The Fourth Star: Four Generals and the Epic Struggle for the Future of the United States Army [Hardcover]

Greg Jaffe (Author), David Cloud (Author)

Book Description

Release date: October 13, 2009

They were four exceptional soldiers, a new generation asked to save an army that had been hollowed out after Vietnam. They survived the military's brutal winnowing to reach its top echelon. They became the Army's most influential generals in the crucible of Iraq.

Collectively, their lives tell the story of the Army over the last four decades and illuminate the path it must travel to protect the nation over the next century. Theirs is a story of successes and failures, of ambitions achieved and thwarted, of the responsibilities and perils of command. The careers of this elite quartet show how the most powerful military force in the world entered a major war unprepared, and how the Army, drawing on a reservoir of talent that few thought it possessed, saved itself from crushing defeat against a ruthless, low-tech foe. In The Fourth Star, you'll follow:

•Gen. John Abizaid, one of the Army's most brilliant minds. Fluent in Arabic, he forged an unconventional path in the military to make himself an expert on the Middle East, but this unique background made him skeptical of the war he found himself leading.

•Gen. George Casey Jr., the son of the highest-ranking general to be killed in the Vietnam War. Casey had grown up in the Army and won praise for his common touch and skill as a soldier. He was determined not to repeat the mistakes of Vietnam but would take much of the blame as Iraq collapsed around him.

•Gen. Peter Chiarelli, an emotional, take-charge leader who, more than any other senior officer, felt the sting of the Army's failures in Iraq. He drove his soldiers, the chain of command, and the U.S. government to rethink the occupation plans–yet rarely achieved the results he sought.

•Gen. David Petraeus, a driven soldier-scholar. Determined to reach the Army's summit almost since the day he entered West Point, he sometimes alienated peers with his ambition and competitiveness. When he finally got his chance in Iraq, he–more than anyone–changed the Army's conception of what was possible.

Masterfully written and richly reported, The Fourth Star ranges far beyond today's battlefields, evoking the Army's tumultuous history since Vietnam through these four captivating lives and ultimately revealing a fascinating irony: In an institution that prizes obedience, the most effective warriors are often those who dare to question the prevailing orthodoxy and in doing so redefine the American way of war.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Cloud and Jaffe are gifted writers, who use their access to these senior commanders to good effect. They provide a lively, personalized account of the successes and setbacks of the four highly able and ambitious servicemen as they climb the military career ladder.

Cloud and Jaffe have produced a worthwhile and fascinating account packed with many insights about officership, promotion and command in the army and civil-military relations."--The Washington Post Book World


"A sparkling account of today's U.S. Army–a work of art that offers novelistic details but also carries the impact of well-reported fact. I learned something on nearly every page, and much of it astonished me. This is the best book I've read on the military in a long time."
—Thomas E. Ricks, New York Times bestselling author of Fiasco and The Gamble

"Important and illuminating . . . sheds light on the epic struggle now being waged within the U.S. military over whether to heed the hard lessons of the past eight years or bury them in the same forgetfulness that marked our post-Vietnam years."
—Linda Robinson, New York Times bestselling author of Tell Me How This Ends and Masters of Chaos

"Compelling . . . Cloud and Jaffe provide us with an insider' s view of the war, drawn from remarkable access to the men who designed the battlefield strategy. . . . The Fourth Star is an eye-opening portrait of today's Army and the four men who have done more than any of their generation to shape it."
—Rajiv Chandrasekaran, author of the National Book Award finalist Imperial Life in the Emerald City

"If you care about winning tomorrow's wars, then read this book. . . . Jaffe and Cloud draw intimate portraits of four members of the Army's high priesthood, and the implication is clear: The future of the Army is up for grabs."
—Nathaniel Fick, author of the New York Times bestseller One Bullet Away

"A fascinating, intimate look at the men who are leading our wars and trying to change America's largest institution, the U.S. Army. A must-read for students of history, leadership, and engrossing prose."
—Dana Priest, Pulitzer Prize—winning author of The Mission

"This book will provoke envy, if not plain awe. The fact is, the Army gets it: The best do rise to the top, and the chosen few are not all the same. Too bad Wall Street didn't follow the four in this book."
—Bing West, author of No True Glory and The Strongest Tribe

About the Author

DAVID CLOUD was the Pentagon correspondent for the New York Times from 2005 to 2007. He previously worked at the Wall Street Journal, where he covered national security and intelligence issues.

GREG JAFFE is the Pentagon correspondent at the Washington Post and previously held the same position at the Wall Street Journal. In 1999, he was part of a team of reporters that won the Pulitzer Prize for national reporting.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 336 pages
• Publisher: Crown; 1 edition (October 13, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0307409066
• ISBN-13: 978-0307409065
• Product Dimensions: 6.3 x 1.1 x 9.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (46 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #591,206 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

GREG JAFFE is the Pentagon correspondent at the Washington Post and previously held the same position at the Wall Street Journal. In 1999, he was part of a team of reporters that won the Pulitzer Prize for national reporting.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

66 of 70 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A Superb Work October 18, 2009

By Steven Metz

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

"The Fourth Star" takes four of the key architects of the modern U.S. Army--generals Petraeus, Chiarrelli, Abizaid, and Casey, and traces their development from youth to the pinnacle of power, using them as a window into the revival of the Army from a dangerously flawed institution to an effective one. It provides great insight on both the character of these leaders (and the nature of ambition), and the Army they helped re-build. I include this with Bing West's "The Strongest Tribe" and Dexter Filkins' "The Forever War" as the best books on military and security issues I've read in recent years. As you would expect from talented journalists like Cloud and Jaffe, the writing is outstanding. But its analysis is spot on as well. I've worked for the Army for 22 years so have been at the periphery of the issues covered (and know many of the characters), and find it penetrating and accurate.

51 of 56 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Essential reading for understanding of the war in Iraq October 19, 2009

By loyal customer Bill

Format:Hardcover

I wanted to give this book 4 stars because it is flawed, but I had to give it 5 stars because it is so important as a history of 4 key Army generals with emphasis on their impact on our 2nd war in Iraq. The flaws first. For some bizarre reason, the authors and/or publishers chose to omit both a table of contents and an introduction. Those, and a non-specific book jacket, fail to set a context for the book. The numbers on the end notes do not appear in the text. The subtitle "Four generals and the epic struggle for the future of the United States Army" is what the book points to, but never satisfactorily reaches. Rather, the book is a biography of 4 superb generals who, except for their uniform excellence and dedication, could hardly be more different. The book is not so much about their struggles in war, but is raw data for the struggle that will take place in DOD and Congress in future years. Thus, it is not entirely clear who was the intended audience for the book. The book is, in addition, not easy reading because it assumes a moderately high level of knowledge of military history with its battles, strategies, and tactics. Because there is little discussion of so much that is outside the experience of these 4 generals, reading it feels like learning about the war in Iraq looking through a large pinhole. Finally, I would have like to have seen some appendices with command wire diagrams by date, a few maps, and a chronology of the war to date.
All that said, this biography/history as seen by the backgrounds, actions and personalities of the 4 generals contains mandatory knowledge for any future students working on this period of American history. It explores and compares conventional big wars, lessons from Viet Nam, and insurgency vs. anti-terrorism. The authors are expert journalists with impeccable credentials. They had the luxury of a year working with perhaps Washington's most important new think tank, the Center for a New American Security, to produce their book. It is largely compiled from first hand interviews with the key players and secondary sources. While the authors clearly respect all 4 generals, they diplomatically reveal the profound impact of varying personality styles, backgrounds, and circumstances. I found myself liking two of the four generals much more than the others, but that is largely a side issue when so much is discussed. It is clear that all four had intense loyalty to their missions, but also that mild rebellion within context and creative innovation are critical to military success in an evolving world. While not strongly attacking the larger context of Eisenhower's predicted military-industrial complex, the authors made it clear that much of the innovation needed for the future of the United States Army will be resisted because it does not involve the purchase of massive amounts of hardware or allow for civilian contractors to pour billions into worthless, irresponsible projects. As I read, I found myself wondering about the old question: does history make the man, or the man make history? Would events have been different if Gen. Petraeus had been the chief at the beginning rather than the end of the war? And, will the military or our politicians ever take seriously the need for both troops and civilians in war zones to know foreign cultures and arrive with language skills?

25 of 26 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Even The Losers December 4, 2009

By Marc Korman

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

The Fourth Star is a great look at four Generals who have shaped the US Army during the first decade of the 21st century. Two of them have suffered a lot of bad press: George Casey and John Abizaid. The former was commander of US forces in Iraq as the country descended further into chaos and the latter was the commander of Central Command. The third, Peter Chiarelli, has flown largely under the radar of the mainstream press but appears to be well regarded in military circles. The fourth, David Petraeus, has been much heralded as a brilliant commander, strategist, power player, and potential president. Although the authors made good use of their access to Petraeus and told us a lot about his background, much of his story has been heavily featured in news articles and books like The Gamble.

Where this book breaks new ground, at least to me, is its focus on the other three. After reading about Casey and Abizaid, I had a much better understanding of what they were trying to achieve in Iraq and the problems they faced. I felt pity for them because based on this book, it appears they were a victim of events as much as their own failings. Casey is depicted as a well meaning man with a great tolerance for criticism, surprisingly surrounding himself with people who did not agree with his point of view. Abizaid is the type of commander I would have thought was well suited for the Middle East. He had expressed a strong interest in the region early in his career before the Persian Gulf War, studied there, and learned Arabic. What we see of these men goes largely unmentioned when discussing the surge, that many of the elements that allowed the surge to work began before the strategy was changed.

Chiarelli is a different case. He seems to have done well in Iraq but was unable to get his desired command, Petraeus'. As a result, while Casey is likely finishing his last job in the Army as Chief of Staff and Abizaid is retired, Chiarelli probably has a future on the Joint Chiefs.

The book offers excellent background on these four men. It also shows the Army at the crucial period following Vietnam and before the Persian Gulf War as these men were mid-career. Finally, it shows what happened in Iraq as it deteriorated and gives the perspective of the commanders who were there. Many other books on Iraq are dismissive of the commanders from 2003 to 2007 while lionizing Petraeus. While General Petraeus deserves praise, these other men deserve attention too.

There are some great tidbits in the book about how these generals felt about their civilian commanders, how they interacted with each other, and how staffing works in the Army. It offers all this in a very accessible, readable way.