The Secret Gate

'In Mitchell Zuckoff's capable hands, here is an unforgettable account of a daring attempt to temper the brutality of war. It's all here: the impossible moral choices; the desperation and the ingenuity; the courage to step in and help when it's most needed; the anguish of those who must uproot themselves and take the struggle for freedom to another shore. The Secret Gate is inspiring on every level.'

-- Robert Kolker, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Hidden Valley Road

'Mitchell Zuckoff has located a genuinely thrilling tale, told with style, grace, and empathy. The Secret Gate will get your blood pumping.'

-- Hampton Sides, New York Times bestselling author of Ghost Soldiers and On Desperate Ground

'An American diplomat intervenes to help a women's rights activist and her son flee Kabul before it falls to the Taliban in this taut account from journalist Zuckoff ... Drawing on extensive interviews with Aronson and Qaderi, Zuckoff reveals the human side of geopolitics. Readers won't be able to put this down.'

* Publishers Weekly *

'A suspenseful chronicle of a dramatic rescue at the end of America's evacuation of Afghanistan in 2021 ... An uplifting account of genuine heroics in the latest American military debacle.'

* Kirkus Reviews *

'Reads like a thriller ... Zuckoff does a remarkable job not only of describing the chaos and confusion at Kabul airport, but also of framing the fraught choices faced by Afghans and Americans alike. The Secret Gate describes, in compelling detail, the excruciating decisions faced by members of the diplomatic corps and military as they decided who to evacuate and who to leave behind; however, the book doesn't fall into the trap of allowing the American narrative to subsume the Afghan one. [It] is a fast-paced escape narrative, but it is also a morally complex interrogation of Homeira's wrenching choice.'

* The Washington Post *

Praise for Fall and Rise: the story of 9/11:

'With his rigorous research and moral clarity, Mitchell Zuckoff has provided us with an invaluable service. He has deepened our understanding of what happened on 9/11 and recorded the voices of the victims and the survivors. What's more, he has ensured that we never forget.'

-- David Grann, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Killers of the Flower Moon

Praise for Fall and Rise: the story of 9/11:

'The 9/11 book we've been waiting for. A terrific storyteller and gifted researcher, Mitchell Zuckoff has rendered that world-changing day on a scale both intimate and monumental. This is narrative history at its very best.'

-- Cokie Roberts, New York Times bestselling author and Emmy Award-winning journalist

Praise for Fall and Rise: the story of 9/11:

'Inspiring, depressing, heartbreaking, and simply astonishing ... Zuckoff delivers a master-class in long-form historical journalism.'

* The Sydney Morning Herald *

Praise for 13 Hours: the inside account of what really happened in Benghazi:

'A crisply written, gripping narrative of the events of the battle in Benghazi that adds considerable detail to the public record of what happened there ... [an] authoritative account.'

* The Wall Street Journal *

Praise for 13 Hours: the inside account of what really happened in Benghazi:

'A great number of journalists and government instrumentalities have tilted at Benghazi ... All of those efforts look fragmentary when placed side-by-side with 13 Hours.'

* The Washington Post *