{"product_id":"sheepdogs-isbn-9780593689776","title":"Sheepdogs:A Novel","description":"\u003cb\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“You know \u003ci\u003eSlow Horses\u003c\/i\u003e—now meet the Sheepdogs.” —\u003ci\u003eThe Sunday Times \u003c\/i\u003e(London)\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003eTwo Misfits. One Mission. Zero Back-Up. • When a high-stakes heist goes wrong, an ex-CIA operative and a special operations pilot find themselves in the middle of a game of espionage and survival as they navigate a treacherous web of deception and shifting loyalties in a globe-spanning, action-packed thriller from the \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author of\u003ci\u003e 2034.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\"Move \u003ci\u003eSheepdogs\u003c\/i\u003e to the top of your list!”\u003ci\u003e—\u003c\/i\u003eJack Carr, #1\u003ci\u003e New York Times \u003c\/i\u003ebestselling author\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e“A thriller and comedy in one, it’s a wild ride.”—Harlan Coben, #1 \u003ci\u003eNew York Times \u003c\/i\u003ebestselling author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSkwerl and Cheese are down on their luck. Skwerl, who is resourceful like a squirrel (Marines win battles, not spelling bees), used to work for Ground Branch, the CIA’s elite paramilitary wing. He was fired after a raid went bad in Afghanistan. Big Cheese Aziz, a legendary pilot—his country’s Maverick—is equally hard up. The fall of Kabul has left him grounded, working the nightshift at a gas station.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSkwerl recruits Cheese into an anonymous network of so-called sheepdogs, a band of Robin Hoods who operate in the shadowy space between the sheep and the wolves, protecting prey from predator and earning a buck along the way. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTheir mission: repossess a private jet stranded on a remote African airfield. Their fee: a commission on the jet’s $5 million value. But nothing about this job is adding up. Their contact has gone missing. Their handler is as mysterious as the real source of the money. And when the women in their lives get involved—one pregnant wife and one dominatrix—the stakes skyrocket. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eGlobe-trotting and page-turning, full of heart and humor, Sheepdogs is an adventure through the under-belly of modern war and intelligence | \u003cb\u003eA \u003ci\u003eNEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW\u003c\/i\u003e EDITORS' CHOICE\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Elliot Ackerman’s latest novel, a rollicking military-adjacent adventure, also shows just how corrupting a world full of crumbling democracies can be. . . . \u003ci\u003eSheepdogs\u003c\/i\u003e thrives in exposing the moral uncertainty of this new world order.” \u003cb\u003e—\u003ci\u003eThe Washington Post\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e“A black-ops comedy of errors. . . . Sheepdogs, like any good thriller, starts out simply. . . . A global game of cat, mouse and international intrigue ensues, recounted well by Ackerman.” \u003cb\u003e—\u003ci\u003eWall Street Journal\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“You know \u003ci\u003eSlow Horses\u003c\/i\u003e—now meet the Sheepdogs. . . . A glorious globetrotting caper. . . . \u003ci\u003eSheepdogs\u003c\/i\u003e is primarily a hilarious heist thriller, rich in double-crossings, farcical cockups and outlandish characters. But as with Joseph Heller and Thomas Pynchon, Elliot Ackerman (a veteran of conventional and special operations in Afghanistan and Iraq) combines black comedy with satire.” \u003cb\u003e—\u003ci\u003eThe Sunday Times \u003c\/i\u003e(London)\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"A plane heist goes outrageously awry in this brisk spy thriller. . . . Lively. . . . Though his tone is light, he regularly reminds the reader of the lifelong shadow war casts on the men who fight.” \u003cb\u003e—\u003ci\u003eThe New York Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“A madcap espionage caper; equal parts spy thriller and existential buddy comedy. . . . The novel swaggers through war zones, luxury jet repossessions and philosophical rabbit holes with Tarantino-esque flair. . . . Ackerman brings authenticity and gallows humor, with dialogue as sharp as a covert ops knife.” \u003cb\u003e—\u003ci\u003eSeattle Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Both funny and deadly earnest. Where lots of military thrillers lean on gruff brutality, this instead lends something like the castoff perspective of \u003ci\u003eSlow Horses\u003c\/i\u003e to the chaotic pessimism of David O Russell’s film, \u003ci\u003eThree Kings\u003c\/i\u003e.” \u003cb\u003e—\u003ci\u003eIrish Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Skwerl, Cheese, Dickhead Mike, the White Russian—these characters are totally addictive. I couldn’t put \u003ci\u003eSheepdogs\u003c\/i\u003e down. A thriller and comedy in one, it’s a wild ride.” \u003cb\u003e—Harlan Coben, #1 \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eThink Twice\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e“The brilliant \u003ci\u003eSheepdogs\u003c\/i\u003e by Elliot Ackerman shatters paradigms and moves the genre forward with two unique and quirky heroes named Skwerl and Cheese who will endear themselves to you from the first page to the last. Do yourself a favor and dive into the action with these post war-on-terror repo men as they take you on a thrill ride you will not soon forget. Move \u003ci\u003eSheepdogs\u003c\/i\u003e to the top of your list!” \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003e—\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cb\u003eJack Carr, #1 New York Times bestselling author of \u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eRed Sky Mourning\u003c\/i\u003e \u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cb\u003eand\u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003e \u003ci\u003eTargeted Beirut \u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“This razor-smart thriller is already tv-bound—and totally addictive. . . . You really don’t want to miss this one.”\u003cb\u003e —\u003ci\u003ei news\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“A riotous entertainment.”\u003cb\u003e —\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly \u003c\/i\u003e(starred)\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Fast-paced . . . offers frisson and humor in equal doses. Fans of Carl Hiaasen will enjoy.” \u003cb\u003e—\u003ci\u003eLibrary Journal\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“A fun read. . . . Ackerman is a skilled storyteller.”\u003cb\u003e —\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“If Carl Hiaasen wrote spy fiction, this would be it. . . . Fans of double (and triple) crosses will tear through this suspenseful novel. Full of memorable and funny characters, lots of action and bursts of humor, \u003ci\u003eSheepdogs \u003c\/i\u003eis the kind of read that has one hoping for a sequel.” \u003cb\u003e—\u003ci\u003eBookPage\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“An unorthodox and highly contemporary spy thriller, set in the shadowlands between legal and illegal military action. . . . A twisting black comedy with deadly serious undertones.” \u003cb\u003e—\u003ci\u003eThe Irish Mail on Sunday\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Raw and real and beautifully told, \u003ci\u003eSheepdogs\u003c\/i\u003e isn’t just a page-turner, it’s a mind-bender. Elliot Ackerman takes the reader into the CIA’s most secret space—the paramilitary ‘special activities’ of its Ground Branch. It’s a helluva read, a heist chase melded with a spy novel—think Ocean’s Eleven meets James Bond. And it builds toward one of the best surprise endings I’ve read in a long while. Read it before it gets classified!” —\u003cb\u003eDavid Ignatius, columnist at \u003ci\u003eThe Washington Post\u003c\/i\u003e and author of \u003ci\u003ePhantom Orbit\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\"\u003ci\u003eSheepdogs\u003c\/i\u003e is the best thriller I’ve read in a long, long time. With a perfect blend of action and humor, I was hooked from the first page and couldn’t put it down until I’d finished. Here’s hoping this isn’t the last we’ll hear of Skwerl, Cheese and the rest of Ackerman’s unforgettable band of misfits. It’s an absolute gem of a novel.\" \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e—\u003c\/i\u003eKevin Powers, author of \u003ci\u003eThe Yellow Birds\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Pacy, witty, full of great characters, unexpected twists and insider insights about what it’s like to serve in the special forces, this novel has everything. Bring on the TV!\" \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e—\u003c\/i\u003eAndrew Roberts, author of\u003ci\u003e Leadership in War\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“This fast-paced book, at once engrossing and insightful, sweeps the reader into military and post-military life, explains how baroque operations work and what can happen when they go awry. It’s a rollicking adventure story populated with compellingly real characters, a brilliantly constructed thriller that describes both physical escapades and psychological drama.” —\u003cb\u003eAndrew Solomon, author of \u003ci\u003eFar From the Tree\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e | ELLIOT ACKERMAN is the \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author of the novels \u003ci\u003e2054\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003e2034\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eHalcyon, Red Dress in Black and White\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eWaiting for Eden\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eDark at the Crossing\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eGreen on Blue\u003c\/i\u003e, as well as the memoirs \u003ci\u003eThe Fifth Act\u003c\/i\u003e: \u003ci\u003eAmerica’s End in Afghanistan\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003ePlaces and Names\u003c\/i\u003e: \u003ci\u003eOn War\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eRevolution\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eand Returning\u003c\/i\u003e. His books have been nominated for the National Book Award, the Andrew Carnegie Medal in both fiction and nonfiction, and the Dayton Literary Peace Prize, among others. He is a contributing writer at \u003ci\u003eThe Atlantic\u003ci\u003e, \u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/i\u003ea Senior Fellow at Yale’s Jackson School of Global Affairs, and a veteran of the Marine Corps and CIA special operations, having served five tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan, where he received the Silver Star, the Bronze Star for Valor, and the Purple Heart. He divides his time between New York City and Washington, D.C.","brand":"Vintage","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48759509156069,"sku":"NP9780593689776","price":18.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780593689776.jpg?v=1775598823","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/products\/sheepdogs-isbn-9780593689776","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}