Losing the Good War

Losing the Good War, volume 1 of the Landmark Presidential Decisions series, provides a detailed historical analysis of President Obama's military strategy in Afghanistan. This work of United States history examines the complex political pressures and military influences that shaped the decision to increase troop levels despite diminishing prospects for success. While Obama fulfilled campaign promises regarding the Iraq War, his approach to the conflict in Afghanistan followed a different trajectory through a labor-intensive counterinsurgency campaign.

The book explores how the strategic decision to replicate the Iraqi troop surge impacted international and world politics. It investigates the challenges of training Afghan forces and the corruption within the local government that hindered stability. As part of the Landmark Presidential Decisions series, Losing the Good War investigates the transition from campaign rhetoric to actual public affairs and policy. This study of politics and government details how shifting global priorities and the rise of new extremist groups influenced the long-term outcome of the conflict.