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The Operators

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The Operators

By: Michael Hastings
Narrated by: Dan Russell
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About this listen

General Stanley McChrystal, commander of international and US forces in Afghanistan, was living large, with staff calling him a rock star.

Journalist Michael Hastings of Rolling Stone looked on as McChrystal and his staff let off steam, partying and openly bashing the Obama administration. When Hastings' piece appeared a few months later, it set off a political firestorm: McChrystal was ordered to Washington, where he was unceremoniously fired.

Hastings gives us a shocking behind-the-scenes portrait of Allied military commanders, their high-stakes manoeuvres and often bitter bureaucratic infighting.

©2012 Michael Hastings (P)2016 W F Howes Ltd Afghan & Iraq Wars Asia Military Political Science War

Critic Reviews

"An insightful look at how powerful some of the US's top generals really are, and also unwraps some of the chaos behind allied military command and the so-called 'war on terror'." ( The Sunday Business Post)
"Hastings offers a fiercely intelligent analysis of how the American military spun the war in Afghanistan." ( The Sunday Telegraph)

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Revealing

The author was candid and frank in his assessment of both the subject and at times himself. The story is unique as he was not bluffed by his proximity to the people however he did remain respectful of the subjects.

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A good accompaniment to war machine

I wanted to read this after seeing Brad Pitt's warm machine. I thought it was fascinating. It was good to get the complete picture around what happened. Let's hope they learn from it.

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Very recommended

This book is for anyone who has any interest in the U.S military industrial complex and wants to know more about what drove politics and policy during the last 20 years in Afghanistan and Iraq. The books does a great job at explaining exactly what the problems are.

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