Why We Lost by Daniel Bolger

Why We Lost by Daniel Bolger

A high-ranking general's gripping, "compelling" insider account of the U.S. wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and how it all went wrong (Wall Street Journal).
 
Over his thirty-five year career, Daniel Bolger rose through the ranks of the army infantry to become a three-star general, commanding in both Afghanistan and Iraq. Perhaps more than anyone else, he was witness to the full extent of the wars, from 9/11 to withdrawal from the region. Not only did Bolger participate in top-level planning and strategy meetings, but he also regularly carried a rifle alongside soldiers in combat actions.

Writing with hard-won experience and unflinching honesty, he argues that while we lost in Iraq and Afghanistan, we did not have to. Intelligence was garbled. Key decision makers were blinded by spreadsheets or theories. And we never really understood our enemy. Why We Lost is a timely, forceful, and compulsively readable account of these wars from a fresh and authoritative perspective.

"Why We Lost is neither a memoir nor a window into private meetings and secret discussions. It is . . . filled with heartfelt stories of soldiers and Marines in firefights and close combat. It weighs in mightily to the ongoing debate over how the United States should wage war." -- Washington Post

Daniel P. Bolger currently serves as Chief of Staff of the 2d Infantry Division in Korea. His previous assignments include duty as J-5 (Director Strategy & Analysis) in U.S. Joint Forces Command in Norfolk, Virginia; command of the 2d Brigade, 2d Infantry Division in Korea; duty as G-3 (operations officer) and Infantry battalion commander with the 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell, Kentucky; an earlier assignment as a major with an Infantry battalion in Korea with the 2d Infantry Division; and service from platoon leader through rifle company commander with the 24th Infantry Division, then at Ft. Stewart, Georgia. A graduate of the U.S. Army War College at Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania and the U.S. Army Command & General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, Bolger also taught at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York. He holds a doctorate in history from the University of Chicago. Presidio Press has also published his books Dragons at War; Americans at War; Savage Peace; the Battle for Hunger Hill; and the military novel Feast of Bones.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9780544570412
ISBN 10	0544570413
Title	Why We Lost
Author	Daniel Bolger
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Paperback
Publisher	Mariner Books
Year published	2015-11-03
Number of pages	560
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.