Currently reading Prodigal Soldiers by James Kitfield.
Fantastic book.
Currently reading Prodigal Soldiers by James Kitfield.
Fantastic book.
He's very good. His War and Destiny is nicely done as well. Do you know him? He's very approachable.Originally Posted by jlechelt
Last edited by SteveMetz; 07-03-2007 at 09:54 PM. Reason: the devil made me do it
[I]The Utility of Force[I] by Rupert Smith
Occupation of Iraq on standby
Thanks for the response Steve. No I don't know him, but I will certainly try to make contact with him at some point. The book is absolutely fascinating. I bought his War and Destiny: looks good as well, but I'm kind of curious as to why it might not have gotten wider play. Is it because he writes to a more specialized audience? Not, perhaps, the same crowd as the masses who buy Fiasco, Cobra II, and the Woodward trilogy? Those are all fine books, but not nearly as expansive as Prodigal Soldiers. Any thoughts on that?
On War and Destiny, Jim Kitfield is not as well known as Mike Gordon and Tom Ricks, and the book probably had less popular appeal because it was not just on Iraq, but put the Bush national security policy in a wider perspective. The only problem is that it's like two books--one on the Bush strategy and the other just sort of a war story of his time in Iraq as an embed. So you shift from a grand strategy perspective to the view from inside a Bradley. He really should have written two books. If you want to contact him, I think I have his email address at the office and can get it to you next week. I don't know if his choice of publishers had any effect. Potomac did War and Destiny. They were considering my Iraq and the Evolution of American Strategy manuscript but I haven't heard from them, so I'm assuming they're not interested. I'm not pushing it hard at this point since it's unfinished.
On the other three, Ricks is awfully astute but I think his hatred for Rumsfeld was so burning hot that it tainted the book. He vacillated between serious analysis and attack. I'm quoted a couple of times in Fiasco although not by name. In fact, he lauds a briefing I prepared. I met Mike Gordon standing outside BIAP in the early May 2003. Cobra II is on the mark but, of course, it really ends before the insurgency took off. There also have been a few revelations about how the policy was made since it came out. Woodward I don't know what to think of. I've read all three but just can't decide whether to trust them. He relies so much on whoever will talk to him, so it is very much an Armitage perspective.
Last edited by SteveMetz; 07-04-2007 at 10:03 AM.
Thanks Steve. I can't speak for Potomac, but your manuscript title points towards what I'm sure is a fascinating read. There really isn't enough stuff on the grander strategy perspectives. Perhaps in a year and a half it will be less "current events" and become "recent history."
I loved the Ricks book because it was the best up-to-date perspective that considered most of the major issues. He also gave voice, I think, to a lot of people who didn't have one before. However, I have heard that some of his quotes were taken out of context, or some other tidbits didn't match up with reality.
Woodward: I hear you on that one. Fun to read though. Besides, all of Washington knows how he operates. Talk to him, get good coverage. So shame on those who opt out. The President tried to take advantage of that for the first two, but decided not to for the third.
Any other decent Iraq books coming out, or does anyone know of any names out there who have projects in the pipelines?
Two books I'm looking forward to reading: Charlie Wilson's War and Locher's War on the Potomac (might be off on the title there). I have heard that both offer great perspectives on how Congress can influence war policy. A lost art I fear.
I need to read Charlie Wilson's War since my friend Mike Vickers (Janine's boss) plays a major role. Mike tells me the movie version with Tom Hanks will be out around the end of the year.
I'm still in the middle of Ajami's The Foreigner's Gift and am swept away. Not only is he one of the best pure writers alive today, but he has amazing insights into both the Iraqi and the American psyches. I highly recommend it. I also found Chandrasekaran's Imperial Life in the Emerald City useful.
On a more pressing note, being a South Carolinian who also lived in the Kansas City area, I have a packer cut beef brisket and two pork shoulders which have been on a hickory fire since 3 AM. Dinner is at 6 this evening. Expecting about 25 people.
I have to agree with steve on Fiasco. Ricks' lets some of his biases color what could have been a much better book. He has made some comparisons that are just not valid.
Loved Charlie Wilson's War, it's a fantastic story at the very least. The personalities in play are amazing.
I have to say, though, I'm really skeptical of Ajami based solely on one thing, this disgusting comparison between a convicted perjurer and our war dead:
http://www.opinionjournal.com/editor...l?id=110010185
Maybe it's small-minded of me, but after seeing his name on this, I've found it awfully hard to take his analysis seriously.
From the Shadows to the Silver Screen, By RICHARD LARDNER. Associated Press, December 15, 2007
Related story:
Hollywood and the CIA: The Spook Stays In The Picture: Charlie Wilson's War is only the latest in a string of movies brought to you by CIA insider Milt Bearden, Laura Rozen. Mother Jones, December 13 , 2007.
Got a laugh at this, Gust Avrakotos comes off as a real hard guy in CWW, Ghost Wars and Milt Bearden's book, If I recall his nickname was "Dr. Dirty". Truman Capote!Besides Hanks, the film features Roberts as a right-wing Texas heiress and, in a bit of creative casting, Philip Seymour Hoffman as the late Gust Avrakotos, an operative remembered by colleagues as a "macho Greek" überhawk. "Avrakotos, rest his soul, would turn in his grave if he imagined that the guy who played Truman Capote was playing him," says Bearden.
Currently Reading: Unholy Terror: Bosnia, Al-Qa'ida, and the Rise of Global Jihad by John R. Schindler.
Schindler, a professor at the Naval War College and former NSA Balkan hand, argues that the 92-95 Bosnia conflict served in the 90's as much the same way Afghanistan did in the 80's for the Jihad. Slowly working my through this, but so far so good.
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