All In: The Education of General David Petraeus [Hardcover]

Paula Broadwell (Author), Vernon Loeb (Author)

Book Description

Release date: January 24, 2012

General David Petraeus is the most transformative leader the American military has seen since the generation of Marshall. In the New York Times bestseller All In, military expert Paula Broadwell examines Petraeus's career, his intellectual development as a military officer, and his impact on the U.S. military.

Afforded extensive access by General Petraeus, his mentors, his subordinates, and his longtime friends, Broadwell reported on the front lines of fighting and at the strategic command in Afghanistan to chronicle the experiences of this American general as they were brought to bear in the terrible crucible of war. All In draws on hundreds of hours of exclusive interviews with Petraeus and his top officers and soldiers to tell the inside story of this commander's development and leadership in war.

When Petraeus assumed command in Afghanistan in July 2010, the conflict looked as bleak as at any moment in America's nine years on the ground there. Petraeus's defining idea—counterinsurgency—was immediate put to its most difficult test: the hard lessons learned during the surge in Iraq were to be applied in a radically different theater. All In examines the impact in Afghanistan of new counterinsurgency as well as counterterrorism strategies through the commands of several Petraeus protégés.

Broadwell examines his evolution as a solider from his education at West Point in the wake of Vietnam to his earlier service in Central America, Haiti, Kuwait, Bosnia, and Iraq. All In also documents the general's role in the war in Washington, going behind the scenes of negotiations during policy reviews of the war in Afghanistan in Congress, the Pentagon, and the White House.

Broadwell ultimately appraises Petraeus's impact on the entire U.S. military: Thanks to this man's influence, the military is better prepared to fight using a comprehensive blend of civil-military activities. As America surveys a decade of untraditional warfare, this much is clear: The career of General David Petraeus profoundly shaped our military and left an indelible mark on its rising leaders.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A valuable perspective on how Gen. Petraeus—the most successful U.S. general of his generation—approached the war in Afghanistan... It is, in fact, probably the best depiction yet of Gen. Petraeus's management style."
—The Wall Street Journal

"General Petraeus is one of the most important Americans of our time, in or out of uniform. This riveting, insider's account of his life and education is at once instructive and inspiring."
—Tom Brokaw, Anchor and Managing Editor, NBC Nightly News; author of The Greatest Generation

"This majestic biography will set the standard for all future works about General Petraeus. With superb narrative skill, Broadwell simultaneously provides an intimate look at Petraeus the man, a fascinating account of modern warfare, and an elegant study of leadership."
—Doris Kearns Goodwin, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of No Ordinary Time

"Teddy Roosevelt once said that it is not enough to be intelligent; a leader must also be honest and fearless. In General David Petraeus (himself a T.R. fan), America has been fortunate to have a soldier-scholar who is all three. Paula Broadwell, soldier-scholar in her own right, tells the Petraeus story masterfully, providing especially rich detail and insight into his Afghanistan mission. This book helps us understand how Petraeus has become the living legend he is."
—David Gergen, author of Eyewitness to Power

"This is the best book yet on General David Petraeus, written by a remarkable former Army officer who spent months on the ground in Afghanistan herself. Paula Broadwell captures his basic tenets of counterinsurgency and basic approach to leadership—as well as Petraeus's personal qualities and character—in a highly readable and pithy fashion. No one gives a truer picture of the war, or of the finest general of this era and one of the greatest in modern American history."
—Michael O'Hanlon, Senior Fellow, the Brookings Institution

"All In vividly demonstrates the influence General David Petraeus has had on a whole generation of military officers-showing by the force of his personal example what it means to be tough, loyal, committed, and smart. Paula Broadwell takes readers into the briefing rooms and onto the battlefields to better understand the lessons and sacrifices of America's wars."
—Nathaniel Fick, New York Times bestselling author of One Bullet Away

"Anyone seeking to understand the nature of American warfighting in the 21st century, how it is both like and utterly unlike that of any previous one, needs to understand Petraeus, his remarkable career, his thinking, and his character. All In is an excellent place to start. It is fascinating and insightful, informed by remarkable access to the man both on and off the battlefield."
—Mark Bowden, author of Black Hawk Down

"There have been several books written about parts of the career of David Petraeus, but this is the first one that could be called a biography of the most prominent American general since World War II. It is written with an insider's lively understanding of the workings of today's Army. I've known David Petraeus since he was a colonel and written two books in which he appeared, but I still learned a lot about him from this book. All In feels at times like we are sitting at his side in Afghanistan, reading his e-mails over his shoulder."
—Thomas E. Ricks, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Generals, Fiasco, and The Gamble

"Broadwell's excellent biography portrays [Petraeus] as a modern exemplar of the soldier-scholar-statesman and one who has exerted a profound influence on the American military establishment."
—Mackubin Thomas Owens, Foreign Affairs

About the Author

Paula Broadwell has more than a decade of military service and nearly two decades of work in counterterrorism and counterinsurgency. She is a PhD candidate at the University of London. Broadwell received an MPA degree from Harvard. She graduated with honors from the United States Military Academy. She lives with her husband and their two children in North Carolina.

Vernon Loeb is the Metro editor at The Washington Post. In 2003, he embedded with the 101st Airborne Division under Petraeus's command.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: Penguin Press HC, The; 1 edition (January 24, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1594203180
• ISBN-13: 978-1594203183
• Product Dimensions: 6.1 x 9.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (125 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #294,289 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

252 of 265 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars Very Over rated March 30, 2012

By R. C Sheehy

Format:Hardcover

I have to say this book really left a lot to be desired. Paula Broadwell tried to tell one good story I am sure but she failed and instead told several bad ones. There is no cohesion to this story and instead we see a mishmash of bad ones. We are mislead by the title. The book really doesn't do a good job explaining Petraeus or his command style. We see a confusing mix of a biography, a first hand account of the ground situation in Afghanistan and then a view of the struggles winning the hearts and minds of the Afghani people.

This book lacks vision and really doesn't tell the reader anything earth shattering or more depth than one could find by reading Time or watching CNN. There is nothing new under the sun here. Seriously, don't waste your time no matter what the professional critics say.

170 of 180 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars Full of All Knowns February 10, 2012

By Robert J. Alberts

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

Much wasn't really brought to light or revealed here. One never gets a sense about how Petraeus makes judgements, where he failed and would have done better, or has any insight into him and the thought process. I found The Fourth Star much more robust and insightful. Paula is obviously a fan and didn't have any objectivity in the book. Petraeus is either awesome or super awesome. OK. Got it. Next? There is no more depth.

186 of 203 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars Bureaucratic Story and Writing February 20, 2012

By Adam Smith

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

You'll love this book if you like bureaucratic history and thinly veiled hero worshiping. Lots of pages about team building and communication in a large organization. For that stuff, I prefer David Novak's, Taking People with You. As an biography, it was very disappointing. You find out that David Petraeus can run at youthful speeds for miles, but he doesn't seem to ever breathe hard, sweat or get a sore tendon. That is, the book lacks human details and insight into the man. I doubt that General Petraeus is just a phenomenal bureaucrat, but I'll have to wait for a great biography to find out.