The Unit: My Life Fighting Terrorists as One of America’s Most Secret Military Operatives

Gamal is a pseudonym designed to keep the author—a member of a U.S. military unit so secretive that it’s simply called “the unit”—safe and his family out of harm’s way. Coauthor Kennedy (They Fought for Each Other) served in the U.S. Army, and she did stints in Mogadishu and Desert Storm. Together, they’re offering insight into a special operations group. Some may find that it reads more like an autobiography of a Muslim Arab American, who served in the U.S. military, found his calling as an effective operator but easily noticed what the leadership was doing wrong. The authors point out what seem like obvious flaws—that could have prevented major catastrophes—in United States’ approach to “the war on terrorism.” The book stresses that education is crucial in rebuilding nations and that if Western powers do not fill that void, someone else will. The importance of embracing immigrants in the U.S. is an overarching theme with relevance to the current political climate.