. 2002–2003: neglect
4. 2003–2005: refocus
5. 2006: insurgency
6. 2007–2008: counterinsurgency
7. 2009: false start
8. 2009: the hinge
9. 2010–2011: surge
10. 2010–2014: Negotiations
11. 2012–2014: transition
12. 2015–2016: Obama's forever war
13. 2017–2018: Trump's forever war
14. 2018–2020: Doha
15. 2021: defeat
16. Why did we lose?

Subject Areas: International relations [JPS]