Sheepdogs by Elliot Ackerman
Fun spies this time.
Not a Book Report
I enjoy reflecting on the movies, TV, books and other media that I consume. I’m notoriously sentimental. This series documents the books that I read. These aren’t reviews or recommendations. Just a list. For me. Mostly so that I can page through what I read, where I was, and when.
Why did I read it?
I read one of Ackerman’s previous books, 2034, and enjoyed it. I heard him on The Daily Stoic podcast and the host mentioned his new book so I decided to pick it up after needing a break from SciFi.
What is it?
| Category | Value |
|---|---|
| Title | Sheepdogs |
| Author | Elliot Ackerman |
| Year Published | 2025 |
| Format | Kindle |
| Pages | 305 |
| ISBN | 978-0593803868 |
Publisher Summary
Skwerl and Cheese are down on their luck and about to find themselves tangled in the heist of their lives. Skwerl, once an elite member of the CIA’s paramilitary unit, was cast out after a raid gone wrong in Afghanistan. Big Cheese Aziz, a former Afghan pilot of legendary skill, now works the graveyard shift at a gas station.
Recruited into a shadowy network of “sheepdogs,” they embark on a mission to repossess a multi-million-dollar private jet stranded on a remote African airfield. But as they wind through a labyrinth of lies and hidden agendas, they discover that nothing is as it seems. Their contact vanishes, their handler’s motives are suspect, and the true source of their payday remains a mystery.
With the stakes skyrocketing and the women in their lives drawn into the fray, this unlikely spy duo find themselves deep in the underbelly of modern war and intelligence.
From the jungles of Kampala to the glitz of Marseille, they’ll need to be as cunning as they are bold to survive in a game where the line between the hunters and the hunted is razor-thin.
How did I read it?
| Category | Value |
|---|---|
| Date Started | August 23, 2025 |
| Date Finished | September 9, 2025 |
| Places Read | Lisbon, Amsterdam |
Notes - No Spoilers
- Most fiction has some autobiographical grain of truth and this one sure does. Ackerman was part of a botched raid in Afghanistan similar to what he describes. I’d imagine writing about it in this way helps, especially exploring the revenge angle from a local. Odd to square with how humorous this book is but I think it works.
- Loved Ephraim. Loved JS. I’d read a novella just about their exploits hanging out in Colorado.