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Wrong Turn: Americas Deadly Embrace of Counterinsurgency Hardcover – August 1, 2013

by Colonel Gian Gentile (Author)

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Colonel Gian Gentile’s 2008 article “Misreading the Surge” in World Politics Review first exposed a growing rift among military intellectuals that has since been playing out in strategy sessions at the Pentagon, in classrooms at military academies, and on the pages of the New York Times. While the past years of U.S. strategy in Afghanistan have been dominated by the doctrine of counterinsurgency (COIN), Gentile and a small group of dissident officers and defense analysts have questioned 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 searing reevaluation of the current state of affairs in Afghanistan.

As the issue of America’s withdrawal from Afghanistan inevitably rises to the top of the national agenda, Wrong Turn will be a major new touchstone for what went wrong and a vital new guide to the way forward.

Note: the ideas in this book are the author’s alone, not the Department of Defense’s.

Editorial Reviews

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"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

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.

Hardcover: 208 pages
Publisher: The New Press (August 1, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1595588744
ISBN-13: 978-1595588746
Product Dimensions: 5.8 x 0.8 x 8.5 inches
Shipping Weight: 4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Customer Reviews: 24 customer reviews
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #459,565 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #547 in Iraq War History (Books)
- #336 in Afghan War Military History
- #993 in Vietnam War History (Books)

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Mark on Amzon

Emperors, Clothes...

December 7, 2015

Format: Kindle EditionVerified 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).

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Timothy P. Williams

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

May 2, 2016

Format: Kindle EditionVerified 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.

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The F7 Pawn

Surprisingly good

September 27, 2014

Format: Kindle EditionVerified 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.

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Thomas M. Magee

It will jump start your mind

January 25, 2016

Format: HardcoverVerified 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.

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GrouchyOldman

Interesting, well-written, persuasive.

January 8, 2016

Format: HardcoverVerified 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.

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Robert

With the best will in the world

July 31, 2016

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

A very convincing presentation of how history is misunderstood and revised. Gentile fails however, to take into proper account the fact that in our wars on foreign soils, we are regarded as invaders unless we are combating other invaders. The core of a "Hearts and Minds" strategy is deeply flawed. With the best will in the world, we cannot make good democrats out of other peoples with other cultures.

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douglas smith

Wrong turn

July 9, 2017

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

To understand counterinsurgency one must read both sides of the debate for and against it to understand it allocations. This is excellent book regardless of which side of the debate you are on.

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Wrong Turn: Americas Deadly Embrace of Counterinsurgency Hardcover – August 1, 2013

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Wrong Turn: Americas Deadly Embrace of Counterinsurgency Hardcover – August 1, 2013