My Share of the Task
A Memoir
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Narrated by:
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Kevin Collins
About this listen
"Never shall I fail my comrades.... I will shoulder more than my share of the task, whatever it may be, one hundred percent and then some."
—from the Ranger Creed
In early March 2010, General Stanley McChrystal, the commanding officer of all U.S. and coalition forces in Afghanistan, walked with President Hamid Karzai through a small rural bazaar. As Afghan townspeople crowded around them, a Taliban rocket loudly thudded into the ground some distance away. Karzai looked to McChrystal, who shrugged. The two leaders continued greeting the townspeople and listening to their views.
That trip was typical of McChrystal’s entire career, from his first day as a West Point plebe to his last day as a four-star general. The values he has come to be widely admired for were evident: a hunger to know the truth on the ground, the courage to find it, and the humility to listen to those around him. Even as a senior commander, McChrystal stationed himself forward, and frequently went on patrols with his troops to experience their challenges firsthand.
In this illuminating memoir, McChrystal frankly explores the major episodes and controversies of his eventful career. He delves candidly into the intersection of history, leadership, and his own experience to produce a book of enduring value.
Joining the troubled post-Vietnam army as a young officer, McChrystal witnessed and participated in some of our military’s most difficult struggles. He describes the many outstanding leaders he served with and the handful of bad leaders he learned not to emulate. He paints a vivid portrait of the traditional military establishment that turned itself, in one generation, into the adaptive, resilient force that would soon be tested in Iraq, Afghanistan, and the wider War on Terror.
McChrystal spent much of his early career in the world of special operations, at a time when these elite forces became increasingly effective - and necessary. He writes of a fight waged in the shadows by the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC), which he led from 2003 to 2008. JSOC became one of our most effective counterterrorism weapons, facing off against Al Qaeda in Iraq.
Over time, JSOC gathered staggering amounts of intelligence in order to find and remove the most influential and dangerous terrorists, including the leader of Al Qaeda in Iraq, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. The hunt for Zarqawi drives some of the most gripping scenes in this book, as McChrystal’s team grappled with tricky interrogations, advanced but scarce technology, weeks of unbroken surveillance, and agonizing decisions.
McChrystal brought the same energy to the war in Afghanistan, where the challenges loomed even larger. His revealing account draws on his close relationships with Afghan leaders, giving readers a unique window into the war and the country.
Ultimately, My Share of the Task is about much more than war and peace, terrorism and counterinsurgency. As McChrystal writes, "More by luck than design, I’d been a part of some events, organizations, and efforts that will loom large in history, and more that will not. I saw selfless commitment, petty politics, unspeakable cruelty, and quiet courage in places and quantities that I’d never have imagined. But what I will remember most are the leaders."
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Critic reviews
"General McChrystal is a legendary warrior with a fine eye for enduring lessons about leadership, courage, and consequence. He took me inside the command bunker, on nighttime raids, and through the fog of war, political and military. My Share of the Task is an important, riveting, and instructive account of the triumphs and trials of America’s two longest wars.” (Tom Brokaw, author of The Greatest Generation)
“Written in the tradition of Ulysses S. Grant, My Share of the Task is a clear, compelling, self-critical, and utterly unpretentious memoir. I know of no better book on the nature of modern military command.” (John Lewis Gaddis, author of George F. Kennan: An American Life)
"This is a brilliant book about leadership wrapped inside a fascinating personal narrative. By describing his own life, and especially his command in Afghanistan, General McChrystal helps us understand the modern missions of the military. More than that, he provides lessons about leadership and values that are indispensable in our daily lives. It’s a deeply inspiring tale." (Walter Isaacson, author of Steve Jobs and Benjamin Franklin)
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From one of the most important army officers of his generation, a memoir of the revolution in warfare he helped lead, in combat and in Washington. When John Nagl was an army tank commander in the first Gulf War of 1991, fresh out of West Point and Oxford, he could already see that America’s military superiority meant that the age of conventional combat was nearing an end.
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There's so much I didn't know.
- By Lori James on 12-07-22
By: John Nagl
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88 Days to Kandahar
- A CIA Diary
- By: Robert L. Grenier
- Narrated by: Joe Barrett
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- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
In his gripping narrative, we meet General Tommy Franks, who bridles at CIA control of "his" war; General "Jafar Amin", a gruff Pakistani intelligence officer who saves Grenier from committing career suicide; Maleeha Lodhi, Pakistan's brilliant ambassador to the US, who tries to warn her government of the al-Qaeda threat; "Mark", the CIA operator who guides GulAgha Shirzai to bloody victory over the Taliban.
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Honest conclusion based on practical realities.
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My Country, My Life
- Fighting for Israel, Searching for Peace
- By: Ehud Barak
- Narrated by: Ehud Barak, Jonathan Davis
- Length: 20 hrs and 38 mins
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
In the summer of 2000, the most decorated soldier in Israel's history - Ehud Barak - set himself a challenge as daunting as any he had faced on the battlefield: to secure a final peace with the Palestinians. He would propose two states for two peoples, with a shared capital in Jerusalem. He knew the risks of failure. But he also knew the risks of not trying: letting slip perhaps the last chance for a generation to secure genuine peace. It was a moment of truth.
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Unbelievably Fantastic Book
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By: Ehud Barak
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Directorate S
- The C.I.A. and America's Secret Wars in Afghanistan and Pakistan
- By: Steve Coll
- Narrated by: Malcolm Hillgartner
- Length: 28 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Resuming the narrative of his Pulitzer Prize-winning Ghost Wars, best-selling author Steve Coll tells for the first time the epic and enthralling story of America's intelligence, military, and diplomatic efforts to defeat Al Qaeda and the Taliban in Afghanistan and Pakistan since 9/11.
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Slow At Times But Always Horrifying And Engaging
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By: Steve Coll
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The Finish
- The Killing of Osama bin Laden
- By: Mark Bowden
- Narrated by: James Lurie
- Length: 8 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
From Mark Bowden, internationally best-selling and acclaimed author of Black Hawk Down and the preeminent chronicler of the actions of our military and special forces writing today, comes an intensely gripping account of the hunt for and elimination of Osama bin Laden. With unprecedented access to key sources and his great gift for storytelling, Bowden takes us inside the rooms where decisions were made and on the ground where the action unfolded.
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Listen to No Easy Day...much better
- By JMM on 10-20-12
By: Mark Bowden
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The Art of Intelligence
- Lessons from a Life in the CIA's Clandestine Service
- By: Henry A. Crumpton
- Narrated by: David Colacci
- Length: 12 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
A legendary CIA spy and counterterrorism expert here tells the spellbinding story of his high-risk, action-packed career while illustrating the growing importance of America's intelligence officers and their secret missions. The Art of Intelligence draws from the full arc of Henry Crumpton's espionage and covert action exploits to explain what America's spies do and why their service is more valuable than ever.
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Looking for a place in History?
- By Anne on 05-20-12
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American Soldier
- By: General Tommy R. Franks, Malcolm McConnell
- Narrated by: Eric Conger
- Length: 19 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
The Commander in Chief of the United States Central Command from July 2000 through July 2003, General Tommy Franks made history leading American and Coalition forces to victory in Afghanistan and Iraq, the decisive battles that launched the war on terrorism.
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even more proud of our military
- By Brian on 08-12-04
By: General Tommy R. Franks, and others
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Little America
- The War within the War for Afghanistan
- By: Rajiv Chandrasekaran
- Narrated by: Rajiv Chandrasekaran
- Length: 12 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
When President Barack Obama ordered the surge of troops and aid to Afghanistan, Washington Post correspondent Rajiv Chandrasekaran followed. He found the effort sabotaged not only by Afghan and Pakistani malfeasance, but by infighting and incompetence within the American government: a war cabinet arrested by vicious bickering among top national security aides; diplomats and aid workers who failed to deliver on their grand promises; and generals who dispatched troops to the wrong places.
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Easily Confused with Vietnam
- By Chris Reich on 07-12-12
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The Unraveling
- High Hopes and Missed Opportunities in Iraq
- By: Emma Sky
- Narrated by: Henrietta Meire
- Length: 11 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
When Emma Sky, an intrepid young British woman, volunteered to help rebuild Iraq after the overthrow of Saddam Hussein, she had little idea what she was letting herself in for: a tour that would last over a decade, longer than that of any senior military or political official. As the only adviser to the Coalition Provisional Authority in Kirkuk and the closest confidante to US General Odierno, Sky was valued for her controversial voice and outsider's point of view.
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Inspiring memoir; irritating narration
- By Amazon Customer on 09-17-16
By: Emma Sky
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Without Hesitation
- The Odyssey of an American Warrior
- By: General Hugh Shelton, Ronald Levinson, Malcolm McConnell
- Narrated by: General Hugh Shelton
- Length: 6 hrs and 58 mins
- Abridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
During a nearly 40-year career in the United States Army, Hugh Shelton has been known as a straight shooter - when he speaks he means what he says. Whether serving under a Democratic president or a Republican president, whether in a war that was popular at home or not, Hugh Shelton gave all he had, and asked nothing less of the men and women who worked for him. Politically independent, Shelton told the truth - not what his superiors wanted to hear.
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Week done!
- By Jennifer on 04-13-18
By: General Hugh Shelton, and others
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Surge
- My Journey with General David Petraeus and the Remaking of the Iraq War
- By: Peter R. Mansoor, General David Petraeus - foreword
- Narrated by: Mark Boyett
- Length: 17 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Surge is an insider's view of the most decisive phase of the Iraq War. Using newly declassified documents, unpublished manuscripts, interviews, author notes, and published sources, Surge explains how President George W. Bush, Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, Ambassador Crocker, General Petraeus, and other U.S. and Iraqi political and military leaders shaped the surge from the center of the maelstrom in Baghdad and Washington.
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Helpful for the Army War College
- By BBP on 02-24-18
By: Peter R. Mansoor, and others
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The Endgame
- The Inside Story of the Struggle for Iraq, from George W. Bush to Barack Obama
- By: Michael R. Gordon, Bernard E. Trainor
- Narrated by: Rob Shapiro
- Length: 32 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
The Endgame is Michael R. Gordon and General Bernard E. Trainor's most ambitious and news-breaking book to date. A peerless work of investigative journalism and historical recreation ranging from 2003 to 2012, it gives us the first comprehensive, inside account of arguably the most widely reported yet least understood war in American history - from the occupation of Iraq to the withdrawal of American troops.
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Interesting Perspective, but One-Sided
- By Benjamin on 02-09-14
By: Michael R. Gordon, and others
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Twilight Warriors
- The Soldiers, Spies, and Special Agents Who Are Revolutionizing the American Way of War
- By: James Kitfield
- Narrated by: Tom Perkins
- Length: 15 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
In Twilight Warriors, award-winning foreign correspondent James Kitfield introduces us to the tight-knit brotherhood that strives to keep the United States safe from the dimly understood threats it now faces. Together these men have broken down the boundaries between their respective agencies to engineer a network-centric way of fighting using a seamless web of intelligence analysts, information networks, FBI forensics experts, and Special Forces units to take the fight to America's enemies as never before.
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South African Perspectives
- By Bernard Remacle on 03-22-17
By: James Kitfield
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Shadow Strike
- Inside Israel's Secret Mission to Eliminate Syrian Nuclear Power
- By: Yaakov Katz
- Narrated by: Christopher Lane
- Length: 8 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
On September 6, 2007, shortly after midnight, Israeli fighters advanced on Deir ez-Zour in Syria. Israel often flew into Syria as a warning to President Bashar al-Assad. But this time, there was no warning and no explanation. This was a covert operation, with one goal: to destroy a nuclear reactor being built by North Korea under a tight veil of secrecy in the Syrian desert. Shadow Strike tells, for the first time, the story of the espionage, military might and psychological warfare behind Israel’s operation to stop one of the greatest known acts of nuclear proliferation.
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Important Book!
- By Gerald J. Vogt on 05-10-19
By: Yaakov Katz
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VERY INTERESTING STORY
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What listeners say about My Share of the Task
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Donald
- 02-09-13
Understanding Our Most Recent Wars
If you could sum up My Share of the Task in three words, what would they be?
Understanding our Involument
What other book might you compare My Share of the Task to and why?
Unique , General Stanley McChrystal has personalized the 3 wars that we are presently involed. We see how from a young boy his destiny was to be person in charge.His desired to have open and transparent communication was his biggest asset.
What does Kevin Collins bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?
The inflection of his voice and timing adds to the excitment and drama of the story
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
NO, much of what is presented must be thought about ,reflected on, so you understand the General's involement.
Any additional comments?
With our present administration's foreign policy, this book explains the questions of why. I don't feel this soldier was listen to by our administration . The culture, prior events,and tribes of the area, General Stanley McChrystal's account is current and honest- A rare attribute today.
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2 people found this helpful
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- Charles
- 07-20-20
Great life and military memoir!
Great life and military memoir filled with insightful stories. Thank you for your service, Gen. McChrystal!
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- Corey R. Zimmerman
- 08-12-15
good leadership book
the book contained many leadership ideas and strategies taken from personal experiences the writer encountered.
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- Dave
- 06-13-17
War Games very biased
Got this from watching Netflix War Games. Like any story there's two sides but it makes it clear media bias and
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- Joseph
- 03-09-18
Must read
Whatever your world view, My Share of the Task is such a worthwhile account of a critical part of American history. General McChrystal dedicated his life to our country and the people who put their lives in jeopardy to defend it. The level of detail in the book I found really helpful, as well as his open-mindedness to all views. We need more General McChrystals.
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- Joshua
- 02-06-16
Great read for up and coming leaders!!!
I really enjoyed Gen. McChrystal opening and closing the book himself. His views on the very wars I fought in. It makes me feel better, now understanding some of the decisions that were made while I was there fighting. The narrator was superb. Thank you for your service and I hope this helps future military leaders understand what it takes to lead.
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- Woopoou99
- 01-30-17
A Soldier
Great lessons on leadership at all levels. It isn't just a recitation of a successful career.
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- Scott
- 01-21-13
A Riveting Tale of a Storied Military Career
In 1996, I read Norman Schwarzkopf's autobiography, It Doesn't Take a Hero, and it played a major part in my decision to attend West Point. General McChrystal's book is sure to have a similar impact on a generation of future officers.
While my opinion may be biased as I could recall many of the experiences and locations that are discussed, this story is a true page-turner, despite knowing how it turns out. McChrystal does a good job of explaining complex military relationships and terms that make the book understandable. The narrator correctly pronounces many challenging names and adds a good deal to the already-entertaining work.
My only negative comment would be the ending. I won't spoil, but would only say that I was hoping for more. As a true professional, General McChrystal has obviously left any juicy gossip for others to pontificate on.
Do yourself a favor and listen to this amazing piece of American military history as told from the inside.
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7 people found this helpful
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- Joseph Hayek
- 07-15-14
An Honest, but gracious general
Any additional comments?
Gen McCrystal was a goof ball his first couple of years at West Point and he tells some hilarious stories about this. This is a long book that covers many, many years. He gives the most attention to Afghanistan and Iraq, as I was hoping. The General is a driven work-a-holic (4hrs sleep a night, eats one meal a day, runs 7+ miles a day). He just missed Vietnam and didn't see combat until much later in his career. As intense as he is, he is very gracious to others he talks about in the book. This is largely the story of the special ops in O.E.F. and O.I.F. from the view of the man in charge. The reader is absolutely the best reader of any book I have listened to. I thought I was listening to Gen McCrystal himself. He speaks directly about the death of Ranger Pat Tillman. Finally, he deals head-on with the Rolling Stone magazine reporter and story that cost him his job. Very enjoyable.
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4 people found this helpful
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- Rusty Riis
- 05-30-19
Great read
I thought the book was well written and the author clearly cared about the US and its allies, I think it’s worth the read.
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