It’s every author’s dream – to write a book that’s so sensationally popular it’s impossible to find a copy in the shops, even as it keeps climbing up the bestseller lists.
And so it is for Anthony Shaffer, thanks to the Pentagon’s desire to buy up all 10,000 copies of the first printing of his new book, Operation Dark Heart. And then pulp them.
The US defence department is scrambling to dispose of what threatens to be a highly embarrassing expose by the former intelligence officer of secret operations in Afghanistan and Pakistan, and of how the US military top brass missed the opportunity to win the war against the Taliban.
The department of defence is in talks with St Martin’s Press to purchase the entire first print run on the grounds of national security.
The publisher is content to sell the books but the two sides are in a grinding dispute over what should appear in a censored version and when it should be released.
Now St Martin’s Press says it will put the partly redacted manuscript on sale next week whether or not the defence department likes it – and there doesn’t appear much the authorities can do.
The army had cleared the book by Lieutenant Colonel Shaffer, about “black ops” in the Afghan war when he was based at Bagram in 2003, for publication after relatively minor changes.
Meanwhile, I checked Amazon and they’re still taking orders for 24 September shipment of the hardcopy. No Kindle edition.
And, anyway, how would you buy out the whole Kindle edition?
I’ll wait for the nothing but expurgated version to come out and then wonder what was objectionable?
Anybody know?
Like we let OBL get away to placate the Paki’s? Other stuff that everybody already knows? Planes full of dollars being flown from Pakistan to Switzerland? Karzhi running a corrupt government with our help? More stuff everyone already knows?
Poppy fields protected by USA troops to keep the rebels relatively peaceful? Paying the rebels not to attack our patrols? More stuff everyone already knows?
What everyone already knows: nation building never works and only destroys the nations trying to do it. Bled dry to the interests of the military/industrial complex under the banner of patriotism and spreading democracy.
Silly Hoomans.
“No Kindle edition.
And, anyway, how would you buy out the whole Kindle edition?”
Answered your own question… there is no Kindle edition.
Great marketing tactic!
So what’s stopping them from doing a 2nd print run?
According to Amazon, the initial print run was simply canceled.
http://amazon.com/Operation-Dark-Heart-Frontlines-Afghanistan/dp/0312612176/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1284490236&sr=8-1
So we are paying taxes so the government can buy a book and destroy it. That’s good governmenting there, boys…
#1 bobbo
“Anybody know?”
I do not make this claim myself (no evidence), however there was a rumour that the leaders of al-Qaida were allowed to fly out of Tora Bora to Pakistan. That would be worth concealing, but two bullets would be cheaper than 10,000 books.
LDA==memories fade with time but I recall at the time videos showing US troops having OBL trapped on a mountain top with no where to hide requesting permission to go it and get him. Permission: DENIED with the “honor” of getting OBL given to local troops–Afghan, Paki, or UN I forget but by the time those troops went in, OBL was gone. Mountainous terrain: doubt any airplanes, maybe helicopters but most likely: just a lull in the cornered trap and OBL allowed time to get away.
Americans really do forget how much WE ARE THE CAUSE of Al-quaida. Frankenstein created and armed the monster Taliban to fight the Russians and after that deed was accomplished what was F’s Monster to do? What all monsters do: form a government to exercise power over people who just want to be left alone.
Yep, very much a problem of our own making. Why won’t they just do what we tell them to do without complaint? We don’t even want to form a government–just rule from afar so no one can accuse us of colonialism.
Sad when a great Nation State won’t recognize the basics of power: you have to kill innocent people to get your way. Not willing to do so?===then retreat.
Silly Hoomans.
From Amazon:
“Important Message for Customers
On Friday, August 13, 2010, just as St. Martin’s Press was readying its initial shipment of Operation Dark Heart, the Department of Defense expressed concern that its publication could cause damage to U.S. national security. The publication of the initial edition was canceled. However, after consulting with the author, Lt. Col. Anthony Shaffer, St. Martin’s Press agreed to incorporate some of the government’s changes, which includes redacting classified text, into a revised edition, which is releasing on September 24.”
So don’t these guys sign something that controls what classified information they can publish?
Known as doing a “spycatcher”
His BS is stronger than their BS. May the best BS win.
All this just brings attention to a book which, otherwise, would probably be a moderate seller.
Is this all misinformation? Maybe there was nothing in the book to be concerned about and they just want some publicity.
From the article: “Its plan to pulp the book has provided the kind of publicity that advertising cannot buy and the redacted but still unpalatable version of Operation Dark Heart is charging up the best seller lists even before it is released.”
Our tax dollars at work.
If they’d just let it sell with no interest and called it fiction then maybe no big but if a leaked version of this hits Wiki leaks people are going to believe it.
Here’s an advance warning for the Pentagon: I’m writing a tell-all book about opium smuggling in Afghanistan.
I’ve instructed the publisher to produce 10,000,000 copies for the first run.
Someone from the Pentagon should contact me with their credit card number and shipping information.
Masterful marketing.
-not to mention the subtle reminder that the Constitution has been null and void for decades. ::sigh::
-s
Expect an uncensored copy leaked onto the net.
Wikileaks probably has a copy.
Why are book manufacturers asking the government to review books in the first place? Clearly, all media is being controlled by “The Ministry Of Truth!”
(Forget ever getting access to anything that exposes wrongdoing by government, or corporations!)
This reeks of publicity stunt.
Watch for the first print run of the “redacted” version to be 100,000!
Angel…that pdf is already out?
Whoops, too many beers. That pdf is probably out soon.
If it’s a national security leak, then they can just threaten the publisher with prosecution. Probably, they OK’d the book themselves, then found out they messed up later, and they are paying to keep the embarrassment from being made public.
I wish I could pull out the old National Security card, every time I screwed up and wanted no one to find out.
It means nothing. They also bought out the entire first run of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.