Cobra II: The Inside Story of the Invasion and Occupation of Iraq

Version: Abridged
Author: Michael R. Gordon , Bernard E. Trainor
Narrator: Craig Wasson
Genres: History, Military
Publisher: Random House Audio Assets
Published In: March 2006
# of Units: 8 CDs
Length: 9 hours
Ratings:
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Overview

A revelatory work of investigative journalism, this comprehensive and unfiltered account of the war in Iraq is written by the only reporter who was embedded with the Allied land command.

Reviews (2)

A Snake Bit War

Written by Mandi Chestler from Lake Oswego, OR on November 7th, 2006

  • Book Rating: 4/5

Cobra II is aptly named as the book makes clear this war was snake bit from the beginning due to poor planning at the highest level--particularly with the lack of post-war plans. If you have any doubts about whether or not Rummy mucked the war effort up badly, this book explains the whole sorry tale in great detail. Franks and Bremmer come off like a couple of snakes as well. Lots of factual detail makes the mistakes in this war painfully real and very heart wrenching. The troops and their immediate commanders in the field are presented as the real heroes that have been woefully abused by the powers that be. The summary at the end of Disk 8 is particulary helpful.

Cobra II: The Inside Story of the Invasion and Occupation of Iraq

Written by Michael Scott from Santa Cruz, CA on September 13th, 2006

  • Book Rating: 5/5

The best non-partisan book on the entire war I've seen yet. Unlike other books on the subject, which delve mainly on the political side of the war here in the US, this text delves more into the military aspect - including the major players, descriptions of the battles, a glimpse into what the Iraqis were thinking / doing and the internal workings of the military machine during the fighting. It points out blatant failures in intelligence, blunders made by the military / US Administration, mistakes made by the Iraqi government, failure to plan for reconstruction, how the military adjusted to changes on the ground, while the administration was determined to "stay the course", as well as this administrations blatant disregard of council given by those on the ground, and by those who had more experience in warfare. A highly recommended read.

Author Details

Author Details

Gordon, Michael R.

Michael R. Gordon is the chief military correspondent for "The New York Times," where he has worked since 1985. He is the coauthor, with Lieutenant General Bernard E. Trainor, of "The Generals' War." He has covered the Iraq War, the American intervention in Afghanistan, the Kosovo conflict, the Russian war in Chechnya, the 1991 Persian Gulf War, and the American invasion of Panama. He lives in the Washington, D.C., area.
Bernard E. Trainor, a retired Marine Corps lieutenant general, was a military correspondent for "The New York Times" from 1986 to 1990. He was director of the National Sec

Trainor, Bernard E.

Michael R. Gordon is the chief military correspondent for "The New York Times," where he has worked since 1985. He is the coauthor, with Lieutenant General Bernard E. Trainor, of "The Generals' War." He has covered the Iraq War, the American intervention in Afghanistan, the Kosovo conflict, the Russian war in Chechnya, the 1991 Persian Gulf War, and the American invasion of Panama. He lives in the Washington, D.C., area.
Bernard E. Trainor, a retired Marine Corps lieutenant general, was a military correspondent for "The New York Times" from 1986 to 1990. He was director of the National Sec