BLUF: A good book that doesn't quite live up to its title.
Early on it seemed to be a great book, LTG Bolger wasn't pulling any punches and I expected to see more as the book progressed. That didn't happen.
The bulk of the book comprises stories of "getting it right" with a pinch of war crimes like the Bales shooting. The "why we lost" portions were scattered throughout and almost buried. Moreover, his criticism of individuals was almost non-existent. He wrote around issues, if he wrote about them at all. With a few exceptions (Franks, Rumsfeld, Chiarelli, and McChrystal) he praised Army and Marine leadership for understanding the problems and solutions. SOF's contributions were developing F3EAD and killing people according to the book. PRT's were mentioned for about three paragraphs and the Agricultural Development Teams not at all. "Human Terrain" and the AWG weren't or I missed them.
Even when he spoke about the good, he missed the entire picture.
I waited for the "Ah Ha!" moment when he tied in the good to the bad and the results, but it never arrived. The bad was sprinkled between the good and the ugly. Overall, the book has great promise, but fell short of the title. The "why we lost" behind those two wars remains to be fully covered.
I rate it 3 out of 5 fobbits.
Early on it seemed to be a great book, LTG Bolger wasn't pulling any punches and I expected to see more as the book progressed. That didn't happen.
The bulk of the book comprises stories of "getting it right" with a pinch of war crimes like the Bales shooting. The "why we lost" portions were scattered throughout and almost buried. Moreover, his criticism of individuals was almost non-existent. He wrote around issues, if he wrote about them at all. With a few exceptions (Franks, Rumsfeld, Chiarelli, and McChrystal) he praised Army and Marine leadership for understanding the problems and solutions. SOF's contributions were developing F3EAD and killing people according to the book. PRT's were mentioned for about three paragraphs and the Agricultural Development Teams not at all. "Human Terrain" and the AWG weren't or I missed them.
Even when he spoke about the good, he missed the entire picture.
I waited for the "Ah Ha!" moment when he tied in the good to the bad and the results, but it never arrived. The bad was sprinkled between the good and the ugly. Overall, the book has great promise, but fell short of the title. The "why we lost" behind those two wars remains to be fully covered.
I rate it 3 out of 5 fobbits.
