Operation Medusa, Major General David Fraser
Operation Medusa, Major General David Fraser
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Operation Medusa
The Furious Battle That Saved Afghanistan from the Taliban

Author: Major General David Fraser, Brian Hanington, General Lord David Richards

Narrator: Paul Gross

Unabridged: 5 hr 33 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 05/08/2018

Includes: Bonus Material Bonus Material Included


Synopsis

From the Canadian in charge of the joint military command in Kandahar Province in Afghanistan, this is the real on-the-ground story of one of NATO's bloodiest, most decisive and misunderstood operations: The battle of Panjwayi, the defining moment of "Operation Medusa."

In the summer of 2006, David Fraser was the Canadian general in charge of NATO's Regional Command South, a territory spanning six Afghan provinces surrounding the Arghandab Valley. Birthplace of the Taliban decades earlier, this fertile region had since become Afghanistan's most deadly turf. It would soon turn deadlier still. Advised in the night by his intelligence officers that the Taliban had secretly amassed for a full-scale military assault, Fraser knew it would fall to him, his Canadians and their allies to avoid the wholesale slaughter of NATO troops, keep the Taliban from laying siege to Kandahar and restore control of the south of the country to a newly formed, democratic Afghan government.
     The odds were solidy against Fraser's forces. The Taliban knew every millimetre of their own terrain. During the months of secret manoeuvres they had stocked every farmhouse, school, grape hut and tunnel with weapons and ammunition. They had drilled Soviet-era landmines into all of the marijuana and poppy fields, and dug IEDs into every roadway. Protected from detection by corrupt officials, their sophisticated warfare schools had successfully readied an army of zealous fighters to attack and fight to the death. And now their top commanders were poised to launch decisive military operations against freshly arrived troops who had never seen combat.
     The bloodiest battle in NATO's history was about to begin.

About The Author

An internationally known Actor, Writer and Director, Paul Gross has appeared in the acclaimed drama series Due South and Slings & Arrows, among many others. He wrote, directed and starred in award winning movies Men with Brooms, Passchendaele, and Hyena Road. On stage, Gross most notably performed the title role in the Stratford Festival’s of Hamlet and Noel Coward’s Private Lives on Broadway.  A recipient of the Governor General’s Performing Arts Award and the Pierre Burton Award, he was appointed to the Order of Canada and also received the Earle Grey Award, from the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Samuel on December 12, 2024

One of the most comprehensive accounts of the Afghan War from a Canadian perspective. Canadian contributions Afghanistan are overlooked by the American public, and this book effectively raises awareness of our northern neighbor's determination and resilience in the-torn nation.......more

Goodreads review by Vic on January 13, 2020

This is an good study of command in the post cold-war era. It is not a detailed account of the actual battle. The focus is on the complexities of planning and executing an operation, and the military and political problems that a coalition commander faces today. The background information on the sta......more

Goodreads review by Bart on January 02, 2020

A fascinating story and insight into the inner workings of command in a fractious organization. Fraser brings personality with background thoughts and reason to the headlines. This battle will be debated for many years to come and Fraser's book should form the bases of that debate - the old platitud......more

Goodreads review by Shawn on August 27, 2019

Excellent book for those interested in military strategy for development and deployment. I'm not so although I'm glad I read it to understand this part of the world, I didn't find the read enjoyable.......more

Goodreads review by Brentman99 on July 26, 2022

This book really grabbed hold of me and didn't let go until I finished it. Major-General David Fraser and Brian Hanington came together to write an excellent account of the action against the Taliban early on during Canada's move to Regional Command South (RC South) in 2006. As I was in 1 CMBG HQ at t......more


Quotes

Praise for Operation Medusa:

“Operation Medusa: The Furious Battle That Saved Afghanistan from the Taliban is extraordinary for what it says (and maybe more for what it doesn't say) about the combat mission that arguably changed the course of a war that claimed the lives of 159 Canadian soldiers and cost billions of Canadian dollars.” —CBC