My Share of the Task

A Memoir

By: General Stanley McChrystal

Narrated by: Kevin Collins

Length: 19 hrs and 10 mins

Publisher's summary

"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."

©2013 Stanley A. McChrystal (P)2013 Penguin Audio

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)

Unique perspective

General McChrystal shares his unique perspective on the events in Iraq and Afghanistan. I am positive their are other perspectives out there, but I appreciate hearing how he viewed the events that transpired while he was in command. I would be interested in hearing him discuss the situations in both countries today.

This was a good listen and was great for filling commuting time and travel.

The Epilogue on leadership was the best part

My main takeaway from this book (perhaps not intended by the author) is that the US's involvement in the Middle East is an endless game of whack-a-mole, which it is unless the military strategy is coupled with a strategy to win the war of ideas - one that addresses the root cause of Islamic extremism, which is Wahhabism. The "Ruhr Valley" of Wahhabism lies within a certain region of Saudia Arabia, home to the religious institutions where extremist thought is manufactured and disseminated. Of course, the US will never have the "street cred" to have any frontline or visible role in dismantling Wahhabism the way it helped to dismantle Nazism in Germany, but it must do what it can to support moderate elements within Saudia Arabja.

Anyway, the Epilogue at the end of this book was my favorite part - a summary of Gen. McChrystal's nuggets of wisdom on leadership learned over a lifetime of great service to our nation, spoken in his own words. I plan to listen to this Epilogue again and again.

Loved this Book

To me, if you are in pursuit of leadership, are developing your leadership skills, or just want to leave a great book as a more thoughtful individual than when the book found you, you would be hard-pressed to find better than Ret. General Stan McChrystal's memoir. Enjoy it.

Great read.

This book really gives great insight on what a leader should emulate. He was fully recognizant of his shortcomings and tried to emulate the leadership skills he saw others use in their leadership roles.

No man is perfect but one must try each and every day to become a better person. This book made me feel that General McChrystal tried his hardest, and that's all you can ask for.

An enlightening and inspiring book.

In a day when the bulk of our knowledge and understanding of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are shaped--or misshaped-- by mass media, General McChrystal's book provides a vastly deeper understanding of the complexity of the events in those conflicts, and the evolution of the skills and strategies that allowed them to be managed effectively. It is also a lesson in commitment to the lifelong development of leadership skills, and contains invaluable insights for developing leaders in all fields.

Absolutely Great read

Absolutely loved it. Great book of leadership. Cleared up my misunderstanding of the Rolling Stone issue. Again false narrative of the media caused a Great Warrior to go down.

McChrystal’s best book

What a great story of the influences shaping our Army up to and during the Global War on Terror.

Works for readers interested in special ops.

This is the work of a dedicated officer and tells what it can about special operations at work in today's conflicts, especially dealing with Al Qaeda and similar elements.

The author narrates competently, and you get a feel for the man, a career officer starting with West Point and growing up on Army bases. He is a highly motivated officer, and that comes across in the book and his reading.

The standout aspect for me was the role of intelligence, especially two particulars. One was gathering intelligence while conducting an op, say at four in the afternoon. The team would collect intelligence (paper, computers, thumb drives, cell phones, etc,), get info from it, then launch another raid exploiting that info, do the same there, and make another raid the same day, all exploiting new intelligence harvested at each op.

The other standout was interrogation, the people involved, and the personal qualities that worked. McC agrees with McCain that torture is counterproductive.

A major limitation is that there's a lot that isn't told because it's classified. McC also goes out of his way not to criticize fellow officers. That's a weakness in that it's generally agreed that in the Brenner era in Iraq we didn't do very well because of poor leadership. When McC gives us one sentence on Sanchez, he doesn't do the subject justice.

I enjoyed this as a honest account of a career in a field I find interesting. Not all readers would, but for those of us interested in the subject, it's worthwhile.

A rare perspective

While the public only heard of his last 2 years, his story of the Special Operations Forces is a rare, unclassified story…. a unique man I met twice, I enjoyed his thorough autobiography.

The Idealist General

If you could sum up My Share of the Task in three words, what would they be?

Overall, the book was interesting, well written and well narrated. My personal opinion of Gen. McChrystal has no bearing on the quality of the book. That's up to the reader to decide.

What about Kevin Collins’s performance did you like?

Mr. Collins did an outstanding job of narrating this book. Very professional, emphasis where needed and not overly animated... Great performance!

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

"Soldiers be Damned"

Any additional comments?

I read this book on the recommendation of a well respected former Special Operations Operator / Commander. I had no opinion of Gen. McChrystal prior to reading the book. Since, I feel that the General was determined to nod in the affirmative, salute, and enthusiastically implement the orders and direction given from those appointed above him. At a time when many well respected and proven Generals were resigning due to disagreements with the administration (both Bush and Obama), General McChrystal was determined to do his duty as a Soldier and follow orders... Soldiers be Damned. (My opinion. Read the book and decide for yourself...)