American Soldier by General Tommy Franks w/Malcolm McConnell
published by 10 Regan Books
This is the personal story of General Tommy Franks, leader of the coalition forces that lead the battles in Afghanistan and Iraq. The book is broken into four sections:
- birth and going through to his tour in Vietnam.
- Decission to stay in the military to his promotion to four star general
- 9/11 and the Afghanistan campaign
- The Iraq Campaign
It was interesting to read about his early life. The formation of his character. Not only factual but also entertaining. His tour of duty in Vietnam explains the formation of an innovative mind. That mind lead to the tactical decisions that were played out on the battle fields of Afghanistan and Iraq. Reading the history of the strategic developement of forces showed a clear and decisive change of tactics that would result in a totally different campaign from the first gulf war.
The strength of the book is historical information. The timeline of events and decisions that lead to the formation and execution of the battles. The book also reveals how the press, for good and for bad, reported the news and how in some cases hurt the cause. There are also many explanations to why certain things were done; such as keeping the 4th Div on the ships just off the coast of Turkey until well after the conflict began; the “mission accomplished” press fiasco after phase three operations were completed. There are many examples of behind the scenes events that need to be known to understand the battle plans.
Tommy Franks explains his personal philosophy and plays a bit of the prophet. He warns of the consequences that would face the U.S. and the rest of the world if we fail to gain a full victory in the gulf. A sustainable Iraq government must be in place before the coalition forces leave.
Though this book is primarily a military history it also is a non-partisan political history and a biography. I recommend this book for those who are interested in history and war.