Customer Reviews

Baghdad at Sunrise: A Brigade Commander's War in Iraq (Yale Library of Military History)

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I am an Army historian who has accessed many, if not most, of the existing (and they are relatively few) records pertaining to the Ready First Brigade Combat Team's operations in Iraq during the period discussed in this book. Therefore, I can set the "bar" a bit higher when it comes to informed analysis of the book's value. I am also acquainted with an extremely candid and capable senior non-commissioned officer from Colonel Mansoor's Brigade Reconnaissance Troop who interacted with the author on a daily basis during the 1st BCT's deployment in Iraq. If my friend did not believe that Colonel Mansoor was an effective combat leader, he would have told me so in no uncertain terms. Quite the contrary, Colonel Mansoor was a well-respected and credible leader who "figured out" what was happening long before other commanders.

All professional affilitations aside, this review represents my personal opinion. That said, I believe Colonel Mansoor has produced a forthright, factual, and valuable narrative of his experiences in the tumultuous months following the fall of Sadaam Hussein's regime in Iraq.

A respected historian prior to assuming brigade command, Colonel Mansoor took it upon himself to record each day's events in a notebook for posterity's sake. He does not rely solely on his memory, media reports, or the recollections of others. This fact alone sets his account apart from other OIF related personal accounts. His book is even more important given the relative lack of historical material, when compared to later OIF deployments, on the operations conducted by 1st Armored Division during the period 2003 - 2004.

If Mansoor has an unstated agenda, it is a subtle one focused on educating our nation's future political and military leadership. He is not trying to rehabilitate the public's perceptions of his actions in Iraq. Indeed, his candor and objectivity are very refreshing in comparison to other books covering that same period which I have recently read.

My father-in-law received an advanced copy of Baghdad at Sunrise as a gift from the author. I began reading it with many questions about the handling of the Iraq War mixed with extreme respect for our nation's armed services. I am a lifetime civilian with very little exposure to military history and tactics, yet couldn't put the book down while learning a ton about what are servicemen and women have accomplished in their time in Iraq.

Col. Mansoor's book is a great mixture of military theory, Islamic history and cultural anthropology, all thrown into a personal account of his personal goals and associated challenges. I can't began to list off everything I learned and truthfully believe it would be great for everyone from military historians to those with no knowledge of military tactics and jargon (like yours truly).

On a separate note, I just finished two years of business school with a number of former officers who served in our nation's War on Terror. Reading this book left me with a clear picture of what life on the frontlines is really like, as well as a new appreciation for their hard work and sacrifice. I will hopefully be at the USMA in a few weeks to see a classmate and close friend of mine who is now a West Point professor. Although it may embarrass him in front of new colleagues, he will be getting a hug and a sincere 'thank you' from a friend whose freedom and safety he risked so much for.

Colonel Mansoor, thank you for such an enlightening read. My best for you and your family (Jana, the children and even the dogs) in the future.

Awesome book by an excellent Commander. Ready 6 takes the reader in a journey through the BCT's intense and extended deployment to Baghdad during the crawling stages of the war (2003-2004). The historical facts in this book help you understand the complexity of the situation, both leaders and Soldiers were faced with on a daily basis. His detailed narrative portrays without a doubt, the BCT's combat and civil operations. Colonel Mansoor also addresses full spectrum operations and the reorganization of the armed forces to better suit its current and future counterinsurgency operations abroad. As an OIF veteran and a proud member of this fine Brigade Combat Team during this and its subsequent deployment (2006-2007), I recommend this book, especially to fellow veterans and deployed service members.

T.H. Berrios
SFC, USA
Provider One November (2003-2007)

I have attempted to read many accounts of the war in Iraq, but most begin with either the agenda of criticism and blame, or cheer-leading. This account is a clinical, unvarnished report describes mistakes, dreadful decisions as well as extraordinary heroism and Sisyphean diligence. The adaptive insight and creativity of the troops "on the ground" is remarkable.
The breadth of Mansoor's experience, honesty, explanation and detail provides a glimpse into the complexity of Baghdad after the invasion.
This book should be required reading for all government officials, including the presidential candidates, regardless of opinion, political party or past positions on the reasons for the war.

As other reviewers have noted, this is unapologetically the narrative of Colonel Peter Mansoor. This is not a book about the 1st Armor Division's 1st "Ready" Brigade Combat Team. This is not a book about the American occupation of Iraq. Anyone looking to further existing knowledge of either will be disappointed - however, this is an excellent entry point for someone beginning to explore the complex nature of Iraq.

Colonel Mansoor has given a very honest account of his service during one of the darkest periods of Iraq; the beginning of not only the insurgency, but also the disillusionment with Operation Iraqi Freedom in the eyes of the American public. Undoubtedly, this book will serve as an often cited source for future analysis.

However, the book makes no apologies about its perspective. This is the war as seen by a Brigade Commander. Notably, one who is well educated, experienced and with the best of intentions. And there in lies the flaw - how reliable is the narrative as a first person source? At times, the memoir of Peter Mansoor becomes the epic of Ready 6. A characteristic that distinguishes the best of military memoirs is the ability to divorce the individual from his position; being a witness instead of a biographer. This memoir gives descriptions in spades, but the analysis is sparse.

There is a lot of "I" and "me" in this book - something that will undoubtedly raise a few eyebrows. This becomes problematic if you intend to use this book for military scholarship rather than general information. The Brigade Staff is relegated to the role of comic relief; their only mention comes from quips and gallows humor. The Division Headquarters is always the foil, the subordinate commanders are always students. Colonel Mansoor never misses an opportunity to drop a name - former comrades and classmates get print even when it doesn't serve the narrative. At times it is appropriate, but a strange contrast compared to the lack of attention provided to other individuals he interacts with daily who are only mentioned as pronouns.

Perhaps most frustrating is the way that certain issues surface, but are not elaborated on. Colonel Mansoor talks of his personal sympathy for the Palestinian people but fails to apply that perspective to the tactics he uses which are similar to the ones that make the Israeli Army so vilified. Likewise, given the criticism of Commanders in Vietnam for coordinating battles from the air rather than the ground, more insight into his process of selecting that method would be helpful for researchers. He intentionally isolates himself in a tent for his living quarters and develops PTSD symptoms, but gives no comment on what he learned from the experience or if he would have done anything different. The scope of this book limits his ability to expand on these, and other, fascinating issues. He is certainly more than qualified to speak to them and at times (especially in the "Reflections" section), deep insights leap from the page. It's a horrible missed opportunity that more of these "big rocks" aren't elaborated on.

One hopes that future additions will incorporate updates from the author as the situation in Iraq changes - perhaps a completely revised edition once the war is over. Additional commentary by subordinates -as a prologue or annex - would also be a welcome addition. Of course, the ultimate supplement would be commentary by the Commander who assumed responsibility for the sectors Colonel Mansoor writes about. A epilogue detailing what happened to the Iraqis Colonel Mansoor names would also be appropriate - and almost necessary.

The story and perspective are amazing; there is no doubt that this account needed to be written. Undoubtedly Colonel Mansoor will expand the body of his work through his new career in higher education. His credentials as a soldier are flawless - hopefully his legacy as an author will become just as polished.

Whether or not you enjoy military reads (I typically do not.), this is a book you should consider. I won't tell you Baghdad at Sunrise was an easy book to get through because that it definitely was not. There were a lot of aspects that I'm sure simply superceeded my comprehension due to the information load. On the whole though I found this to be a really interesting inside look at the war in Iraq. Spanning a tour of duty in several cities, we got to see how Mansoor came to lead his unit and what life was/is really like in the raw and brutal battle zone. Not unlike wars that have come before and are likely to come again in the future, this is a war where good goes against evil. As a nation I think many have come to look upon Iraq as a breeding ground for evil. True to an extent, yet evil is everywhere- here, there, worldwide. I knew this from the beginning and still found it very refreshing to see through Mansoor's eyes that not everyone there is against us. There certainly are plenty that would like to see the US fail, but as Mansoor recounts in this book there are so many more who are looking for the freedom we offer. I had no idea that US military used locals to assist in the war. Maybe I live under a rock. Maybe the media just doesn't present us with this look at the "enemy". Either way, this is only one of many things I learned from reading this book.

Few soldiers who write narratives of war attain a perspective that transcends their own area of operation. Conversely, historians who write of battle seldom convey the nuance and color evident to those whose actions they describe. Mansoor is an exception. The chair of military history at Ohio State University, he served as commander of a brigade combat team in Baghdad, director of the U.S. Army/Marine Corps Counterinsurgency Center, a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff strategy group, and finally, as executive officer for Gen. David Petraeus. He weaves together an expertly written narrative that describes in detail his service in Baghdad during a period of transition from tense calm in 2003 to full insurgency in 2004 with an eye toward the larger picture.

He begins his narrative in Adhamiya, the toughest Sunni neighborhood in Baghdad, on April 7, 2004, less than a week after the outbreak of insurgency. A firefight ensues, which Mansoor describes with fluid precision, making Baghdad at Sunrise read as smoothly as a Tom Clancy novel. He then flashes back to his arrival in Baghdad on June 26, 2003, to examine the run-up to the violence.

Amid first impressions, Mansoor analyzes the management of the first year of U.S. occupation. He is sharply critical of Coalition Provisional Authority director L. Paul Bremer's decision to formalize the dissolution of the army, but his suggestion that "several hundred thousand young Iraqi males" might simply have been called back, retooled, and retrained beggars belief, given how they had traveled far and wide, finally free from the oppressive conscription that Iraqi president Saddam Hussein had forced upon them.

Mansoor's narrative does not exonerate the military. He describes cooks and mechanics placed in charge of detention, a complex operation for which they had no training, and criticizes military strategy for failure to maintain a presence after clearing areas of insurgents, allowing them to return.

The last twelve pages alone--"reflections"--are worth the purchase price of the book as Mansoor places Iraq in context, pleading that the United States "learn the strategic, operational, tactical, and doctrinal lessons of the Iraq war and prepare to apply them, now and in the future ... [as] our enemies believe they have found a template for victory against the West." Much rides on whether U.S. officials understand the lessons that Mansoor so eloquently lays bare.

Michael Rubin
Middle East Quarterly
Spring 2009

A great job of describing the challenges from a brigade commander's perspective. Even 'fesses up to some personal mistakes he made. Especially valuable is his final chapter on "reflections." A must read for military commanders and historians.

My husband who has been to Iraq and will be going back thinks this is a very insightful and informed account.

This book certainly is a Brigade Commanders memoir of Iraq. It is not exciting, there is little as far as combat accounts go), and it focuses a lot more on Col Mansoor's personnel life (family, family history, and arab history) than the life of the Brigade or what the soldiers of the Ready First put up with when they arrived and while serving in that country. This book clashes (sometimes harshly) on many occasions with my memories while serving Col Mansoor however, and I believe his memories were deeply influenced by his time serving General Petraeus later in his career. The book is heavily and negatively impacted by his second tour and the hindsight it provided.

I served often with Col Mansoor as his personnel security detachment commander while serving as a Scout Platoon Leader in Fantom Troop. I was present for many of the stories told throughout the book and believe many moments and personalities have been lost to time or have been altered to a levels that are grossly exaggerated. A prime example would be the DAC meeting at the Palistine Hotel on pages 292 and 293 and how it went nothing like the book reports and as I recall. The authors dramatic speech (the real one was much more emotional, had real impact, and actually earned respect from me and my men) is a good example of that exaggeration found throughout this book. Additionally, commanders who were thought positively of are mentioned glowingly and often, while their mistakes (to include an investigated shooting death of a civilian by a very high ranking officer) or the many operational missteps throughout the brigade are left unmentioned. Some of these came from commanders and units separated from the Ready First when they occurred (CPT Rogelio Maynulet's of Aggressor 2-37 AR shooting of a wounded militant while attached to the 2nd ACR, and failure to conduct proper route reconnaissance during Operation Longstreet II while attached to 1CD and how that stopped an armored brigade minus with dedicated and operational air support from attacking for nearly 2 hours come quickly to mind), but their impact was significant on the elements within the Ready First and could provide valuable lessons to readers.

This book is a little too full of sunshine and disconnected from the soldiers experiences during this deployment, but again, this is a Brigade Commander's view, so maybe that is to be expected. In addition to its lofty and disconnected perch, the author has referenced his time and experiences from several years after the command this book should have focused on, the emotion has been sterilized, and the result is the overall detraction of the books genuine value. Interesting to a degree and a piece (or a look) at history, but not exciting or especially insightful as a real memoir untarnished by years of hindsight and the successes and failures in the complex world of counter insurgency warfare and America's GWOT.