Warlord: No Better Friend, No Worse Enemy [Hardcover]

Ilario Pantano (Author), Malcolm McConnell (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 20, 2006

On a raid in the Sunni hotbed of the Al Anbar province during the most violent and chaotic phase of the war on terror, Lieutenant Ilario Pantano shot and killed two Iraqi insurgents. Months later, one of his own men disputed Pantano's self-defense claim in the Al Anbar shootings. Pantano was relieved of his command and charged with premeditated murder, a crime punishable by death. This is Pantano's gripping story in his own words -- the story of a patriot who left behind his wife and children to fight for their future; the harrowing account of a military hearing that sparked a national "Defend the Defenders" campaign; and the inspiring choices of an unconventional warrior who continues to call on his fellow Americans to stand strong in the face of our enemies.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

The impetus for this memoir is the military hearing U.S. marine Pantano underwent in 2004 for the alleged murders of two Iraqi insurgents during a raid in Al Anbar (chronicled in a New York magazine cover story and featured on NBC Dateline). What is initially fascinating about Pantano's story is how 9/11 galvanized him. His first reaction after seeing the smoke and debris choking streets in Manhattan was to run to his barber and get a military haircut. Pantano had been a marine in Desert Storm but then morphed into a commodities trader and the founder of an interactive TV think tank. The core of his book is how 9/11 re-upped the semper-fi side of his identity. Although there is far too much initial background on family and upbringing, the heart of the book, which shuttles from Pantano's experiences in Iraq and the Article 32 hearing into the accusation that he committed premeditated murder, is suspenseful and involving. Pantano provides firsthand accounts not only of the marine ethos and the fighting in Iraq but also of the media pile-on during his hearing and the machinations of military lawyers. Although choosing to tell his story in book form necessitates too much padding--this might have been better as a lengthy magazine article--there is still lots to like here: good courtroom drama, excellent war reporting, and absorbing psychology. Connie Fletcher
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review

"Pantano's story is a tough, gritty, no-holds-barred saga of war by one who knows what it's like to be caught in a crossfire."

-- Oliver L. North Host of War Stories on Fox News Channel

"Demonstrate to the world there is 'No Better Friend, No Worse Enemy' than a U.S. Marine."

-- J. N. Mattis, Major General, U.S. Marines Commanding General's Message to All Hands, March 2003

"Every tenth page of Warlord should be stamped 'this is not a work of fiction.' Some men run from a fight, some hold their own; Ilario is the rare hero that runs to a fight. He is one tough mother!"

-- James Carville New York Times bestselling author, political strategist, and former U.S. Marine --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 416 pages
• Publisher: Threshold Editions; First Edition edition (June 20, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1416524266
• ISBN-13: 978-1416524267
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.2 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (59 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,037,459 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

97 of 108 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Powerful! June 10, 2006

By J. Johnston

Format:Hardcover

Regardless of political affiliation or attitude about the war, everyone should read this book. It is not pro/con or red/blue. It is the story of a man's fight for survival in the sand of a foreign land and a courtroom of his own country. He tells a heart warming yet heart wrenching story.

There is something for everyone in this book. It is a life story, a love story, a war story, and a courtroom story. The reader is given deep insight into his love for his family, his men, and his country. It is not written as a daily account of war from a daily log. It is written from the heart of a man. He challenges us to think, to soul search, and expand our thinking.

There are great sacrifices being made in this war, but only by a few. After reading Warlord, you will know this man, and yourself, better.

168 of 202 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Step in the right direction June 7, 2006

By E. Verhulst

Format:Hardcover

Full disclosure: I was 2nd Lt Pantano's chaplain in Iraq in 2004.

The book is a quick read. The intermixing of the Article 32 hearing report with Lt Pantano's background helps the book's pacing considerably. The writing is crisp for the most part, and it certainly gives one as good an impression as any mere book can of the realities of combat, both in theater and in a military court. I frequently found myself back in the Battalion Aid Station, or up in the C-I-C as the reports came in.

But the book is more than just a good summer read that does an excellent job of presenting this war from the perspective of a bona fide warrior.

Our military, and certain intelligence assets are at war, but we have not yet become a nation - a people - at war. To the extent people read and really pay attention to what 2nd Lt Pantano is saying, this is a step in the right direction. I am still afraid that it will take another attack on US soil to drive the point home that we are in a war with a determined enemy, though I certainly hope not. If that happens, I pray it puts steel in the American spine and inspires a remorseless pursuit of victory in our people, because, as I have said before, this war will not be won until we do to our enemy what Sherman did to Georgia. The legal beagles, euro-weenies, and hyper-sensitive won't like that, but it is so. War is force - disciplined violence with the intention of breaking the enemy's will or killing him. We can win their friendship after the war. Until that time, we must face the facts. Our enemy will not permit a truce (a la Korea). We cannot afford a defeat (a la VietNam). And one cannot achieve victory with half-measures. The sooner our enemy fears us, the sooner we will win - and the fewer people (on both sides) who will die in the process.

As a great military leader once said, "Audace, audace, tou jour l'audace!" Lieutenant Pantano is nothing if not audacious.

It's a good read and I heartily recommend it.

35 of 39 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Solid June 14, 2006

By Hans Heinz

Format:Hardcover

Warlord is a solid memoir of a Marine in combat. The best account to come out in many years, and one that I will not soon forget. Pantano's true story is as honest as a first hand account of a grunt can be. The excellent manner in which Pantano gives you the essential details, that still paint a vivid picture keep the reader glued to this book. The style of the story is unique, combining the court room drama and the circumstances that put him there. Written in this manner the book is tight and fast paced.

The internal struggle of an intelligent man going in combat is portrayed perfectly here. Pantano shows the constant inner struggle of a leader doing what is right and what he needs to do to get all his men home alive, the entire time doing that under frustrating rules of engagement. At times this would be hysterical if it were not true.

This hero's story is one that should be known to every American. He sacrificed everything he thought dear to him, and more than he could have possibly imagined. His story is both touching and motivating. This story should be required reading for every man considering becoming a United States Marine, and this will end up on the "Commandant's Reading List."