The Knife, Ritchell - B +

                                               "They were the knife of the military, expressly used to hunt down and eliminate terrorist networks throughout the world."  This is a fabulous novel about a squad of men fighting in Afghanistan.  The narrator never mentions what branch of the military they are, but since the author was an Army Ranger, one assumes that that's who they are.  The five men are very, very, close as one would expect when living and fighting together on multiple deployments. One of the surprising facts is the frequency of their assignments. They are sent off on helicoptered lifts day in and day out in their pursuit of terrorists. Personal comfort, readiness or rest don't seem to be taken into consideration.  It's a short, fatalistic read and one worth looking into.