doug stanton: it is a great question. it is really what we are reading about now, and where our tax dollars are going. likeay things "unconventional war, or ." onventional troops ,"oving forwardness symmetrical lines and fighting an enemy -- "symmetrical forces ," are an untold part of our united states army. instead of being dropped behind enemy lines to foment resistance among disparate groups of people who might not have similar aims but have a common enemy, as we did in world war ii, just to overthrew the nazis, they were dropped into afghanistan, to try to get these warring tribes to stop fighting each other long enough to point in one direction, at the taliban. their mission was very clear and very big, and kind of unprecedented. for two reasons. special forces had never been deployed as a lead element in the united states history, ever. i mean, they always were an add-on, the thing that came in offr you read they operated to the margins, certainly out of the spotlight of the news. so everything you read in the book

. >> next, doug stanton who told his story. bookshat 2010 festival of , this is about one hour. >> good morning, everybody. we're here at our beautiful sunny tucson, arizona looking out on a great looking audience. of course, everybody joining us at home on c-span. groggy, having lost one hour of sleep except here in arizona, where we don't have daylight savings time. that is why i am looking all bright eyed and bushy tailied, so early today. let me start out by thinking everybody who put on this festival. it is day two of the amazing event here in the tucson premier book festival of the country. of course, the great part of what is going on here in arizona. let's give them a big round of applause. as i said yesterday, we ended one streak, but there is a new streak of good book festivals that has just started out. maybe just as important. we are very lucky to have doug stanton with us here today. before i start, would like to take a moment of personal privilege to a to do someone who is here in the audience who i had a chance t

earlier this week i spoke with doug stanton author of the number one best seller horse soldiers and hes movie that hits theaters tomorrow. >> martha: tell us what make these men and skill set so unique? >> if had you gone to after president bush's speak if you had gone to pentagon after afghanistan there was nothing. there was no way to move a lot of troops into that country. we needed answers quickly and this story is in some ways about getting that quick answer. and removing the taliban they were chosen for the first time in u.s. history to be a lead element because they can speak the language. they know the cultural sensitivities. the movie does this really well about creating the relationships, the alliances between the americans and afghans fighting a common enemy which was the taliban. that's what they do and they did it with their air force brothers and the cia and the army, night stalkers and so just think of world war ii. the underground in world war ii. that's who these guys were. they dropped behind enemy lines. they have have to link up with the locals and fight to overthro

>> stay there. >> next, doug stanton who told his story. hour. >> good morning, everybody. we're here at our beautiful sunny tucson, arizona looking out on a great looking audience. of course, everybody joining us at home on c-span. groggy, having lost one hour of sleep except here in arizona, where we don't have daylight savings time. that is why i am looking all bright eyed and bushy tailied, so early today.

. >> interestingly in the book when doug stanton wrote the book, the characters name was mitch becausentleman's maim name is mark in real life. i didn't know these soldiers on forces at all during the war in afghanistan it's a really interesting thing how they're working with the people on the ground who live there. it's a really fascinating story. >> when are you going to be able to talk bore how it. >> the 1 19th i'll review the movie. real lives on the 18th. >> i really enjoyed the film. >> i've been seeing a lot of publicity for it recently ramping it up. >> it's a great story. the film comes out the 18th. >> reminder as kevin 12 strong hits theaters next friday. maureen over to you. >> thank you, steve. even though it's cold outside we know you still want to be warm and look cute, right? we all know that nothing says warm like rocking that faux fur in the winter, right? well this morning celebrity stylist and friend to the show tam lee is here with how to rock fur head to toe. >> yeah. >> with some of her favorite faux fur items. good morning to you. >> good morning. good who does

the author of that book and executive producer of the film, doug stanton, joins us now to tell us moree. this story doesn't tell itself, but the story itself is so interesting that it lends itself to the new york times best-selling book in hollywood box office. how did you land on the idea of these 12 men? >> shortly after 9/11 they came out of afghanistan in a notice some fuzzy bearded guys in the background of the video when i started making phone calls and ended up traveling around the u.s. to military bases in going to afghanistan. i set out to write the definitive story of essential the 21st century's pearl harbor. train to what is it about the story that grips people so much? >> america had a very clear mention of payback after 9/11. a story that not so many people actually knew about an event that changed us. if you want to understand today how we got into afghanistan, see this movie. trenchard 12 guys that take 50 towns and cities without losing a man. it almost sounds like something out of hollywood that is made up not from real life. >> it's true. they run horses because that

clicks next, here from the author doug stanton with his conversation of the movie. it is from the 2010 tucson festival of books. this is about hour.