Peter R. Mansoor - Baghdad at Sunrise. A Brigade Commanders War in Iraq [2008][A]

Book Description
Publication Date: September 16, 2008
This compelling book presents an unparalleled record of what happened after U.S. forces seized Baghdad in the spring of 2003. Army Colonel Peter R. Mansoor, the on-the-ground commander of the 1st Brigade, 1st Armored Division—the “Ready First Combat Team”—describes his brigade’s first year in Iraq, from the sweltering, chaotic summer after the Ba’athists’ defeat to the transfer of sovereignty to an interim Iraqi government a year later. Uniquely positioned to observe, record, and assess the events of that fateful year, Mansoor now explains what went right and wrong as the U.S. military confronted an insurgency of unexpected strength and tenacity.
Drawing not only on his own daily combat journal but also on observations by embedded reporters, news reports, combat logs, archived e-mails, and many other sources, Mansoor offers a contemporary record of the valor, motivations, and resolve of the 1st Brigade and its attachments during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Yet this book has a deeper significance than a personal memoir or unit history. Baghdad at Sunrise provides a detailed, nuanced analysis of U.S. counterinsurgency operations in Iraq, and along with it critically important lessons for America’s military and political leaders of the twenty-first century.

From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. This is a unique contribution to the burgeoning literature on the Iraq war, analyzing the day-to-day performance of a U.S. brigade in Baghdad during 2004-2005. Mansoor uses a broad spectrum of sources to address the military, political and cultural aspects of an operation undertaken with almost no relevant preparation, which tested officers and men to their limits and generated mistakes and misjudgments on a daily basis. The critique is balanced, perceptive and merciless—and Mansoor was the brigade commander. Military history is replete with command memoirs. Most are more or less self-exculpatory. Even the honest ones rarely achieve this level of analysis. The effect is like watching a surgeon perform an operation on himself. Mansoor has been simultaneously a soldier and a scholar, able to synergize directly his military and academic experiences. He presents an eloquent critique of the armed forces' post-Vietnam neglect of counterinsurgency and makes a strong case for integrating military forces with civilian experts who can aid reconstruction in counterinsurgency operations. Above all, Mansoor reasserts the enduring impact of fog and friction on war. There is never an easy solution, he says—or an easy exit. Maps. (Sept.)

From Booklist
*Starred Review* In 2004, Mansoor stirred controversy by sending scores of correspondents a lengthy e-mail challenging media representations of the Iraq War with his own personal experience as an on-the-ground soldier. This compelling narrative goes much further, offering not only factual corrections of published accounts of battlefield events but also incisive analysis of overall American strategy. In reportage that crackles with the gunfire of street fighting, then segues into candid reflections on America’s military doctrines and policies, Mansoor draws readers directly into the tension of the Iraqi conflict. Readers feel the frustrations of American military leaders as victory over Saddam Hussein’s brutal regime unexpectedly lets loose a bloody cycle of sectarian violence. Those planning to establish a unified Iraqi democracy thus find themselves trying to defuse the lethal animosities dividing Ba’athists, Sunnis, Shiites, Kurds, and Syrian Catholics. Mansoor frankly confronts American errors—highlighting the wholesale disbanding of the Iraqi army, the initial deployment of American troops far from urban centers, and the abuse of Iraqi detainees—and he exposes serious deficiencies in American military training. But he strongly affirms the valor and resourcefulness of the American soldier, and he defends a cautiously optimistic assessment of the “surge” of U.S. troops in Baghdad. A sober and balanced perspective. --Bryce Christensen

Reviews
“Baghdad at Sunrise is a masterful account of command in counterinsurgency operations. Colonel Peter Mansoor's superb description of his brigade's experiences during our first year in Iraq is a must read for soldiers, scholars, and policymakers alike—and all would do well to examine the lessons he draws from his experiences.”—David H. Petraeus, General, US Army

“This book will be read by students at military academies and war colleges for years to come. It also speaks to general readers interested in Iraq, in the voices of our soldiers, and in understanding the problems we faced and those we created, without the hyperbole and politicization of most first-person accounts of the early years of this conflict.”—Frederick W. Kagan, American Enterprise Institute

"This is the best personal memoir of the Iraq War that I have seen."—Conrad Crane, lead author of the Army/Marine Corps Field Manual 3-24, Counterinsurgency

“A moving, insightful, and unique account of a combat brigade's experience in Iraq crafted by a gifted soldier-historian—a must-read for anyone who wants to understand how the U.S. military is coping with counterinsurgency warfare in the 21st century.”—H. R. McMaster, author of Dereliction of Duty: Lyndon Johnson, Robert McNamara, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the Lies that Led to Vietnam

"The Iraq war has produced many good books by sergeants and lieutenants, but few notable memoirs by senior officers. Finally, in Baghdad at Sunrise, Colonel Mansoor gives us an account of a year's combat in the Iraqi capital as seen by a brigade commander. What's more, he brings the eye of a trained historian to the task. He is candid about both the successes and the failures of the U.S. military. Read it."—Thomas E. Ricks, military correspondent, The Washington Post, and author of Fiasco: The American Military Adventure in Iraq

“Colonel Mansoor has provided us with an exceptional memoir from mid-level of the tragic course of post-conflict operations in Iraq. It represents an account by a first-rate soldier and perceptive historian that is a must read for anyone interested in what really happened.”—Williamson Murray, author of A War To Be Won: Fighting the Second World War

"In reportage that crackles with the gunfire of street fighting, then segues into candid reflections on America's military doctrines and policies, Mansoor draws readers directly into the tension of the Iraqi conflict. . . . A sober and balanced perspective."—Booklist (starred review)

"Mansoor won a prestigious military-history award for his book The GI Offensive in Europe. Baghdad at Sunrise seems all but certain to net him another."—Douglas Porch, Bookforum

"Baghdad at Sunrise is both good literature and good history. . . . [Mansoor's] style is crisp, clear, and understated. . . . He tells his story from his viewpoint without judging others in the absence of unimpeachable evidence, and even then, lets the reader draw his own conclusions."—COL Gregory Fontenot, Military Review

"Peter Mansoor's extraordinarily valuable Baghdad at Sunrise . . . . is a far better guide to counterinsurgency warfare than the official manual published by the Army and Marines. . . . This book has more intellectual integrity and utility."—Ralph Peters, New York Post

"The poetically titled Baghdad at Sunrise: A Brigade Commander's War in Iraq takes discussion of foreign policy down to the nitty-gritty of operational reality."—Benjamin Lytal, New York Sun (Fall Books Preview)

"This is an exceptional memoir . . . .Simply stated, it is an impressive account that all prospective brigade, regimental and battalion commanders should read."—Frank Hoffman, Small Wars Journal

"A valuable addition to the literature of the war. Mansoor's great strength as an author is his insight into the nature of insurgent warfare in Iraq and the tactics required to defeat it—subjects on which he brings impressive credentials to bear."—Jacob Laksin, City Journal

"Col. Mansoor displays the knowledge of a soldier alongside the narrative gifts of a true historian, weaving dramatic events together, capturing the thoughts and emotions of street-level fighters, and describing Iraqi society as it tries to emerge from the maelstrom of war."—Mark Moyar, Wall Street Journal

"Mansoor's unflinching new account . . . is nearly unique, because his position was rare among military memoirists. . . . He tells the story of that fateful first year in Iraq from the point of view of one who saw decisions being made at the highest echelons, yet led soldiers in executing those orders day by day."—Bill Murphy, Washington Post

"This is a moving, clear, lucid, and extrememly valuable account of midlevel operations in Iraq in the early, crucial stages of the insurgency, with many valuable lessons. . . . As a memoir, Col. Mansoor's book is honest, moving and exceptionally readable."—Martin Sieff, Washington Times

"The last twelve pages alone—'reflections'—are worth the priceof the book. . . . Much rides on whether U.S. officials understand the lessons that Mansoor so eloquently lays bare."—Michael Rubin, Middle East Quarterly

". . . extraordinarily valuable . . . destined to be studied in war colleges for generations. . . . a far better guide to counterinsurgency warfare than the official manual published by the Army and Marines. . . . This book has more intellectual integrity and utility."—Ralph Peters, New York Post

". . . good literature and good history. . . . [Mansoor's] style is crisp, clear, and understated. . . . He tells his story from his viewpoint without judging others in the absence of unimpeachable evidence, and even then, lets the reader draw his own conclusions."—COL Gregory Fontenot, Military Review

From the Author
A conversation with Peter Mansoor...
Q: Why did you decide to write a book about your experiences in Iraq?
A: My intention early on was to keep a daily journal as a personal memoir for my family. After some reflection, I decided that a book-length manuscript could fill a broader need by explaining what went right and wrong in Iraq during the crucial first year after the fall of Baghdad in 2003. A significant void exists in the history of the war, a genre currently filled by works written by reporters and senior public figures on the one hand, and personal memoirs written by relatively junior officers and soldiers on the other. By explaining the conflict from the perspective of a senior commander who served in Iraq, Baghdad at Sunrise fills a critical gap in the public’s understanding of the war.

Q: What unique perspectives do you bring to the history of the Iraq War?
A: My role as a brigade combat team commander has given me a unique perspective on and key insight into the execution of counterinsurgency operations. Iraq is in many important respects a brigade commander’s war. My position gave me a glimpse into the workings of strategic decision-making in the Green Zone, along with a visceral feel for what was happening on the streets of Baghdad. My education as a historian helped me to put the events I witnessed into perspective and to understand their significance in the broader sweep of time.

Q: What impact do you hope Baghdad at Sunrise will have?
A: My goal in writing Baghdad at Sunrise was to give the public a better idea of what happened on the ground in Iraq in the year after the fall of Baghdad, along with providing lessons for the future as the United States and its allies continue the struggle in Iraq, Afghanistan, and elsewhere. A lot has been written about our political and strategic failings, but the story of U.S. Army operations in Iraq has been told mainly through the eyes of people outside the institution. My hope is that the book is also a good read—not just a story worth telling, but a story well told.

About the Author
Peter R. Mansoor is the General Raymond Mason Chair of Military History, Ohio State University. A recently retired U.S. Army colonel, he served as executive officer to Commanding General David H. Petraeus, Multi-National Force–Iraq (2007–8); as a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Strategy Group that proposed the surge strategy in Iraq (2006); as founding director of the U.S. Army/Marine Corps Counterinsurgency Center (2006); and as Commander of the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, in Baghdad (2003–4). He lives in Columbus, OH.