The Fourth Star
Four Generals and the Epic Struggle for the Future of the United States Army
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Narrated by:
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Richard McGonagle
About this listen
Collectively, their lives tell the story of the Army over the last four decades and illuminate the path it must travel to protect the nation over the next century.
In The Fourth Star, you'll follow:
The Fourth Star ranges far beyond today's battlefields, evoking the Army's tumultuous history since Vietnam through these four captivating lives and ultimately revealing a fascinating irony: In an institution that prizes obedience, the most effective warriors are often those who dare to question.
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The Nightingale's Song
- By: Robert Timberg
- Narrated by: Patrick Lawlor
- Length: 22 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
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Robert Timberg weaves together the lives of Annapolis graduates John McCain, James Webb, Oliver North, Robert McFarlane, and John Poindexter to reveal how the Vietnam War continues to haunt America. Casting all five men as metaphors for a legion of well-meaning if ill-starred warriors, Timberg probes the fault line between those who fought the war and those who used money, wit, and connections to avoid battle.
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Too Long
- By Tom Carroll on 11-15-18
By: Robert Timberg
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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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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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Knife Fights
- A Memoir of Modern War in Theory and Practice
- By: John Nagl
- Narrated by: Brian Hutchison
- Length: 7 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
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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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The Insurgents
- David Petraeus and the Plot to Change the American Way of War
- By: Fred Kaplan
- Narrated by: Kevin Foley
- Length: 15 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
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Based on previously unavailable documents and interviews with more than 100 key players, including General David Petraeus, The Insurgents unfolds against the backdrop of two wars waged against insurgencies in Iraq and Afghanistan. But the main insurgency is the one led at home by a new generation of officers - including Petraeus, John Nagl, David Kilcullen, and H. R. McMaster - who were seized with an idea on how to fight these kinds of "small wars" and who adapted their enemies' techniques to overhaul their own army.
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How to fight a war and win
- By Chupuk on 05-03-16
By: Fred Kaplan
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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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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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The Assassins' Gate
- America in Iraq
- By: George Packer
- Narrated by: Richard Poe
- Length: 19 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
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The Assassins' Gate, so dubbed by American soldiers, is the entrance to the American zone in the city of Baghdad. In 2003, the United States blazed into Iraq to depose dictator Saddam Hussein. But after three years and unknown thousands killed, that country faces an escalating civil war and an uncertain fate. How did it get to this point?
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Highly Recommended
- By Drapeau on 02-01-07
By: George Packer
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The Mirror Test
- America at War in Iraq and Afghanistan
- By: J. Kael Weston
- Narrated by: J. Kael Weston
- Length: 22 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
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J. Kael Weston spent seven years on the ground in Iraq and Afghanistan working for the US State Department in some of the most dangerous frontline locations. Upon his return home, while traveling the country to pay respect to the dead and wounded, he asked himself: When will these wars end? How will they be remembered and memorialized? What lessons can we learn from them?
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A Must Read
- By Jessica Myrick on 06-04-16
By: J. Kael Weston
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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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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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The Operators
- The Wild and Terrifying Inside Story of America's War in Afghanistan
- By: Michael Hastings
- Narrated by: Lloyd James
- Length: 12 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
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An explosive, behind-the-scenes look into the workings of the U.S. war in Afghanistan that lifts the curtain of the world stage to reveal the devastating greed, waste, and failure surrounding this unwinnable war.
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VERY INTERESTING STORY
- By Professor on 01-04-13
By: Michael Hastings
What listeners say about The Fourth Star
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Jeff
- 09-09-12
Gripping
An inspirational story paralleling the lives of 4 US Army Generals, and how they ultimately found success in Iraq. I didn't know what to expect with this book, but it has become one of my favorites.
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- Daniel
- 10-29-10
Learned a lot
This was some great in-depth reporting, mixing fact with anecdote and detail. The reading was great and it hooked me well. I wish this guy would read all the books.
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- Mike
- 10-01-12
Great book about some amazing individuals
If you could sum up The Fourth Star in three words, what would they be?
Awesome. Badass. Insightful.
If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?
The ones on the ground, in charge, when our country calls. You may have heard the names, but now hear their stories.
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- Micah Harford
- 11-24-19
For DoD Officers and Senior NCOs
The 4th Star is indeed a good book. It captures some perilous times in America‘s recent history of fighting wars overseas, specifically in Iraq and indirectly Afghanistan, through the eyes of the generals that commanded the troops at those times. I think people outside of the DOD would find it boring. Military politics is not for everyone.
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- Jeffrey A Peterson
- 11-28-22
Great listen
Great book. Lots to learn from the career of these four great Generals. I worked for Gen Chiarelli. A great man and General!
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- Tatiana
- 08-09-18
Sincerely a must for US Military Officers
Very informative and engaging book that accounts the paths and leadership styles of four of the most iconic and influential leaders in the contemporary wars.
For those who are junior officers, it showcases the struggles and motivations for those making decisions at the strategic levels.
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- Tom
- 09-16-12
Insight into the lives of great commanders.
Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?
I met Greg Jaffe in Afghanistan while he was writing an article for the Washington Post on my unit the 2-503 IN of the 173rd ABN. I found him authentic, insightful, and warm. I enjoyed reading about the personal lives and challenges these leaders faced as they came up through the ranks and how thier diffrent morals and convictions shaped how they saw the Army and what they did when they had the change to effect change. I am a better Army leader for having read this book.
What did you like best about this story?
That General Casey passed Delta Selection but opted out because of family. I respect family men.
If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?
Patient Leadership
Any additional comments?
I have read Ambrose, Adkinson, and Weatherford. Greg and David do a fantastic job of spinning a yarn. I put this book at the top of my list of Military History books.
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- Douglas
- 03-03-18
Interesting Look at USA Military Post-9/11
This book tells about the lives and experiences of four modern American generals. I typically don't like that sort of multi-biographical approach, but I got used to it in this case and ended up enjoying it. It did take me a while to get involved in it.
It may be a bit confusing for listeners at times because the authors switch back and forth between the four men, and eventually they interact with each other. We get a good background on the four of them, but it's still hard, as they are all pretty similar. It may be hard for readers to keep them straight. If you aren't able to separate each one from the other, it won't be as meaningful of course. It gets even more confusing when many other additional characters are introduced late in the book.
One thing I was disappointed in was that the book doesn't really explain the star system. It's not as though the moment when each general achieved that 4th star is covered either (although there are some references to it).
The narrator is absolutely perfect for the subject matter.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Joshua Kim
- 06-10-12
Learning from the Military
I just finished an excellent book called The Fourth Star: Four Generals and the Epic Struggle for the Future of the United States Army. I believe that the experience of the generals profiled in this book can teach us in academia a great deal about how the culture of large and tradition bound institutions can be transformed.
In order to effectively fight in Iraq these generals, particularly David Patraeus, needed to reverse the deeply held traditional Army doctrine of force protection and overwhelming kinetic warfare. In its place, Petraeus was able to instill counter-insurgency tactics that emphasized protecting the population and co-opting former insurgents to create the security necessary to build institutions.
As a learning technologist working for a private college I have very little contact with military people and institutions. I know little about the armed forces academies and colleges, beyond that they have a reputation for extreme academic rigor and are known for producing some of our highest quality postsecondary graduates.
I have no idea how the armed forces utilize learning technology in their institutions of higher learning. I have an inkling that a great number of active duty personnel and veterans utilize online learning, but I have never worked directly with this population.
I've come to believe that my ignorance about our military is a problem. Beyond the embarrassing fact that I don't personally know anybody who has served and sacrificed in our nation's wars over the past 6 years, and have a poor understanding of military educational institutions, I think that I am missing an opportunity to learn about cultures and how they transform themselves.
In higher education we are engaged in a cultural shift. One that puts the learner at the center of the construction and delivery of education, a process that is catalyzed by technology. We are living through a transition from a scarcity of educational materials and knowledge to an abundance. We are working to redesign our institutions, programs and courses to meet the needs of a new set learners, as well as to open up higher education to groups that have traditionally been closed out.
How can we make connections and build relationships with members of our military who also work in education? At EDUCAUSE I did not see any presentations by people from armed forces academies or institutions (did I miss them?). I'm not sure how to make these connections. How can we learn from the larger experience of transformation in the military to help us manage our own transformations?
Below are 4 books that I read in the past couple years on the U.S. military. Any recommendations for other books would be appreciated.
The Gamble: General David Petraeus and the American Military Adventure in Iraq, 2006-2008
Fiasco: The American Military Adventure in Iraq
Hog Pilots, Blue Water Grunts: The American Military in the Air, at Sea, and on the Ground
Imperial Grunts: On the Ground with the American Military, from Mongolia to the Philippines to Iraq and Beyond
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2 people found this helpful
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- Kindle Customer
- 09-02-21
Great perspective for Army Officers
Great read for young officers looking to gain perspective on the strategic decisions that are made by the senior leaders in the Army.
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