A powerfully written firsthand account of the human costs of conflict, The Mirror Test asks that we as a nation look in the mirror and address hard questions about America's wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
JOHN KAEL WESTON represented the United States for more than a decade as a State Department official. Washington acknowledged his multi-year work in Fallujah with Marines by awarding him one of its highest honors, the Secretary of State's Medal for Heroism.
www.jkweston.com
Praise for J. Kael Weston's The Mirror Test
"Closely observed and illuminating. . . . Weston's reportage
recalls the finest foreign correspondence of the Iraq and Afghan
wars." -The New York Review of Books "Weston is. . . a diplomat of
great bravery, erudition and heart who befriended Afghans and stood
up to his superiors. . . . The emotional core of The Mirror Test is
Weston's profound love for the Marines. . . . Weston is [a]
civilian hero." --The New York Times Book Review "Weston, who
worked as a State Department official for more than a decade,
brings balance and cultural perspective different from the previous
war books. . . . Along the way, he heralds humanitarian efforts and
describes a fascinating dynamic of American dollars simultaneously
rolling out to fund the allied war effort and the Afghan
infrastructure." --The Desert News "This book shines when it
recounts Weston's day-to-day dealings with Marines (and Iraqis and
Afghans). . . . [The Mirror Test] deserves a salute." --St. Louis
Post-Dispatch "Weston, a former State Department official, spent
seven courageous and harrowing years on the front lines as a
political adviser to American troops. His memoir offers a serious
examination of the effects of terrorism from a personal and
emotional perspective." --The New York Times (Editors' Choice) "As
a former Foreign Service officer, Weston is perfectly positioned to
provide a different perspective on these wars' sometimes-particular
complexities. . . . The Mirror Test offers insights into tribal,
cultural and religious dynamics; the limits of military power as a
political instrument; the use of drones; the heavy reliance on
special operators; cooperation and failed cooperation among
military services, agencies and allies." -The Washington Post "This
long book about a long wartime tries to do many things--and
succeeds. It is an atonement and an assessment, a eulogy and an
exposition, a reflection of a nation and a memoir by a man who
survived 'seven consecutive years in two wars.'" -Military Times
"If you read only one book about the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq,
read this one. . . .
Weston's is indeed a great, heart-rending, powerful book you won't
forget. You especially won't forget why it is called the mirror
test. It refers to a terrible, often repeated event, but as a
metaphor for this war it is an insight of tremendous value. Read
this work to learn what a mirror test for a man, and for a nation,
is." --Decatur Daily "Kael Weston is the conscience of our wars.
After spending more time in Iraq and Afghanistan than any other
American diplomat, he has emerged with a powerful-yet-nuanced story
of sacrifice, misadventure, humanity and resilience. This is not
another war memoir or a volume of combat reportage, but one of the
few truly great and enduring books about America in the post-9/11
world." --Rajiv Chandrasekaran, author of Imperial Life in the
Emerald City and Little America "Kael Weston is an American hero.
He has spent more time in Iraq and Afghanistan than any general,
diplomat, journalist or grunt. He has seen the wars up close, lived
their cultures, watched people die. As a front-line political
officer for the State Department, Weston has perhaps seen more of
Iraq and Afghanistan than any single American. But what makes this
book special--what makes Weston special--is his ability to
transcend his own experience and bring it all home, and force us,
as Americans, to ask ourselves the larger questions that these wars
demand. This is a necessary book, and one that will last." --Dexter
Filkins, author of The Forever War "Few Americans have served their
country with greater courage, commitment and lucidity than Kael
Weston. As the United States comes to terms with over a decade of
war, it needs his values and vision." --Roger Cohen, author of The
Girl from Human Street and Soldiers and Slaves "The Mirror Test is
an elegy, and a love story, and like all elegies and love stories
it involves equal parts ardor and heartbreak. It is also an
assignment to Americans: look at yourselves, look at these wars.
It's not only Weston's experience at State which place him in a
position to deliver this assignment; it's his humanity, humility,
and literary grace. These qualities bleed through the pages of this
book, and reflect the humanity, humility, and grace of its
subjects--Marines in Fallujah, Iraqis and Afghans in Anbar and
Khost, leaders who tried to do right. And eventually, essentially,
of civilians who mourn their children among the war dead." --Lea
Carpenter, author of Eleven Days
"Kael Weston has written more than a book, he has written a requiem
for the dead and the living. For those of us who fought and still
fight in America's never-ending wars in Iraq and Afghanistan any
sense of closure will continue to be illusory until we as a nation
reckon with how this conflict has refigured our identity. Until
then, The Mirror Test gives us something to gather around: our
monument in pages." --Elliot Ackerman, author of Green on Blue
"Kael Weston's The Mirror Test is essential reading for anyone
seeking to come to terms with our endless wars. Weston spent seven
years in Iraq and Afghanistan working for the State Department,
traveling among Iraqi sheiks, Afghan law students, senior diplomats
and front-line Marine infantryman. A riveting, on-the-ground look
at American policy and its aftermath." --Phil Klay, author of
Redeployment
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