The best Iraq War Biographies: Reddit reviews

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If you’re at all interested in this case, I highly recommend the book Black Hearts, which investigates the incident and everyone involved in extreme detail. It’s an exhaustive, practically bottomless chronology of military incompetence and inhumanity. Oddly enough I was exposed to it because it was on the official reading list of the Marine Corps a few years ago, ostensibly as a lesson on the consequences of a poor command environment. But anyone who has served can tell you that everything the book catalogued is just business as usual for the military.

Don't forget to also read Fick's <em>One Bullet Away</em>.

Generation Kill was written by the embedded Rolling Stone reporter, but One Bullet Away was written by the officer commanding that platoon.

This is probably up there... Mahmudiyah rape and killings

Black Hearts: One Platoon's Descent into Madness in Iraq's Triangle of Death

SSgt Bellavia wrote a book titled “House to House” about his experiences in Fallujah. It was the book that got me hooked on memoirs and biographies. If you haven’t already, I highly recommend reading it. I’m pretty sure it chronicles the events for which he will now be awarded the Medal of Honor.

Edit: Added some info.

Very much so. The reporter was embedded in a truck with a specific Squad Leader. You end up seeing the whole invasion over-the-shoulder of just that Squad Leader. Gen Mattis is just a cameo and the whole US Army doesn't exist except for a brief mention of Jessica Lynch's convoy getting captured. It's a very narrow (albeit uniquely and redeemingly indepth) view of the invasion.

As mentioned elsewhere in the thread, the Platoon Leader, Nathaniel Fick, published his own account if you want to contrast the view from literally just one echelon higher.

https://www.amazon.com/One-Bullet-Away-Making-Officer/dp/0618773436

> Extreme Ownership.

For those who have not read this book yet, it is worth it

I think most "leadership" books are a waste of time if you are a regular human being that exercises empathy, pragmatism, and critical thinking.

What people ought to be reading are books of leadership failures like Black Hearts. You can learn far more from failure than success and I'm open to anyone changing my mind on that.

I read a book called Viper Pilotby a retired wild weasel pilot. They have the latest in countermeasures and are all extremely well trained, he says most of the guys have their masters degree on top of the Air Force level of special forces intensity training. When those guys hear missile lock they react like someone has a gun to their head- they immediately shit pants and evade, evade, evade. Drop everything and pilot like your mother’s life depends on it. It’s terrifying.

I rarely see Frost take responsibility for the teams mistakes.

He needs to read this book:

Extreme Ownership (How U.S. Navy SEALs Lead and Win)

I only heard this song once at bootcamp, as Money_breh said, during the capping ceremony.

My RDCs played an interview with David Goggins or an audiobook of Extreme Ownership on Sunday mornings.

https://www.amazon.com/Extreme-Ownership-U-S-Navy-SEALs/dp/1250067057

PoeticalBliss is a hall of fame copypasta. You aren’t. That’s all that needs to be said. Nobody cares that you work with Ben, or whatever else you claim.

Your constant moaning about Bliss is getting in the way of the game, and it’s ridiculous hearing you double down on your art of copypasta BS. Length has nothing to do with the art in copypasta. Length gives you an advantage in the art of copypasta. That’s all it does. The art in copypasta is literally run-on sentences and controlling your thesaurus, and no amount of crap is ever going to change that.

https://www.amazon.com/Extreme-Ownership-U-S-Navy-SEALs/dp/1250183863/

Stop being a smug tool.

Your mentality just leads to an easy out of taking any responsibility for anything.

Sure we can use these extreme hypotheticals like a truck materializing out of nowhere and annihilating someone, but, when do you actually hear people taking about luck most often? It's in day to day life, about day to day things. People hate the idea that they're in control of their own lives and luck isn't a big factor, because it suggests that their shortcomings are their own fault and not some nebulous force they can offload all of the blame onto.

I strongly recommend this book: https://www.amazon.ca/Extreme-Ownership-U-S-Navy-SEALs/dp/1250067057

House to house is a book that is under recommended on this reddit, it's certainly fast paced, occasionally humorous, and full of action. As a bonus it's a Memoir about a soldiers experience in the battle of Fallujah, so outside of a few scenes that might have some gilding it's not a fictional story.

Here is the amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/House-An-Epic-Memoir-War/dp/1416596607

Ok first I will explain why the war was just, then why it was necessary.

The war in Iraq was just because Saddam Hussein's government had basically forfeited Iraqi sovereignty by:

1. Genociding his own people
2. Repeatedly invading other countries to conquest them
3. Attacking coalition airplanes which violated the ceasefire from the Gulf War of 1991
4. Developing and using WMDs:

• Saddam Hussein used chemical weapons (which are WMDs) to genocide his own people and others in the 80s
• Saddam Hussein was trying to develop nuclear weapons at the time of the 2003 invasion. I admit the intelligence the US presented to the UN was fabricated, but after the war an Iraq Nuclear scientist wrote a book called The Bomb in my Garden in which he explained how Hussein told him to hide atomic equipment from international inspectors.

I am also going to admit that the war in Iraq was poorly managed, but the alternative was to let Hussein stay in power. Imagine having Hussein in power during the war on terror, and during the Arab Spring, possibly with a completed nuclear weapons project. Specifically imagine the war in Syria going on next door.

> Complaining doesn't get shit done.

This video and the book kinda reflect that thinking. I won't lie and say I live like this, but it teaches you something. Well worth the read.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KSW7LQaFHTg

https://www.amazon.com/Extreme-Ownership-U-S-Navy-SEALs/dp/1250067057

It's hard to say, not knowing your friend or what she is doing.

I bought a whole case of these books to give to everyone in an office I was advising. The book sparked a lot of beneficial conversations.

https://www.amazon.com/Extreme-Ownership-U-S-Navy-SEALs/dp/1250067057

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahmudiyah_rape_and_killings

There’s an excellent book about it.

Black Hearts: One Platoon's Plunge into Madness in the Triangle of Death and the American Struggle in Iraq

I struggled with imposter syndrome also - and still do sometimes. I think it’s a normal metal reaction that’s probably tied to a predisposition to the ‘flight’ response.

For me, I take my leadership style from Extreme Ownership. It’s not for everyone but it worked (and still does) for me.

https://www.amazon.com.au/Extreme-Ownership-Jocko-Willink/dp/1250067057

There was a cool author at your event, I think he wrote a book you might want to read.

https://www.amazon.com/Extreme-Ownership-U-S-Navy-SEALs/dp/1250067057/ref=nodl_?dplnkId=bec979b3-903f-4018-89c9-a6f6c78da4cf

In the Book Viper Pilot the author mentions many times how much most pilots hate HARM's, due to their failure rate and often having no idea whether they made good effect on target. You are effectively blindly firing them in a general area and hoping they hit radar. I recall the pilot saying that most of the HARM missiles fired in OIF burned out and hit dirt or random buildings because they were so ineffective.

House to House by David Bellavia is an awesome and horrible account of taking Fallujah. At one point it went way past combat with bayonets -- bullets out, rifle dropped, Bellavia ends up wailing on an insurgent with his helmet.

I have a couple of other reading suggestions for you. (Extreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy... https://www.amazon.com/dp/1250183863?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share)[*Extreme Ownership*, by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin], and (The Daily Stoic: 366 Meditations... https://www.amazon.com/dp/0735211736?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share)[*The Daily Stoic*, by Ryan Holiday and Stephen Hanselman].

Extreme Ownership talks about personal accountability and will empower you to take control of your life by “owning” everything in your life, hence “extreme” ownership. The Daily Stoic is formatted to be read one page a day for a year, though it’s perfectly fine to read it however you like. Each page is dedicated to one or two quotes from the classical Stoics, such as Marcus Aurelius and Seneca, and then discusses the application of the concept of that quote in modern life. Stoicism is, essentially, the philosophy of finding peace through learning how to let things go.

For instance, my opinion given the story you’ve told here, is that you should let go of your parents, and let go of the desire to have better parents growing up. You can’t change the past, so focusing on it does you no good. Let the past be the past. Focus instead on what you have now, what you can control now. One thing you have control over is who you allow into your life, which means you can keep your parents out of your life. Frankly, I think that you should. You don’t need people like them. I’ve completely cut myself off from my own family, so I’m speaking from experience. I don’t need them. I have what I need, and anything that I don’t have, I have the agency to acquire it for myself. My family is unwanted and unnecessary, and so they will remain disconnected from my life. Not their choice. Mine.

The best book on leadership I ever read or I guess I should say the one that resonated with me and my personality the most is Extreme Ownership. It basically teaches the leadership style of there's no bad teams, only bad leaders and has you as the leader adapt the mentality that everything is your fault, even when it isn't.

I won't lie at times it's exhausting having this mentality but it definitely is effective.

>Enraged, XO, out of the blue, shouted at Cpl Shaw, “It’s your fucking fault your friends died in Iraq!”

This alone should have gotten him command of windsock observation duties in the most remote parts of Greenland.

I actually wonder if XO wasn't angling to provoke the Cpl into violence, in order to hit him up with a criminal charge.

This whole thing reminded of Lt. Col Thomas Kunk, commander of the 2/502 (101st ABN) as described in Black Hearts: One Platoon's Descent into Madness in Iraq's Triangle of Death. Dude was practically a study from the Capt. William Bligh School of Leadership, who continually exploded with rage and contempt for those under his command. According tot he book, he even showed up after the deaths of a respected Lt. and Sgt to berate them all for being scumbags, that they were all getting killed for not doing their jobs correctly, and basically that the two dead men had deserved it.

If you want to read a great book that follows this story read Black Hearts Platoons Descent into Triangle of Death. Well told absolutely brutal story. Top to bottom the entire chain of command is to blame. https://www.amazon.com/Black-Hearts-Platoons-Descent-Triangle/dp/0307450767

This guy needs to understand the "mirror principal" as outlined in the Jim Collins book Good to Great.

If he truly wants to lead, he must take ownership. This is a great book on the topic.

Officially, first world militaries don't just hand epi out. But third world militaries, militias / terrorist groups etc aren't shy about abusing it. Moslem extremists like it because it isn't a drug of abuse so they can use it without compromising their faith. If you're a reader, or even if you aren't, check out House to House by Ssgt David Bellavia. https://www.amazon.com/dp/1416596607/ref=cm_sw_r_awdo_BJH8PF26JE13GBYKEWHY It's the most intense and "real" book on war I've ever read. The book covers 2-2 US infantry's insane fight at second Fallujah.

You remind me of someone who is unwilling to take personal responsibility. You make extreme analogies regarding being forced to buy bread or go hungry... buddy you don't live in Soviet Russia.... This is America... people literally build boats of trash to leave their hellish situation to get to this place.

You state that you want to know a legal way of getting out of the agreement you freely made. That's a fine question, but you don't seem to be satisfied with any response. You seem to delight in arguing and debating, as if that will change your situation. It won't.

You also seem to enjoy taking the position of the oppressed, and victimized. Stop that. It won't help. You aren't a victim.

I read your profile. You make SUCH GOOD money, that you are no longer able to contribute to a ROTH IRA... Bro... you make more money than me, and many of the other posters in this thread. And yet you still are trying to figure out a way to weasel out of a freely entered into contract.... and now you are saying you are prepared to take a credit hit.

If you do take a credit hit, know this. It will not just hurt your credit, it will haunt you for at least the next 7 years. It will come up every time you try to move into a new place. Heck it is even starting to become a thing with employment. You don't want that. I don't want that for you, or the people you do business with.

Additionally, you are looking into buying a 4-plex. Brother, I wish you the best of luck with such endeavors. Once YOU have the problem of the Landlord, I do believe you will change your tone rather quickly. And I believe you'll be able to see things from an emotionally and financially different perspective.

Here is a book recommendation: Extreme Ownership - Jocko Willink.

https://www.amazon.com/Extreme-Ownership-U-S-Navy-SEALs-ebook/dp/B0739PYQSS

Dope.

Look, I get you’re trying to come at this from more of a pragmatic standpoint, and yes, the disconnection from military higherups and their subordinates is an important thing. These are the people that you may be issuing down orders that’ll get some killed, after all. You can’t get attached to every joe.

That being said, I think the position that, overall, “Joes don’t matter” is the wrong standpoint here.

https://www.amazon.com/Black-Hearts-Platoons-Descent-Triangle/dp/0307450767

This is a book called “Black Hearts”, and it’s an excellent example of how this type of leadership can result in an enormous problem when it comes to the operational level. I really recommend you read it, since it goes pretty in depth on this subject, and is overall a good read in general anyhow.

I know mocking you won’t serve to convince anything, so this is my attempt to come at this from another point.

Just for fun, how much responsibility (on average) do you take when your company, your country, your children, your friends, etc fuck up?

It's typical now to blame others and not take any responsibility. but guess what, if you are russian, your daily work via taxes is funding this war, it's russians attacking ukranians, I could go on and on, so of course you can frame it like "poor russians against the war, they cannot do anything", I say BS, they could have done a million things and they still can,

Here's a book for little bitches, idk, maybe it changes your perspective
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0739PYQSS/ref=dbs\_a\_def\_rwt\_bibl\_vppi\_i0