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Wrong Turn: America's Deadly Embrace of Counter-Insurgency by [Gian Gentile]

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Gian P. Gentile

Wrong Turn: America's Deadly Embrace of Counter-Insurgency Kindle Edition

by Gian Gentile (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

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A searing indictment of US strategy in Afghanistan from a distinguished military leader and West Point military historian—“A remarkable book” (National Review).

In 2008, Col. Gian Gentile exposed a growing rift among military intellectuals with an article titled “Misreading the Surge Threatens U.S. Army’s Conventional Capabilities,” that appeared in World Politics Review. While the years of US strategy in Afghanistan had been dominated by the doctrine of counterinsurgency (COIN), Gentile and a small group of dissident officers and defense analysts began to question the necessity and efficacy of COIN—essentially armed nation-building—in achieving the United States’ limited core policy objective in Afghanistan: the destruction of Al Qaeda.

Drawing both on the author’s experiences as a combat battalion commander in the Iraq War and his research into the application of counterinsurgency in a variety of historical contexts, Wrong Turn is a brilliant summation of Gentile’s views of the failures of COIN, as well as a trenchant reevaluation of US operations in Afghanistan.

“Gentile is convinced that Obama’s ‘surge’ in Afghanistan can’t work. . . . And, if Afghanistan doesn’t turn around soon, the Democrats . . . who have come to embrace the Petraeus-Nagl view of modern warfare . . . may find themselves wondering whether it’s time to go back to the drawing board.” —The New Republic

Print length

207 pages
Language

English
Publisher

The New Press
Publication date

March 3, 2015
File size

639 KB
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Here in this timely, incisive, and unflinchingly honest volume, the essential task of dismantling the myths already enshrouding America's wars in Iraq and Afghanistan begins. . . . An important book that will give Washington's war-mongers and militarists fits."
―Andrew J. Bacevich, author of Breach of Trust: How Americans Failed Their Soldiers and Their Country

"Colonel Gentile asks us to confront some blisteringly urgent questions. Have COIN tactics ever worked the military magic their proponents claim? Or have they merely provided cover for beating exits from wars that never should have been fought in the first place? . . . Wrong Turn deserves a wide readership by all who must make these supremely important strategy decisions―as well as those who will live with the consequences."
―David M. Kennedy, professor of history, Stanford University, and editor of The Modern American Military

"Counterinsurgency rises over and over again from the ashes of defeat. It is Gian Gentile's ambition to 'drive a stake through its heart,' and in Wrong Turn he has succeeded―brilliantly."
―Marilyn Young, professor of history, New York University

"A brilliant and persuasive book . . . offers by far the most convincing explanation extant of why America has not succeeded recently with COIN.”
―Sir Colin Gray, professor of international relations and strategic studies at the University of Reading

"A lively, provocative and readable book . . . never misses its mark."
―Hew Strachan

"Based on his personal experience in Baghdad as well as some fine historical scholarship, Colonel Gentile takes aim at America's current COIN doctrines and shows how ineffective they really are. An exceptionally courageous book, clearly and forcibly written."
―Martin van Creveld, author of The Transformation of War

"Gentile finds the common flaw in our failed strategy as evidenced in our last three military misadventures. . . . We did not lose the Vietnam War―it was never ours to win. Is Afghanistan becoming a repeat performance?"
―Volney Warner, General (Ret), U.S. Army

"How I wish we'd had this telling critique of counterinsurgency warfare before Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan. It would have been far harder to make those tragic mistakes. A must-read for our national security experts, and U.S. citizens."
―Leslie H. Gelb, president emeritus of the Council on Foreign Relations and former columnist for the New York Times
--This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.

About the Author

Colonel Gian Gentile is an army colonel, a former Iraq War commander, and a professor of history at West Point; he was also a 2010 Visiting Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations. Gentile is a contributor to the Washington Post, The Atlantic, Foreign Policy, Small Wars Journal, and the World Politics Review. He lives in West Point, New York.
--This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00B6TZKCC
Publisher ‏ : ‎ The New Press (March 3, 2015)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ March 3, 2015
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 639 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Print length ‏ : ‎ 207 pages
Page numbers source ISBN ‏ : ‎ 1595588744
Lending ‏ : ‎ Enabled

Best Sellers Rank: #609,418 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #102 in Military Policy (Kindle Store)
- #161 in Afghan War History
- #328 in Military Policy (Books)

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35 ratings

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Top reviews from the United States

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Bryan Borich

Both Iraq and Afghanistan were predicted to be disasters

Reviewed in the United States on May 6, 2020

Verified Purchase

Bush Sr's admin left Saddamin charge because they didn't want to get involved in the sectarian violence that would occur, nor the creation of more terrorists.

His son ignored that, and his admin openly admitted they would create more terrorists in invading Iraq.

And of course, it was pointed out no one has lasted fighting in Afghanistan.

Low and behold, we ended up losing both wars as this book and at least one other point out.

In fact, we've essentially lost every war since WWII, unless you count Panama, Grenada or Haiti. Or unless you count the goal as creating failed states or more terrorism.

In any case, this book brings up the problems involved in trying to nation-building, some the Bush Sr admin admitted would take years if not decades.

Helpful

Timothy P. Williams

Gentile turns current events into history's real "first draft"

Reviewed in the United States on May 2, 2016

Verified Purchase

In the interest of full disclosure, Gian and I were classmates in AOB 2-87. He is a friend that I respect a great deal personally. Having said that, I haven't seen him in 30+ years, and my interest in the book was sparked more by what I have read in the popular press about counter-insurgency than by my personal history with the author.

It would be easy to dismiss this book as the personal axe ground by a combat commander in Iraq; certainly, Col. Gentile's experience had to have been formative and influential on his views. Nevertheless, the conclusions of the book are well supported by historical evidence. To be honest, I thought Gentile's approach was perhaps overly guarded against reliance on his personal experience. As a student of history myself, I would have appreciated greater depth from him as a primary source, but I understand his instincts in avoiding over-reliance on his personal experience.

The book reads, quite honestly, as an extended tribute to Santayana, noting in tragic prose our repeated failure to learn the lessons of history. For all the popular comparisons of Iraq to Vietnam, Gentile highlights the fact that the most obvious and important one is often overlooked - the "victory" narrative that confuses tactical with strategic victory. Of course our troops - in Vietnam and in Iraq - performed valiantly. But to what end?

Read this book for the history - you will learn a great deal. Apply it though, not only to your understanding of war, but to your view of politics. Too often, we subscribe to the "great man" view of history, warfare and politics. This oversimplification, a Col. Gentile demonstrates, can blind us to the truth that lies apparent before us.

This book is not an indictment or accusation towards anybody. It is history, unfiltered. Be open enough to learn from it.

4 people found this helpful

Helpful

Mark on Amzon

Emperors, Clothes...

Reviewed in the United States on December 7, 2015

Verified Purchase

Essentially an argument that armed nation-building takes far longer, and is much more expensive in terms of blood and treasure, than the proponents of armed nation-building would have us believe. More importantly, he calls out senior military and civilian leadership for failures in strategy. The author repeats the same ideas to the point of tediousness at times, but his points are sound.

It is an important book, especially now that we might see a return of American conventional, general purpose forces to the region formerly known as Syria and Iraq, all while still trudging along with the never-ending crisis of Afghanistan (in which the original motivation to send troops there seems to have been completely forgotten and replaced by a maniacal, cult-like embrace of nation-building).

6 people found this helpful

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The F7 Pawn

Surprisingly good

Reviewed in the United States on September 27, 2014

Verified Purchase

Better than expected. I thought Gentile would come at this subject with the normal "big Army" bias, i.e., anything not involving armor, mechanized infantry, self-propelled artillery, and attack aviation wasn't worth fighting. However, he surprised me by focusing on the strategic aspects of counterinsurgency (COIN), noting that if that context isn't aligned properly with the others, it doesn't matter how good your tactics and leadership are, you will lose. The writing is direct, well organized, and amply supported by copious amounts of endnotes. Due to the book's size, however, Gentile never answers the question of whether COIN is ever the right answer. What if, in other words, the strategic, operational, and tactical imperatives were properly aligned, would COIN be the appropriate option? He leaves the reader with the sweeping conclusion that it is never the right answer. This is still difficult to fully accept. Nevertheless, probably the best book of the bunch of counter-"coinista" reformers out there currently. Recommended.

2 people found this helpful

Helpful

Thomas M. Magee

It will jump start your mind

Reviewed in the United States on January 26, 2016

Verified Purchase

This is a good book. It is a really short book. The author attacks the principle of counter insurgency. He uses several case studies to prove his point, Malaysia, Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan. He refutes the doctrine through examples in the studies. His counter is either people are reading the history wrong, or what really worked is old fashion force on force fight. His points will really get you thinking. The arguments is really things no one else has presented. However I think he jumps to conclusions that the examples don't support. Maybe the book needs more examples. I think that other factors like lack of political will to do the big fight pushes Armies to dive into counter insurgency. No matter where you are in the argument you will like the book.

Helpful

GrouchyOldman

Interesting, well-written, persuasive.

Reviewed in the United States on January 9, 2016

Verified Purchase

Colonel Gentile's title says it all. Colonel Gentile's argument is this: counterinsurgency's effectiveness is a myth; this myth is founded on writings by military officers of other nations who have fought using counterinsurgency warfare; although those soldiers extol counterinsurgency warfare, it was in fact unsuccessful almost everywhere it was tried; and the US Military is on the wrong track in its new emphasis on counterinsurgency warfare. In support of this thesis, Col. Gentile analyzes four places where counterinsurgency warfare was supposedly successful, but according to him either was not successful, or if it was successful, it was successful for reasons peculiar to the situation.

Helpful

Top reviews from other countries

Mark J Skinner

The new COIN faith

Reviewed in Australia on August 6, 2015

Verified Purchase

The wars in the Middle East are full of religion, Gentile exposes the new American religion of war - Counter insurgency. A fascinating corrective to the Nagl, Petraeus knife and soup school and reminding us that military anthropology So loved by the media has its limitations.

Paul Edgecombe

Thin volume.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 18, 2014

Verified Purchase

Very slim volume. Although I was interested to hear other angle on the surge, I think Gentile's argument was a little shrill and repetitive without facts to back up his claims that counter insurgency was being conducted almost everywhere in Iraq before the change in tack. In so many of these books it almost seems forgotten that Iraq was a tragic and unnecessary war. American books, especially written by ex military or military junkies still seem to use terms like mistake when talking about Vietnam and Iraq. As if you'd chosen the wrong desert. Wars are a filthy business motivated by greed, power and idiotic ignorance. Gentile at least admits that America should maybe think twice about getting involved in these endless wars but I wish he had benn as condemnatory of this as he was of the the surge and Petraeus.

2 people found this helpful

ian hope

Wrong Turn: America's Deadly Embrace of Counterinsurgency

Reviewed in Canada on August 4, 2016

Verified Purchase

Brilliant. A refreshing and honest analysis that shatters the hagiography and mythology of the saviour generals and their counterinsurgency alchemy.

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