Moment of Truth in Iraq: How a New 'Greatest Generation' of American Soldiers is Turning Defeat and Disaster into Victory and Hope (Hardcover)

by Michael Yon (Author) "You shall cross the barren desert, but you shall not die of thirst..." (more)
Key Phrases: combat support hospital, media battle space, old sheik, Iraqi Army, Deuce Four, Special Forces (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
How a New 'Greatest Generation' of American Soldiers Is Turning Defeat and Disaster into Victory and Hope --This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

From the Publisher
I HAVE NEVER BEEN PROUDER TO PUBLISH A BOOK

Michael Yon changed my mind about the war in Iraq, by making me understand it for the first time.

From the very beginning I was against the war. I thought it would be a disaster, another Vietnam. And until I had the privilege of working on this book with Michael I was always for immediate pull-out: why should one more American die for a doomed effort?

Michael--who is as close to totally non-political as anyone I know--showed me two things. First, because I judged by Vietnam, the war of my youth, I had radically underestimated what American soldiers could do. I knew they could blow away any regular opponent on any battlefield. But wage a counterinsurgency against an enemy with broad support in the population? Win the "hearts and minds," to use the Vietnam era phrase that now can be used only ironically? That was asking too much, I thought.

I was 100 percent wrong. Today's American soldiers excel at counterinsurgency, because they excel at the most important thing: winning over the people by inspiring them with their own courage and compassion, discipline and determination. Reading this book is like watching the movie Apocalypse Now, but in an alternate universe in which the opposite always happens. Every time our soldiers get into an incredibly tense situation with some Iraqis who might be friends or might be enemies or murderers, some situation in which what's needed is amazing calm and courage to keep things from blowing up and ending in a blood bath, our guys pull it off!

Just wait until you read the Chapter "High Noon" (my favorite), the story of the American soldiers who have to arrest a corrupt but politically popular Iraqi police chief we had put in office in the first place because he had been a real hero in fighting the terrorists. He had to be removed by Americans to show the Iraqis we really did believe in the rule of law. The whole thing could have blown up into a one-town civil war with hundreds dead on both sides. Won't tell you how it ends, but you will be amazed and very proud.

The other thing Michael helped me understand is the difference between terrorists we just have to kill (often foreigners, or local criminals) and local insurgents we should have been working with all along. For almost five years I could not tell from watching the news--and certainly not from listening to the Administration--who the enemy was, what they wanted or why they were fighting. Not surprisingly it turns out that understanding the various people we were fighting--some of whom have since become great allies--was the key to winning the war, which we are now clearly doing.

I am convinced that everything I once thought about the war was wrong. The truth is we are doing a great thing in Iraq, most of the Iraqi people really do want to be a united democratic nation and already consider America their greatest friend and ally. It would be a crime to turn tail now and abandon them now.

I owe all that to Michael's book, which is why I believe publishing Moment of Truth in Iraq may be the best thing I have ever done for my country.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 227 pages
• Publisher: Richard Vigilante Books; 1st edition (April 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0980076323
• ISBN-13: 978-0980076325
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (119 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #34,768 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

87 of 97 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Timely and Vital, April 13, 2008

By	Craig Good (Emeryville, CA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Those who have been reading Michael Yon's dispatches from Iraq have been ahead of the information curve for years. Everybody who cares about the war, one way or another, should buy and read this book. Yon has the call-it-like-it-is, straightforward delivery of a soldier - which sometimes got him in hack with the military. But he's always been an independent voice and keen observer.

So here is a warts-and-all look at the tragic mistakes and near miraculous triumphs of the war in Iraq as lived by the people wearing the boots on the ground. Yon is this generation's Ernie Pyle. His book is a must read.

92 of 103 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars You Can't Understand Iraq without You (or sand in your boots), April 13, 2008

By	Michael B. Openshaw "Data Troll" (Dallas, Texas) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

A great piece of work by the Ernie Pyle of our time (Michael strongly contested that comparison, but it's true). This is a different kind of war and Michael brings to life the issues, the problems, the missteps and the triumphs to be found there. And through it all, he honors the service and sacrifice of the American (and British) military in the field. Through him, you will understand the 'Devil in the details'; the frustrations and the hopes of Americans and Iraqis alike. And you will have pride in the humanity shown by the vast majority of both. No one portrays it better and there is not a dull moment to be had in this book.

The contents within the book match the photgraphic excellence on the cover. If you see that picture and want to know the whys and wherefores, GET THIS BOOK!

125 of 142 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome! It will not dissappoint., April 10, 2008

By	James Beall "a fortuitous eclectic" (Macon, GA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

As a long time fan of Michael Yon's work, I eagerly awaited the arrival of this book and it did not disappoint. His portrayal of our troops is detailed and allows you an intimate look at the roles they perform in Iraq. The fact that he is right alongside the troops and living with them allows him to bring you a perspective you don't get from green zone reporters & agenda setting producers and editors. Be sure to check out his website michaelyon-online.com/ for more information Michael Yon and his time as the longest serving imbedded report in Iraq. One way to describe the book is snapshots of history. Each chapter telling a story of part of the history of Iraq and how our troops are shaping that history.