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Brooklyn to Baghdad: An NYPD Intelligence Cop Fights Terror in Iraq Kindle Edition

4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 85 ratings

Brooklyn to Baghdad is the true story of a retired NYPD intelligence sergeant applying his street-cop tactics and interrogation skills against a lethal insurgency that had infected Iraq. A group of retired Special Forces soldiers and law enforcement experts came together to form the counterinsurgency group codenamed "Phoenix Team." Exposing the corruption of both the Iraqi and US governments, the team faced serious setbacks and challenges. Brooklyn to Baghdad shows the effectiveness of Phoenix Team, their ability to process forensic evidence and human intelligence gleaned through interrogations at the point of capture to provide direct targeting for follow-on missions. This memoir also illustrates the politics of Washington, DC, and the US Army in the war-fighting effort, which continually hampered complete success while simultaneously preserving career aspirations. Throughout are many humorous and emotional anecdotes that reveal the men behind the missions and the toll the theater of war takes on real human lives
Due to its large file size, this book may take longer to download

Editorial Reviews

Review

“An exhilarating and infuriating look at busting bad guys on both sides of the Earth. Feel secure that the man about to tell you his story of law enforcement from Brooklyn to Baghdad is of the utmost character. You are in good hands.” —Vincent Marra, NYPD Deputy Inspector, Ret., from his foreword

"An inherently fascinating, even riveting read from cover to cover, "Brooklyn to Baghdad: An NYPD Intelligence Cop Fights Terror in Iraq" is an extraordinary and impressively informative memoir."—
Midwest Book Review

“If you don’t understand how important a weapon on-the-ground intelligence and interrogation—or, as Christopher Strom might put it, ‘talking’— can be, you need to read this book. ‘Phoenix’ and similar intel programs played an important role in Iraq and will continue to do so in any future conflict; here they are presented at ground level. Brooklyn to Baghdad illuminates a part of modern warfare rarely mentioned in history books, let alone news accounts of war. Its warts-and-more portrayal of personalities is refreshing. Its candid discussion not only of problems but of the dilemmas and ethics, or occasional lack thereof, of contemporary policing and military intelligence gathering makes it more than just a page-turner, though it is that, too. Strom, Preisler, and Benson have added an important book to the post-9/11 oeuvre.” —
Jim DeFelice, coauthor of American Sniper, Every Man a Hero, and other bestsellers

"Overall, this is a highly informative glimpse into the cat and mouse side of counterterrorism."— Booklist Online

"Terse, detailed account of a no-nonsense cop's time running interrogations in Iraq."—Kirkus Reviews

About the Author

Chris Strom is a former US Marine and retired sergeant with the NYPD Intelligence Division. In October 2007, Chris was recruited by the Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization (JIEDDO), a government agency that devised top-secret strategies for combating IEDs in Iraq and Afghanistan. As the lead tactical debriefing officer, he participated in over 110 combat missions and 91 captures of high-value targets (HVTs) in southern Iraq and performed more than 200 battlefield interrogations. Chris is married with two children and lives in Roanoke, Virginia.

Jerome Preisler is a native New Yorker who has written forty published books of fiction and narrative nonfiction, including all eight titles in the number-one New York Times bestselling Tom Clancy’s Power Plays series. He is also the author of the bestselling Net Force series (created by Tom Clancy and Steve Pieczenik).

Michael Benson is one of today’s most popular true-crime writers, whose books include Escape from Dannemora, Nightmare in Rochester, Killer Twins, and The Devil at Genesee Junction. He is originally from Rochester, New York.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B07QLG15TB
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Chicago Review Press (November 19, 2019)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ November 19, 2019
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 10839 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 264 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 85 ratings

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Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
4.7 out of 5
85 global ratings

Customers say

Customers find the book a great read that provides candid, horrifying descriptions. They also praise the writing style as brilliant and the storyline as interesting. Readers also say the content paints a picture of a side of war seldom discussed.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

13 customers mention "Reading experience"13 positive0 negative

Customers find the book a great read, with specific details. They also say it's amazing and an excellent true tell all.

"...It reads like a conversation between friends even as it provides a candid, almost horrifying description of American lives compromised by politics..." Read more

"...Sgt. Strom provides an immensely reading insight into the ups and downs of the latter career path: on the plus side, the camaraderie..." Read more

"...I found this book so interesting that I invited the author to speak to my graduate class at St. John’s University...." Read more

"...You could feel the frustration of Strom and his team. A great read. really enjoyed the book and highly recommend it." Read more

5 customers mention "Writing style"5 positive0 negative

Customers find the writing style brilliantly written.

"Brooklyn to Baghdad is a remarkable book. It reads like a conversation between friends even as it provides a candid, almost horrifying description..." Read more

"...A great read expertly told by someone who lived it." Read more

"Excellent book that was very well written by a true American hero." Read more

"Brilliantly written great read" Read more

4 customers mention "Storyline"4 positive0 negative

Customers find the storyline interesting and fascinating.

"...The story was gripping without being gory. I kept reading, hoping the tide would turn...." Read more

"...An excellent read all-around, equal parts exciting, funny, heartbreaking, and frustrating." Read more

"And impactful memoir combining law-enforcement with military experience...." Read more

"Excellent book with an interesting story and fascinating characters...and they're all real...." Read more

3 customers mention "Content"3 positive0 negative

Customers find the book paints a great picture of a side of war seldom discussed.

"...The book painted just the right backdrop, describing the author’s time as a NYC police detective...." Read more

"A very insightful look at how we're conducting the war on terror...." Read more

"...Chris paints a great picture of a side of war seldom discussed, the one from the military contractor's point of view. Give this one a read!" Read more

Top reviews from the United States

Reviewed in the United States on June 6, 2020
Brooklyn to Baghdad is a remarkable book. It reads like a conversation between friends even as it provides a candid, almost horrifying description of American lives compromised by politics and egos again and again while fighting terrorists in Iraq & Afghanistan. The book painted just the right backdrop, describing the author’s time as a NYC police detective. He proudly described the job, the achievements and the camaraderie with a humility that was refreshing. His dedication was evident without bragging. Being a NYC cop meant he was part of something big, important and unified, a true brotherhood. I couldn’t wait to read more, to find out how many "bad guys" this true bad-ass was going to take down overseas.

Slowly, I began to realize his work had turned very, very different. He was no longer part of a tightly knit organization that protected its own. He’d joined a battlefield where “boots on the ground” and technical expertise weren’t valued nearly as much as political agendas. The story was gripping without being gory. I kept reading, hoping the tide would turn. But instead, I just grew more and more incredulous that he could keep his sanity and humanity in the midst of a royally screwed up situation. I couldn't put the book down, unable to stop reading even though I knew this had become a story of survival and personal honor. He never gave up hope and he never stopped trying to do his best. He gave his all and refused to fail even when our government’s priorities failed him.

I loved this book and hope you will too.
One person found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on January 18, 2022
Outstanding first-hand account of NYPD Sgt. (Ret.) Chris Strom, street hardened New York cop turned private military contractor hunting & interrogating terrorist bomb-makers in Iraq on behalf of Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization (JIEDDO).

Sgt. Strom provides an immensely reading insight into the ups and downs of the latter career path: on the plus side, the camaraderie (working with top-notch and squared-away troops like 1SG Dave Peluso, SFC Adoni Poledicha, and the late SSG Matt Pucino (R.I.P.) and the thrill of key captures and breakthrough cases; on the minus side, the frustration of the entrenched bureaucratic incompetence and political back-biting of Big Army (especially mind-blowing how apparently even Army MPs and CID were so bloody clueless on seemingly basic concepts drilled into civilian police academy grads [Federal, state, and local alike] such as crime scene preservation, HUMINT, and establishing rapport with interviews).

An excellent read all-around, equal parts exciting, funny, heartbreaking, and frustrating.
Reviewed in the United States on April 6, 2021
And impactful memoir combining law-enforcement with military experience. This firsthand look at the war on the streets and the war overseas, and how one individual took that experience from the street to the heat in the Middle East. Chris and I worked together in the NYPD and I see how the military benefited from that experience with the war on terror. I found this book so interesting that I invited the author to speak to my graduate class at St. John’s University.
Dr Robert Gonzalez, Assistant Professor of Criminal justice at St. John’s University. And former NYPD assistant Commissioner for training.
Reviewed in the United States on January 21, 2021
A very insightful look at how we're conducting the war on terror. As a former Intel Investigator can only imagine the difficulties of conducting an interrogation with the use of an interpreter. Things always get lost in translation. Strom gathered a lot of valuable intel despite the language barriers. The release of terrorist due to the corruption was eye opening. You could feel the frustration of Strom and his team. A great read. really enjoyed the book and highly recommend it.
Reviewed in the United States on November 21, 2020
Brooklyn To Baghdad is a riveting behind the scenes account of the brave work that goes on both in the United States and abroad to stay ahead of the terrorists who would like nothing better than to destroy America and our way of life. The story is told candidly by retired NYPD Sergeant Chris Strom who did the the work both with the NYPD and as a civilian contractor stationed in Iraq. Strom goes in to great detail regarding the pitfalls and obstacles that he and his co-workers faced both from the identifiably enemy and the bureaucratic enemy from within while trying to accomplish their mission. A great read expertly told by someone who lived it.
Reviewed in the United States on February 11, 2023
Since 9/11 we've all been exposed to the fighting, and infighting in Iraq.
But have you ever wondered what it took to protect American soldiers, all the while working in the shadows where enemies did the most destruction?
Find out with this must read account of the brave individuals who exemplified bravery in the face of daily adversity.
Reviewed in the United States on December 1, 2019
Interesting read about how intelligence gathering and interrogation skills, used by the author and honed on the streets of New York City, while at the NYPD, could be used to stop the bomb builders in Iraq from attacking our soldiers and Iraqi civilians. All this while operating in a war zone and embedded with the Army. Certainly gave me a new view about the Iraq War, and men and women in the middle of it.
2 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on June 19, 2020
Excellent book with an interesting story and fascinating characters...and they're all real. It's a true story; I know because I was there for the first six months of it. Chris paints a great picture of a side of war seldom discussed, the one from the military contractor's point of view. Give this one a read!

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