The wild horse, popularly known as the mustang, is so ingrained in the American imagination that even those who have never seen one know what it stands for: freedom, independence, the bedrock ideals of the nation. But in modern times it has become entangled in controversy and bureaucratic mismanagement, and now its future is imperiled. In Wild Horse Country, Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times reporter David Philipps traces the rich history of wild horses in America and investigates the shocking dilemma they pose in our own time.

WINNER OF THE COLORADO BOOK AWARD - Nearly impossible to put down.--Jon Krakauer, New York Times bestselling author of Where Men Win Glory and Into the Wild

In this brilliantly written (The New York Times Book Review) and startling account, Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times correspondent David Philipps reveals a powerful moral crucible, one that would define the American military during the years of combat that became known as the forever war.

When the Navy SEALs of Alpha platoon returned from their 2017 deployment to Iraq, a group of them reported their chief, Eddie Gallagher, for war crimes, alleging that he'd stabbed a prisoner in cold blood and taken lethal sniper shots at unarmed civilians. The story of Alpha's war, both in Iraq and in the shocking trial that followed the men's accusations, would complicate the SEALs' post-9/11 hero narrative, turning brothers-in-arms against one another and bringing into stark relief the choice that elite soldiers face between loyalty to their unit and to their country.

One of the great stories written about American special forces, Alpha is by turns a battlefield drama, a courtroom thriller, and a compelling examination of how soldiers define themselves and live with the decisions in the heat of combat.

Pulitzer Prize finalist David Philipps brings to life the chilling story of how today's American heroes are slipping through the fingers of society--with multiple tours of duty and inadequate mental-health support creating a crisis of PTSD and a large-scale failure of veterans to reintegrate into society.

Following the frightening narrative of the 506th Infantry Regiment--who had rebranded themselves as the Lethal Warriors after decades as the Band of Brothers--he reveals how the painful realities of war have multiplied in recent years, with tragic outcomes for America's soldiers, compounded by an indifferent government and a shrinking societal safety net.