Over the many years of war in Iraq and Afghanistan, the United States sustained tens of thousands of casualties, expended trillions of dollars, and inflicted massive suffering on the very populations that it sought to liberate. In Washington and across the nation at large, the inclination to just forget the failures and move on is palpable. But there is much to be learned from these wars-and those who served and fought in them are best positioned to teach it.

Paths of Dissent collects fifteen original essays from American veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan-hailing from a wide range of services, ranks, and walks of life-who have come out in opposition to these conflicts. Selected for their candor and eloquence by fellow veterans Andrew Bacevich and Daniel Sjursen, they vividly describe both their motivations for serving and the disillusionment that made them speak out against the system. Their testimony is crucial for understanding just how the world’s self-proclaimed greatest military power went so badly astray.