Unabridged Audiobook
This is a thought provoking book, but I don't love it. I was deployed to Iraq for 24 months in a 27 month period around this time. I lived in austere places, pooped in "wag bags", experienced a significant amount of combat, and clinched tightly as we drove down the deadliest streets in Baghdad. My Soldiers were appropriately disciplined, but never committed a war crime. I have seen good and bad leadership in the Army, but never committed or seen anyone commit a war crime. My concern with book is that it seems to blame several leaders for the acts of a few criminals. I acknowledge that poor leadership was a factor in this case study, but it doesn't define the Iraq war. I relate to the Soldiers of this platoon in a lot of ways. I have been on deadly streets in Baghdad, stuck outside the wire for days, shot at, mortared, and blown up. I never thought that was an excuse to behave like a criminal. My concern is that some people will find justification in these criminal's unthinkable acts. My bigger concern is that people think that this was Iraq in 05-06 for all Soldiers. By and large, American Soldiers did the right thing throughout this war. The Surge was a success! The vacuum created by our absence led to the creation of ISIS.
Very Important
Great book. Sad stories but author did a great job painting a clear picture on true events. A book for all leaders or anybody in an authoritative position to read.
The book is a well-written account of the singular most egregious crime of the Iraq conflict. It provides context to and the details concerning the murders of an Iraqi family and the rape of their eldest daughter by members of the 101st airborne.
good read
Very good book, good journalism. It really didn't shy away from the grotesque nature of war, racism on both side and just general ugliness of how horrific it was for everyone involved. When the war crime happened, I lived in Asia where American soldiers do not have a good rap in general, especially with women. So when this news broke out, the hate against the US soldiers were unbelievable. Our country had deployed soldiers for peace keeping purpose where they've been often attacked by the insurgents, so everyone paid attention. But this book sheds a light into the fact that not every US soldier commits such heinous act but a few and gets some of the facts together. Good soldiers fighting for freedom and everything good cannot and would not be painted with the same brush as those animals who committed the crime.
Good book, you can definitely see how bad and sometimes absent leadership was contributing factors to the descision of few to commit a criminal act. I think alot of blame definitely goes to the chain of command. Let’s be honest for four guys to all to agree to commit a war crime and two other guys to help conceal it, says a lot about the chain of command (the core values and leadership of that unit). They left a bad apple that ruined the batch. The whole command failed those soldiers and the punishments they recieved as criminals should have been more severe.
Great book
This book is very good. It helps the reader understand what these men went through during their time in a war zone
The book was great. It really gives a better understanding as to what these amazing men went through, and how they could do something like this. The narrator drove me crazy. It was really hard for me at first to get over his voice & the way he read the book, so I could truly listen to the story.
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