Steve Fainaru is a foreign correspondent for the Washington Post. In 2008 he was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for International Reporting. He lives in El Cerrito, California.

"[A] harrowing expose." Time Magazine "Steve Fainaru tells a story that is at the heart of the war in Iraq: the U.S. military's unprecedented reliance on mercenaries. It is a dark tale that until now has remained largely untold, and is related brilliantly here. To understand this war, you must read this book." The Washington Post"