Elliot Ackerman (born April 12, 1980) is an American author and former Marine Corps special operations team leader. He is the ''New York Times''–bestselling author of the novels '' 2034: A Novel of the Next World War'', '' Red Dress In Black and White'', '' Waiting for Eden'', '' Dark at the Crossing'', and '' Green on Blue'', and the upcoming ''Halcyon: A Novel,'' as well as the memoirs '' The Fifth Act: America's End in Afghanistan and

Places Place may refer to: Geography * Place (United States Census Bureau), defined as any concentration of population ** Census-designated place, a populated area lacking its own municipal government * "Place", a type of street or road name ** Oft ...

'' and ''Names: On War, Revolution, and Returning''. His books have received significant critical acclaim, including nominations for the

National Book Award The National Book Awards (NBA) are a set of annual U.S. literary awards. At the final National Book Awards Ceremony every November, the National Book Foundation presents the National Book Awards and two lifetime achievement awards to authors. ...

, the Andrew Carnegie Medals in both fiction and non-fiction, and the

Dayton Literary Peace Prize The Dayton Literary Peace Prize is an annual United States literary award "recognizing the power of the written word to promote peace" that was first awarded in 2006. Awards are given for adult fiction and non-fiction books published at some point ...

. He served as a

White House fellow The White House Fellows program is a non-partisan fellowship established via Executive Order 11183 by President Lyndon B. Johnson in October 1964. The fellowship is one of the United States' most prestigious programs for leadership and public se ...

in the Obama administration and is a Marine veteran who served in Iraq and Afghanistan. He is a contributing writer to ''

The Atlantic ''The Atlantic'' is an American magazine and multi-platform publisher based in Washington, D.C. It features articles on politics, foreign affairs, business and the economy, culture and the arts, technology, and science. It was founded in 185 ...

'' and ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

''. He was awarded the

Silver Star The Silver Star Medal (SSM) is the United States Armed Forces' third-highest military decoration for valor in combat. The Silver Star Medal is awarded primarily to members of the United States Armed Forces for gallantry in action against a ...

, the

Bronze Star The Bronze Star Medal (BSM) is a United States Armed Forces decoration awarded to members of the United States Armed Forces for either heroic achievement, heroic service, meritorious achievement, or meritorious service in a combat zone. Wh ...

with Valor, and a

Purple Heart The Purple Heart (PH) is a United States military decoration awarded in the name of the president to those wounded or killed while serving, on or after 5 April 1917, with the U.S. military. With its forerunner, the Badge of Military Merit, ...

during his five deployments to Afghanistan and Iraq.

Early life and education

He is the son of businessman Peter Ackerman and author Joanne Leedom-Ackerman and the brother of mathematician and wrestler

Nate Ackerman Nathanael Leedom Ackerman (born March 4, 1978), known as Nate Ackerman, is a British-American mathematician and wrestler. He is the son of Peter Ackerman and Joanne Leedom-Ackerman. Ackerman competed in the 2004 Summer Olympic Games as part ...

. At the age of nine, Ackerman and his family moved to London. The family moved back to the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

specifically

Washington, DC Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and Federal district of the United States, federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from ...

, when he was fifteen. Ackerman studied literature and history at

Tufts University Tufts University is a private research university in Medford and Somerville, Massachusetts, United States, with additional facilities in Boston and Grafton, as well as Talloires, France. Tufts also has several Doctor of Physical Therapy p ...

, where he also joined Naval ROTC (Marine Corps option). He graduated

summa cum laude Latin honors are a system of Latin phrases used in some colleges and universities to indicate the level of distinction with which an academic degree has been earned. The system is primarily used in the United States. It is also used in some Sout ...

and

Phi Beta Kappa The Phi Beta Kappa Society () is the oldest academic honor society in the United States. It was founded in 1776 at the College of William & Mary in Virginia. Phi Beta Kappa aims to promote and advocate excellence in the liberal arts and sciences, ...

in 2003. He holds a master's degree in international affairs from

the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy is the graduate school of international affairs of Tufts University, in Medford, Massachusetts. Fletcher is one of America's oldest graduate schools of international relations. As of 2017, the student b ...

. He also completed many of the United States military's most challenging special operations training courses.

Career

Military

Beginning in 2003, Ackerman served eight years in the

U.S. Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines or simply the Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is responsible for conducting expeditionary ...

. He worked as both an infantry and special operations officer, initially assigned as a platoon commander in 1st Battalion, 8th Marines. He served multiple tours of duty in the Middle East and Southwest Asia. As a Marine Corps special operations team leader, Ackerman was the primary combat advisor to a 700-man Afghan commando battalion responsible for capture operations against senior Taliban leadership. He also led a 75-man platoon that aided in relief operations in post-Katrina

New Orleans New Orleans (commonly known as NOLA or The Big Easy among other nicknames) is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a population of 383,997 at the 2020 ...

. He was briefly attached to the Ground Branch of the Central Intelligence Agency's

Special Activities Division The Special Activities Center (SAC) is the center of the United States Central Intelligence Agency responsible for covert operations. The unit was named Special Activities Division (SAD) prior to a 2015 reorganization. Within SAC there are at le ...

Second Battle of Fallujah

In 2004, Ackerman led a Marine rifle platoon of 45 men during the

Second Battle of Fallujah The Second Battle of Fallujah, initially codenamed Operation Phantom Fury, Operation al-Fajr (, ) was an American-led offensive of the Iraq War that began on 7 November 2004 and lasted about six weeks. A joint military effort of the United ...

. During one night of the month-long battle, the platoon established a fighting position in a store. When the sun rose the next day, they were surrounded by insurgents. While wounded himself, Ackerman exposed himself to enemy fire to pull wounded Marines to safety and coordinated four separate medical evacuations. To save the platoon, he ordered his men to use explosives to destroy the store's back wall. Twenty-five men were wounded, but everyone escaped alive. Ackerman was awarded the Silver Star for his “heroics in the battle” and a Purple Heart for his wounds.

Afghanistan

USA Today ''USA Today'' (often stylized in all caps) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth in 1980 and launched on September 14, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headq ...

reported that Ackerman was the assault force commander of a group of US Marines that carried out a raid that led to the death of an estimated 33 to 92 civilians in Azizabad, Afghanistan, in August 2008. According to

's investigation, the marines had been set up by an informant who provided them with false intelligence. The Pentagon maintained that such reports were "Taliban propaganda."Craig Whitlock, The Afghanistan Papers (Simon & Schuster 2021) at 178.

later sued the Defense Department to obtain its internal records. Ackerman received the Bronze Star for Valor for leading his Marine special operations team through an ambush in Herat Province, Afghanistan, in which one Special Forces soldier was killed. He left the Marine Corps in 2009 as a

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

after being assigned to the CIA. In 2021, Ackerman was one of the people who worked with other veterans, journalists, and activists to help evacuate as many Afghan allies as possible in 2021, during the U.S. withdrawal.

Political

Ackerman served as chief operating officer of

Americans Elect Americans Elect was a political organization in the United States known primarily for its efforts to stage a national online primary for the 2012 United States presidential election. Although it was successful in obtaining signatures to get on th ...

, a political organization known primarily for its efforts to stage a national online primary for the

2012 US presidential election Presidential elections were held in the United States on November 6, 2012. Incumbent Democratic President Barack Obama and his running mate, incumbent Vice President Joe Biden, were elected to a second term. They defeated the Republican tick ...

. As one of its officers, Ackerman was interviewed extensively, notably on NPR's ''

Talk of the Nation ''Talk of the Nation'' (''TOTN'') is an American talk radio program based in Washington D.C., produced by National Public Radio ( NPR) that was broadcast nationally from 2 to 4 p.m. Eastern Time. It focused on current events and controversial ...

''. Ackerman has served on the board of the Afghan Scholars Initiative and as an advisor to the No Greater Sacrifice scholarship fund. He is a lifetime member of the

Council on Foreign Relations The Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) is an American think tank focused on Foreign policy of the United States, U.S. foreign policy and international relations. Founded in 1921, it is an independent and nonpartisan 501(c)(3) nonprofit organi ...

. In 2012 to 2013, Ackerman served as a

in the Obama administration.

Author

Ackerman has written and published five novels ('' Green on Blue'', '' Dark at the Crossing'', '' Waiting for Eden'', '' Red Dress in Black & White,'' and '' 2034: A Novel of the Next World War''), the upcoming ''Halcyon: A Novel,'' and two memoirs ('' Places and Names: On War, Revolution, and Returning and The Fifth Act: America's End in Afghanistan''). His fiction and essays have also appeared in ''

The New Yorker ''The New Yorker'' is an American magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. It was founded on February 21, 1925, by Harold Ross and his wife Jane Grant, a reporter for ''The New York T ...

'', ''

The New Republic ''The New Republic'' (often abbreviated as ''TNR'') is an American magazine focused on domestic politics, news, culture, and the arts from a left-wing perspective. It publishes ten print magazines a year and a daily online platform. ''The New Y ...

'', ''

The New York Times Magazine ''The New York Times Magazine'' is an American Sunday magazine included with the Sunday edition of ''The New York Times''. It features articles longer than those typically in the newspaper and has attracted many notable contributors. The magazi ...

'', ''

Esquire Esquire (, ; abbreviated Esq.) is usually a courtesy title. In the United Kingdom, ''esquire'' historically was a title of respect accorded to men of higher social rank, particularly members of the landed gentry above the rank of gentleman ...

'', ''

Time Time is the continuous progression of existence that occurs in an apparently irreversible process, irreversible succession from the past, through the present, and into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequ ...

'', ''

Harper's Magazine ''Harper's Magazine'' is a monthly magazine of literature, politics, culture, finance, and the arts. Launched in New York City in June 1850, it is the oldest continuously published monthly magazine in the United States. ''Harper's Magazine'' has ...

'', ''Ecotone'' and others (see Selected Bibliography). He was a writer for ''

'', and is also a contributor to ''

The Daily Beast ''The Daily Beast'' is an American news website focused on politics, media, and pop culture. Founded in 2008, the website is owned by IAC Inc. It has been characterized as a "high-end tabloid" by Noah Shachtman, the site's editor-in-chief ...

''.

''Green on Blue''

Ackerman's first novel, ''Green on Blue'', was published February 17, 2015 by Scribner. Tom Bissell of the ''

New York Times Book Review ''The New York Times Book Review'' (''NYTBR'') is a weekly paper-magazine supplement to the Sunday edition of ''The New York Times'' in which current non-fiction and fiction books are reviewed. It is one of the most influential and widely rea ...

'' said,

Like all novels written in skilled, unadorned prose about men and women of action, this novel will probably be compared to Hemingway's work. In this case, however, the comparison seems unusually apt ... Elliot Ackerman has done something brave as a writer and even braver as a soldier: He has touched, for real, the culture and soul of his enemy.

The ''

Los Angeles Review of Books The ''Los Angeles Review of Books'' (''LARB'' is a literary review magazine covering the national and international book scenes. A preview version launched on Tumblr in April 2011, and the official website followed one year later in April 201 ...

'' describes the novel as a "radical departure from veterans writing thus far" due to his choice of a first-person narrator, the lowly Aziz, a poor soldier in a local militia. The '' Stars and Stripes'' review described ''Green on Blue'' and Phil Klay's ''

Redeployment Military deployment is the movement of armed forces and their logistical support infrastructure around the world. United States There are numerous groups within the military, these groups include (1) Army, (2) Navy, (3) Air Force, (4) Marine ...

'' as carrying "the sting of authenticity and the sensory expression of experiences lived". ''Green on Blue'' was a ''New York Times Book Review'' Editors' Choice.

''Dark at the Crossing''

Ackerman's second novel '' Dark at the Crossing'', published January 24, 2017, by

Alfred A. Knopf Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. () is an American publishing house that was founded by Blanche Knopf and Alfred A. Knopf Sr. in 1915. Blanche and Alfred traveled abroad regularly and were known for publishing European, Asian, and Latin American writers ...

, was a finalist for the

in 2017. In a starred review ''

Library Journal ''Library Journal'' is an American trade publication for librarians. It was founded in 1876 by Melvil Dewey. It reports news about the library world, emphasizing public libraries, and offers feature articles about aspects of professional prac ...

'' wrote, "Here is a thriller, psychological fiction, political intrigue, and even a love story all wrapped into a stunningly realistic and sometimes horrifying package. Put Ackerman on the A-list." In the ''

'' the novelist

Lawrence Osborne Lawrence Osborne (born 1958) is a British novelist and journalist who is currently residing in Bangkok. Osborne was educated at Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge, and at Harvard University, and has since led a nomadic life, residing for years i ...

wrote, "One could argue that the most vital literary terrain in America's overseas wars is now occupied not by journalists but by novelists ... Elliot Ackerman is certainly one of those novelists ... He has created people who are not the equivalents of the locally exotic subjects in your average NPR story, and he has used them to populate a fascinating and topical novel." ''Dark at the Crossing'' was noted as one of the best books of the year by the ''Washington Post'',

NPR National Public Radio (NPR) is an American public broadcasting organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It serves as a national Radio syndication, syndicator to a network of more ...

, ''Christian Science Monitor'', Military Times'', ''Vogue'', and ''Bloomberg'' and was a ''New York Times Book Review'' Editors' Choice. Ackerman was a featured author at the Miami Book Fair in 2017.

''Waiting for Eden''

Ackerman's third novel '' Waiting for Eden'' was published September 25, 2018, by

. The book was nominated for the

Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction __NOTOC__ The Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence in Fiction and Nonfiction were established in 2012 to recognize the best fiction and nonfiction books for adult readers published in the U.S. in the previous year. They are named in honor of ni ...

, and it won the

Marine Corps Heritage Foundation The National Museum of the Marine Corps is the historical museum of the United States Marine Corps. Located in Triangle, Virginia near Marine Corps Base Quantico, the museum opened on November 10, 2006, and is now one of the top tourist attracti ...

's James Webb Award. Author

Anthony Swofford Anthony Swofford (born August 12, 1970) is an American writer and U.S. Marine veteran, best known for his 2003 book '' Jarhead'', based heavily on his accounts of various situations encountered in the Persian Gulf War. This memoir was the basis o ...

wrote in ''

The New York Times Book Review ''The New York Times Book Review'' (''NYTBR'') is a weekly paper-magazine supplement to the Sunday edition of ''The New York Times'' in which current non-fiction and fiction books are reviewed. It is one of the most influential and widely rea ...

'', "Masterly ... Brilliant ... In his short novel, Ackerman accomplishes what a mountain of maximalist books have rarely delivered over tens of thousands of pages and a few decades: He makes pure character-based literary art, dedicated only to deeply human storytelling ... Cusk's ''Outline'' trilogy and Jenny Offill's '' Dept. of Speculation'' have created similarly shimmering portraits of humans at rest and fury ... Ackerman explore conflicted, confused true love in such elegant and humane ways that you will come to question everything you think you know about the meanings of romance and fidelity ... The micro-level power of his unadorned and direct prose lies in no less than an attempt to contain and dramatize the darkness and light of our souls ... To identify this book as a novel seems inadequate: ''Waiting for Eden'' is a sculpture chiseled from the rarest slab of life experience." The novel was one of the best books of the year on

Amazon Amazon most often refers to: * Amazon River, in South America * Amazon rainforest, a rainforest covering most of the Amazon basin * Amazon (company), an American multinational technology company * Amazons, a tribe of female warriors in Greek myth ...

, and the ''Washington Post'' and was a ''New York Times Book Review'' Editors' Choice.

''Places and Names: On War, Revolution, and Returning''

Ackerman's fourth book '' Places and Names: On War, Revolution, and Returning'' was published June 11, 2019, by Penguin Press. The memoir was nominated for the 2020 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Non-fiction. ''Time'' magazine named it a must-read book of 2019 and said, "In ''Places and Names'', perhaps the most striking war memoir of the year, Ackerman attempts to make sense of the reasons he served (personal and geopolitical), the people he met, the kinship he felt and the reckonings he has since confronted. ''Places and Names'' is as clean and spare in its prose as it is sharp and unsparing in timely observation." It was also a ''

'' Editors' Choice.

''Red Dress in Black & White''

Ackerman's fifth book '' Red Dress in Black & White'' was published May 26, 2020, by

. The novel was nominated for the 2021

and was also a ''

'' Editors' Choice. Author

Joan Silber Joan Silber (born 1945) is an American novelist and short story writer. She won the 2017 National Book Critics Circle Award in Fiction and the 2018 PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction for her novel ''Improvement''. Biography Joan Silber was born in 1 ...

wrote in ''

'', "Having worked so impressively at overturning the conventions of war fiction, Ackerman has now written a novel without a single soldier in it ... He's decided on a different sort of drama, a territory of intrigue and tricks, entirely absorbing, with other sources of suspense ... Ackerman's rich knowledge of Turkey is evident on every page."

''2034: A Novel of the Next World War''

'' 2034: A Novel of the Next World War'' is jointly authored by Admiral James G. Stavridis, USN (Ret.), and was released on March 9, 2021, by

Penguin Press Penguin Group is a British trade book publisher and part of Penguin Random House, which is owned by the German media conglomerate Bertelsmann. The new company was created by a merger that was finalised on 1 July 2013, with Bertelsmann initiall ...

''The Fifth Act: America's End in Afghanistan''

In '' The Fifth Act: America's End in Afghanistan,'' Ackerman recounts his life as an infantry officer on combat missions, his decision to leave the military, and the efforts to get Afghans out of the country in 2021 when the U.S. pulled out. The Fifth Act was published by Penguin Press in August 2022.

''Articles, Essays, and Short Stories''

For a period of time, Ackerman lived in Istanbul and worked as a reporter covering the Syrian Civil War. His article "Why Bringing Back the Draft Could Stop America's Forever Wars" was featured on the cover of the October 21, 2019, issue of ''Time'' magazine.

Awards and honors

Military awards

* 2004

(Iraq) * 2004

(Iraq) * 2008

for Valor (Afghanistan)

Writing awards

* 2015

, finalist (''Green on Blue'') * 2015

Best Book of the Year (''Green on Blue'') * 2015 ''

'' Editors' Choice (''Green on Blue'') * 2017

, finalist (''Dark at the Crossing'') * 2017 Amazon Best Book of the Year (''Dark at the Crossing'') * 2017 ''New York Times Book Review'' Editors' Choice (''Dark at the Crossing'') * 2018

, longlist (''Waiting for Eden'') * 2018 Indie Next Best Book of the Year Award, finalist (''Waiting for Eden'') * 2018

Publishers Weekly ''Publishers Weekly'' (''PW'') is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers, and literary agents. Published continuously since 1872, it has carried the tagline, "The International News Magazine of ...

Books of the Year (''Waiting for Eden'') * 2018 Amazon Best Book of the Year (''Waiting for Eden'') * 2018 ''

Washington Post ''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...

'' Notable Book (''Waiting for Eden'') * 2018 ''New York Times Book Review'' Editors' Choice (''Waiting for Eden'') * 2019

James Webb Award (''Waiting for Eden'') * 2019 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Non-Fiction, longlist (''Places and Names: On War, Revolution, and Returning'') * 2019 ''New York Times Book Review'' Editors' Choice (''Places and Names: On War, Revolution, and Returning'') * 2019 ''Time'' magazine Best Books of the Year (''Places and Names: On War, Revolution, and Returning'') *2020 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Non-Fiction, longlist (''Red Dress in Black & White'') * 2020 ''New York Times Book Review'' Editors' Choice (''Red Dress in Black & White'')

Select bibliography

Magazines

* "Why Bringing Back the Draft Could Stop America's Forever Wars". ''Time'' October 21, 2019 * "Goodbye, My Brother". ''Esquire'' March 23, 2017 * "A West Point Literature Professor's Inspiring Plea for Creativity in Our Military". ''The New Republic'' October 27, 2014 * "Hometown Heroes". ''War, Literature and the Arts'' October 3, 2014 * "Pictures from My War". ''The New Yorker'' September 21, 2014 * "Watching ISIS Come to Power Again". ''The Daily Beast'' September 7, 2014 * "Charlie Balls". ''Ecotone'', Volume 9, Number 1, Fall 2013, pp. 81–90 * "Airstrikes and the U.S. Strategy to Combat ISIS ". ''The Daily Beast'' August 8, 2014 * "The Islamic State's Strategy Was Years In the Making". ''The New Republic'' August 8, 2014 * "Waiting Out the Afghan War". ''The New Yorker'' August 6, 2014 * "Syria's War Poets". ''The Atlantic'' July 28, 2014 * "Four Hundred Grand". ''The Daily Beast'' July 6, 2014 * "A Black Flag and a Rainbow Flag". ''The New Yorker'' July 2, 2014 * "Watching ISIS Flourish Where We Once Fought". ''The New Yorker'' June 17, 2014 * "The Wounds Caused By Friendly Fire". ''The New Yorker'' June 12, 2014 * "The Bored Horsemen of the Apocalypse". ''The Daily Beast'' June 9, 2014 * "I Was a Marine in Afghanistan: Bowe Bergdahl Haunted Us All". ''The New Republic'' June 4, 2014 * "Extraordinary Bravery on the Streets of Fallujah". ''The New Republic'' May 25, 2014 * "The US Marine Who Disappeared in Syria". ''The Daily Beast'' May 3, 2014 * "A Man to Believe In". ''The Daily Beast'' March 5, 2014 * "Joyce Carol Oates Goes to War". ''The Daily Beast'' January 30, 2014 * "I Fought at Fallujah. Here's What I Think About When People Ask If It Was Worth It". ''The New Republic'' January 13, 2014 * "The Case for Female SEALs". ''The Atlantic'' December 24, 2013 * "Greg Baxter's 'The Apartment'". ''The Daily Beast'' December 12, 2013

Books

*'' Green on Blue: A Novel''. Scribner, 2015. *'' Dark at the Crossing''. Knopf, 2017. *'' Waiting for Eden''. Knopf, 2018. *'' Places and Names: On War, Revolution, and Returning''. Penguin Press, 2019. * '' Red Dress in Black & White''. Knopf, 2020. * '' 2034: A Novel of the Next World War,'' with Admiral James G. Stavridis, USN (Ret.). Penguin Press, 2021. * '' The Fifth Act: America's End in Afghanistan. Penguin Press, 2022. ''

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Ackerman, Elliot 1980 births Living people 21st-century American male writers 21st-century American non-fiction writers 21st-century American short story writers American chief operating officers American expatriates in England American male non-fiction writers American male novelists American male short story writers Recipients of the Silver Star American military writers The Fletcher School at Tufts University alumni United States Marine Corps officers United States Marine Corps personnel of the Iraq War United States Marine Corps personnel of the War in Afghanistan (2001–2021) War writers White House Fellows