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All In: The Education of General David Petraeus Hardcover – Bargain Price, January 24, 2012

by Paula Broadwell (Author), Vernon Loeb (Author)

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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.

Print length

352 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Penguin Press HC, The
Publication date

January 24, 2012
Reading age

18 years and up
Dimensions

6.51 x 1.36 x 9.57 inches
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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

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00F6IM5CW
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Penguin Press HC, The; 1st edition (January 24, 2012)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 352 pages
Reading age ‏ : ‎ 18 years and up
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.6 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.51 x 1.36 x 9.57 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #5,247,970 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #1,112 in Iraq War Biographies
- #1,367 in Political Leadership
- #3,033 in Iraq War History (Books)

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Paula Broadwell served in the military for over a decade and has more than fifteen years experience in counterterrorism and counterinsurgency. She lives in Charlotte, North Carolina.

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Mark R. Jacoson

Soldier, Scholar, Diplomat - The Story of General David H. Petraeus in Afghanistan

Reviewed in the United States on January 24, 2012

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Writing a first book is challenging in its own right, much less doing so as events unfold. In All In, The Education of General David Petraeus, Paula Broadwell chose to add a third hurdle: writing the story of an individual, General David H. Petraeus, who has not only accomplished much in a high profile arena, but whose career has not yet completely run its course. In her 400 page work, based on her in-progress doctoral dissertation on the development of General Petraeus' career, Broadwell has delivered a solid treatment of the General's on-the-ground experiences in what was to become his final mission in uniform - command of the NATO International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan from July 2010 until July 2011. For many reasons, All In will be one of the must-reads for any serious student of military affairs and international security issues. While not a comprehensive biography of General, now Director, Petraeus, nor is it a comprehensive history of the war in Afghanistan. Those who seek either will come away disappointed. Nor is All In the cocktail party circuit "tell-all" and thus, much more genuine than works by Hastings or Woodward. Indeed, Broadwell does a proper job in relaying the personal stories of the key players without betraying confidences or gossiping. In doing so, she does a valuable service to future writers by capturing insights that otherwise would be lost to history with the passage of time. While writing All In, Broadwell benefitted greatly from the labors of veteran journalist Vernon Loeb, whom she credits on the cover. All In is eminently readable, engaging, and will provide an excellent bridge for future scholarly treatments and more detailed assessments of various aspects of Petraeus' career (e.g. Iraq) and the still-ongoing war in Afghanistan.

All In is the story of the challenges and successes that some of Petraeus' protégé's have faced during that latter conflict, specifically three of the 101st Airborne Division's Battalion Commanders and two members of the Counterinsurgency Advisory and Assistance Team (CAAT). Broadwell's style may remind readers of James Kittfield's Prodigal Soldiers (1995) - a story of U.S. military leaders who sprang from the experience of the Vietnam War. Broadwell alternates between Petraeus' command in Afghanistan and the career that shaped him prior to the challenges of Iraq and Afghanistan. Clearly, one of Petraeus key strengths as a leader was not only finding mentors, but also in seeking out junior officers (and civilians) to mentor himself and providing them opportunities to grow into even stronger leaders. While it is understandable that there is not more of a discussion of General Petraeus' interactions with often difficult Afghan senior officials and the complexities of Alliance politics -- which he handled quite deftly along with his diplomatic "wingman," Ambassador Mark Sedwill -- this does mean that the reader misses seeing how truly skilled Petraeus was as not only a soldier, but, in perhaps a way not seen since Eisenhower or Marshall, as a diplomat. In writing All In, Broadwell had tremendous access not only to Petraeus, but to those who were working or had worked with him -- to include those who disagreed with the General's approach. The pride she has in her mentor/subject, his protégés, and her belief in the mission in Afghanistan most certainly shines through. In the end, the strength of this book indeed lays in both Broadwell's ability to empathize with her subject matter and that her access uniquely gave her the ability to obtain the views of participants as events happened or shortly thereafter when the emotion was often still raw. Indeed, for this alone, All In will stand the test of time and prove invaluable to future scholars and students of history.

Mark R. Jacobson is a Senior Transatlantic Fellow at the German Marshall Fund. He served as the Deputy NATO Senior Civilian Representative and an advisor both Generals
David Petraeus and Stanley McChrystal from 2009-2011.

48 people found this helpful

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Old Sub guy

She reports, you decide

Reviewed in the United States on February 6, 2012

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All In is a detailed account of the command year of David Petreaus in Afghanistan interspersed with personal history information and vignettes of this dedicated American General. Within the Afghanistan narrative, several different stories are followed of units in various geographic regions and with different purposes in the counter-insurgency and nation building effort. Having spent the last year leisurely reading Bush, Cheney and Rumsfeld's books - I must say this one requires a more specific interest of the reader as well as some focus to follow the transitions - if you aren't going to digest it in a couple days.

But you will be rewarded for this effort by a solid first book by Broadwell that takes the reader beyond just the politics and mission in Afghanistan, but into the commitment and fears of the officers and troopers (help an old Cold Warrior out - when did we switch from troops to troopers?). Her unique background as a West Point graduate and former colleague of many of the players in the book, that she left two children at home to go to the war zone, and had the backing of the commanding general; led to unprecedented access and trust from her sources - much more so that any journalist could have achieved. She upholds that trust with a factual narrative that lets the reader draw his own policy and political conclusions. Broadwell avoids the journalist's trap of magnifying minute faults from the field to prove the high mindedness or intelligence of the author. She also does a superb job of balancing her discussion of civilian-military decision-making and chain of command issues involving Patreas's role in supporting President Obama's decisions regarding the Afghanistan surge and drawdown. The reader is given facts and left to think, absent any hectoring.

I'll confess that I know Paula - our spouses are professional colleagues - and I plan on telling her that a couple of the 60 push-ups she did on Jon Stewart's show were just a little shy of a 90 degree elbow angle (but she got $20,000 out of Stewart for the Wounded Warriors Project by trouncing him), but if you want to understand what the hell the United States is doing in Afghanistan ten years after 9/11 - read this book and make your own decisions. As for me, I think Islamist culture is a failure everywhere it's practiced and represents no long-term threat to Western Civilization (absent nuclear weapons - a big exception), but they do want to kill us and that is why we cannot ignore them. Ignore them, Petreaus did not. Broadwell informs us how, you decide if there's enough "why."

8 people found this helpful

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dale a. currier, MS Ed., SPHR, CPT, CEM, MEP

Inside look at the higher levels of contemporary Army leadership

Reviewed in the United States on February 1, 2013

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The book provides a well-written inside look at the machinations of the higher levels of the Army leadership during a time of war. That said, the overall story and descriptions of individuals' successes as top Army leaders were greatly overshadowed (for me) by the recent revelations regarding General Petraus' relationship with the author. There are some very good pearls of leadership wisdom. The story of the General's lifelong dedication and service to our country and what it took to accomplish that is worth a quick read.

2 people found this helpful

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E. Ward

A great look into the leadership of one of America's great modern Generals

Reviewed in the United States on December 29, 2012

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Give then publicity that the author has received I was hesitant to read this. Fortunately my initial fears were wrong and in was quickly pulled into a well written book that follows General Petraeus not only through his time in Afghanistan but also looks into some of the key events in his life that made him the great leader that he is today. Despite the way his career of public service would end shortly after this book was published I would still argue that he is a great leader that changed the course of two wars.

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TM

Sehr beeindruckende Person

Reviewed in Germany on August 8, 2019

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Tolles Buch über eine beeindruckende Person, lesenswert!

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W H Goodwin

A NECESSARY PIECE OF THE PETRAEUS PUZZLE

Reviewed in Canada on October 22, 2013

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As General Petraeus rose in importance in the war on Terror, my attention was drawn to him as someone very special with an unlimited potential in the military, but perhaps as well in politics. Hindsight is great, but given the choice between a 4-star General with a West Point education and combat experience, and a totally unknown 'Community Organizer' with no real life experience, the one is a reasonable choice with the high probability of a good outcome; the other is a crap-shoot, as we are finding out.

Petraeus has been shot and could have died; he has been in battle and has effective expertise in strategic and tactical thinking. What made me think that he might be working towards the presidency in future was the obvious dislike that the President has for him. Did Obama percieve him as a threat to his own strategic plan for America?

I was never content, even with the General's own coffession of adultery, that the Petraeus and Broadwell families would be spared the protracted gauntlet of an investigation by an hostile press, by admitting guilt publicly at the first opportune moment.

That confession left me astonished, disappointed and incredulous, because it was so 'out of character' for the General.

But, there is a 'tidbit' in "All In" which should reinforce the skepticism of those of us who find it hard to believe that a real unconcondoned affair had taken place, when the book reveals that toward the end of 2008, Petraeus underwent 8 weeks of radiation therapy for Prostate cancer, and the affair was to have taken place a couple of years later. As a Prostate cancer survivor who has endured the same therapy, I don't think that is possible! Hopefully, the whole truth behind the story will emerge some other time.

I found the author's prose to be a bit stiff, like the testimony of an expert witness in a court of law. It tells the story of the formal educational and pertinent life experiences which have molded the General to this day. He has already served his country very well and there is certainly ifar more that he is capable of doing. God will punish his Sins. We may probably have need for his talents and abilities yet again.

Meanwhile, this book, and its many 'tidbits' have renewed my faith in the General's Character. it's worth the read!

One person found this helpful

Liu Sun Po

very interesting

Reviewed in France on January 12, 2013

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This book give a view of the war in Afganistan other than what one sees usually, really an insider's view.
Sometime, it repeats itself too much. But that is the routine of the war, alway same yet somehow differnt.

Dr Barry Clayton

An Extraordinary General

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 28, 2012

Verified Purchase

The author of this well-written book is a graduate of West Point, a former active-duty officer and a current reservist. This is her first book written with the help of Vernon Loeb the metro editor of the Washington Post.
Paula Bradwell has two degrees and is registered with King's College, University of London-my alma mater-to study for a PhD. She is married and has two children.
She met David Petraeus at Harvard University in 2006 and subsequently decided to accompany him to Kabul when he was appointed Commander ISAF in Afghanistan in order to write this book.
There are several other books about Petraeus but this is the first that can claim to be a genuine biography.
While drafting this book Bradwell was granted unprecedented access to high-level meetings and briefings. She travelled throughout the country meeting and staying with combat units special forces and Afghans. As a result, her account is fascinating and rings true. As a retired senior Army Officer I can vouch for the authentic ring of her book.
Recent events that resulted in the resignation of Petraeus from the post of CIA Director-he was only the second ex military man to be appointed to this job-have led to a number of reviewers concentrating on his fall from grace instead of focusing on his massive achievements while in uniform. Several comments on previous Amazon reviews have been ribald or in some cases downright crude. One doubts that the writers have even read the book. Their comments do them no credit.
As Broadwell states, David Petraeus has been described as the finest US military
commander since Marshall, with good reason for his career was a varied, difficult and glittering one. He saw action in Central America, Haiti, Bosnia, Iraq (where he served with distinction) and Afghanistan where he was instrumental in the 'surge' and introducing COIN operations that emphasised a people-centred approach.
Earlier he had overseen the publication of the new COIN Manual FM-3-24.
Bradwell's book rightly emphasises Petraeus's leadership qualities, his exceptional ability to multi-task, his dedication, his drive, his energy and his attention to physical fitness-he told his men that:'your body is your ultimate weapon system'.He believed mental fitness depended on physical fitness.
His rapid rise through the senior ranks made him many enemies. This is not unusual. Hard work, success in difficult appointments, high intelligence and ambition frequently result in envy and jealousy by those less gifted and less willing to work all hours.
Broadwell does not hide the fact that David Petraeus was fond of the media, he was very much a PR General. One wag has said subsequent to his resignation that his fall was: 'The fall of the House of Gusher'.
When he left the army in August 2011 he had been awarded over 30 medals and other honours. He was often likened to Napoleon and Ulysses Grant. Only one prize escaped him, he failed to get the job of Chairman of the Joint Chiefs. Why? Most likely because he was regarded as too close to Bush and the neo-cons, and also, I suspect, the Chiefs were frightened that he might make life rather too hard for them.
In her book, Broadwell correctly points out that Petraeus never argued, as some have stated, that counter-insurgency was the only way to fight. In his many articles in learned journals he often said that 'one must be ready to fight full-spectrum military operations'. FM-3-24 emphasised this.
The sub-title of this book is 'The Education of General David Petraeus'. Several reviewers appear to have missed this and as a result criticised the book for not being what it was never intended to be, namely a military 'blood and guts' history book. It is all the better for not being for the other genre is in full swell.
When David Petraeus left the army after 37 years of service it lost an outstanding officer. I have no doubt that the CIA would have been a better place had he remained Director. Whether Afghanistan will be a better place when US troops, less some 12000 plus special forces and drones-depart in 2014 is less certain. It still looks to be a hopeless case that even new COIN and counter terrorist strategies are unlikely to rescue.
Let the last words be those of Teddy Roosevelt's 1910 speech: It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have dine better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena,whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood.......,if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat'.

4 people found this helpful

Mr. John A. Ferguson

The Education of General David Petraeus

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 3, 2013

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This is a very interesting book giving the background to a noted US soldier involved in Iraq and in charge in Afghanistan

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