Michael Hastings (2) (1980–2013)

This book takes the "Almost Famous" approach to reporting on a general. Free-lance Rolling Stone reporter Michael Hastings used his groupie status in the McChrystal entourage into a revealing article that exposed the attitude and contempt Stanley McChrystal felt for his political superiors. Stanley McChrystal probably assumed to be untouchable, a "golden god", for the job he did keeping the war in Afghanistan out of the American public's mind. David Petraeus and Stanley McChrystal had become show more masters in the public relations department, selling and repackaging an unwinnable war inro signs of progress, making the Friedman units bearable.

Among McChrystal's early PR works were declaring in 2003 that "I would anticipate that the major combat engagements are over" (in Iraq) and promoting the Pat Tillman hero story despite evidence to the his being killed by friendly fire McChrystal's Task Force 6-26 was heavily involved in torture and abuse of detainees. Copying the Petraeus play book, McChrystal asked for and received the means for a surge in Afghanistan. While Petraeus' surge succeeded in its main goal of prolonging Bush's war into Obama's, McChrystal lacked both such a military and political objective, thus its failure wasn't critical, the unnecessary blood shed apart. McChrystal stumbled not over his failed progress in Afghanistan but over ruffling the feathers of the bigwigs in Washington, DC.

While the grievances revealed by Hastings' article were mostly petty, he showed the world an egomaniac general on an ascetic Schmerzensmann performance and an incredible tone-deafness towards non-Americans. The contempt and stupidity McChrystal's entourage engaged in in Paris and Berlin highlighted that they were incapable in understanding even close Western allies. If somebody is unable to close the cultural gap between the United States and Europe, it is unlikely that such a person would manage to handle a complex case like Afghanistan. It is one of Obama's main failures that he did not put a stop to the war in Afghanistan or at least replace most of the Bush generals.

In sum, a good account of the life of Stanley McChrystal, interlaced with a rather tasteless account of the partying of the general and his entourage while soldiers and civilians were being killed in Afghanistan. An early warning sign should have been McChrystal's favorite beverage, Bud light lime. show less

As a US Army Veteran that served for 8 years and did two combat tours (one during the first six months of the war with Iraq and one later with an ADA unit), so much of what Hastings describes regarding military culture, the feeling on the ground among people who are actually doing the work and the disconnect that often exists between command officers (and sometimes E-8s) and the rest of the troops is spot on. It was also nice to see a real profile of higher ranking people that portrays them show more as human beings with victories and failures, rather than as mythologized, perfect representations of the military ethos. The spin that comes from the top down always annoyed me, because it felt like an insult to intelligence to try to present our leaders as perfect men while the rest of us were just scum, trying to scrape our way up a ladder to humanhood. It was nice to see a real face put on real people in a real war, reminding America that something's happening over there and that shit is far from clear. When you finish reading this book, you'll be asking the question that should be asked: Why are we in Afghanistan and what is it we hope to accomplish there, and is that hoped for outcome even feasible? show less

Even before he had made waves with "The Runaway General", his article for Rolling Stone about General Stanley McChrystal which led to the supreme U.S. commander in Afghanistan being removed from his post, journalist Michael Hastings had already courted controversy with this memoir. It chronicles his tragic relationship with Andi Parhamovich, a young woman who he met just a few months before he took up an assignment for Newsweek reporting from Iraq. They continued a long distance show more relationship, with short interludes together whenever Hastings returned to the States for leave. Eventually Andi decided to apply for a job with an U.S. NGO operating in Baghdad in order to both further her own idealistic ambitions to help the people of Iraq, and be closer to her boyfriend. A decision that would eventually have fatal consequences.

Hastings describes both his deepening relationship with Andi, which eventually leads to talk of marriage and shopping expeditions to pick out the right engagement ring, alongside his life as a reporter in a war zone, which particularly after the bombing of the Golden Mosque in Samaraa in early 2006 descends into all out civil war. He describes both aspects of his life in vivid detail. The tale is a gripping one even though the end is a forgone conclusion. When the moment arrives, Hastings recounts in shocking detail what happens when Andi goes on a trip in to a hostile area as part of her job and is ambushed by an insurgent group.

Some reviewers have criticised the book as a cynical attempt to cash in on Andi's death. But Hastings writes with a honesty so brutal that one suspects that under the lucid, unadorned prose he is grappling with a deep sense of guilt. Some of the episodes with Andi he describes are ones in which he was impatient, unfair or hurtful and he never tries to offer rationalisations or apologies for these but presents them unadorned and unvarnished for the reader. A reviewer once described his tell-all account of McChrystal and his coterie in Afghanistan as a a burning of the bridge which gave him inside access to the 'story' in the military "with everyone, including him, on it." Here he seems to have turned the harsh spotlight on himself with the same fearlessness.

Insightful, engaging and deeply moving. show less

This was a tough book to read but I'm glad I found it during one of my random searches of the library shelves. Hastings' account of his time reporting in Iraq puts the day-to-day realities of life for residents and soldiers in your face. And it ain't pretty. It made me embarrassed about little I've understood what was happening over there. I don't think I'm the only one but it has me wanting better information and a clearer sense of why we're doing what we're doing from our leaders going show more forward about Iraq and Afghanistan. This is one of those stories behind the stories that should be required reading (at minimum) for anyone going into international relations and public policy. If we can't affect the decision-makers in place now, at least start now with the next generation. show less