The Good Soldiers

By: David Finkel

Narrated by: Mark Boyett

Length: 10 hrs and 57 mins

Publisher's summary

It was the last-chance moment of the war. In January 2007, President George W. Bush announced a new strategy for Iraq. He called it "the surge". "Many listening tonight will ask why this effort will succeed when previous operations to secure Baghdad did not. Well, here are the differences," he told a skeptical nation.

Among those listening were the young, optimistic Army infantry soldiers of the 2-16, the battalion nicknamed the Rangers. About to head to a vicious area of Baghdad, they decided the difference would be them. Fifteen months later, the soldiers returned home forever changed.

Pulitzer Prize-winning Washington Post reporter David Finkel was with them in Bagdad almost every grueling step of the way. What was the true story of the surge? Was it really a success? Those are the questions he grapples with in his remarkable report from the front lines.

Combining the action of Mark Bowden's Black Hawk Down with the literary brio of Tim O'Brien's The Things They Carried, The Good Soldiers is an unforgettable work of reportage. And in telling the story of these good soldiers, the heroes and the ruined, David Finkel has also produced an eternal tale - not just of the Iraq War, but of all wars, for all time.

©2009 Dave Finkel (P)2009 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

100 Notable Books of 2009 (The New York Times)

Best Books of 2009 (Publishers Weekly)

Best Nonfiction of 2009 (The Boston Globe)

Best Reads of 2009 (Slate.com)

Best Books of 2009: Nonfiction (Christian Science Monitor)

"Finkel's keen firsthand reportage, its grit and impact only heightened by the literary polish of his prose, gives us one of the best accounts yet of the American experience in Iraq." ( Publishers Weekly)

"A superb account of the burdens soldiers bear." ( Kirkus Reviews)

interesting, well written, hard to read

I was surprised I liked this book. Very informative and REAL. I WOULD SUGGEST YOU READ IT

a very touching story

These guys went through hell, as did many other soldiers, for a war that probably wasn't justified, but I still love them for it. I didn't realize this was the same story as thank you for you service but on a wider scale. Well written and wonderfully narrated.

Gripping but Brutal Account of the Reality of War

The Good Soldiers is a moving account of the experiences of an infantry battalion deployed to Baghdad as part of the surge. The story provides a useful snapshot of what the battalion, 2/15, experienced without much editorial commentary from the author. The author, a journalist embedded with the unit for much of its deployment, does not cheapen the narrative with self-aggrandizement; in fact, he remains practically invisible. He does an excellent job of balancing the bravery of the soldiers with the brutality of combat. The story does not overly glorify war, but is also does not come across as preachy pacifism. The patriotism, camaraderie, and dedication of the 2/15 Rangers is inspirational, while the accounts of wounded unit members recovering at home or of a soldier's wife in the hospital awaiting a call from her husband after giving birth to their first child...only to get instead a call notifying her of his death earlier that day, drive home the tragedy of war.

My one complaint with the book is that it is just a snapshot. While it claims to present the facts without agenda, the frequent juxtaposition of President Bush's or Gen. Petraeus' statements about the success of the surge with the less than successful experiences of the 2/15th give the impression that the surge was not successful and that statements to the contrary were politically motivated. In fact, the disconnect lies in the fact that the surge provided the troops needed to take advantage of the Sunni Awakening, in which Sunni nationalist insurgents turned against al Qaeda in Iraq and began cooperating with US and coalition forces. Obviously, the effects of this switch--and thus the surge--were most felt in Sunni areas. The 2/15th was deployed to Shia areas of Baghdad, and thus didn't enjoy the full benefit of the surge.

Must read!!!!

But it's one of those books you can only read once. This book is a breath-taking, surreal story that really helps you understand what these soldiers went through. If you love history this is a book for you.

Outstanding Story

A devastating, deeply moving, very graphic account of the men who participated in the 2008 surge in Iraq. It will leave you heartbroken and optimistic about America at the same time.

One of the best audiobooks of the year

Great writing, compelling story, and superb narration equal one great audio experience. i can understand why this book won the Pulitzer. Any young man thinking of going to war should read this to make an informed decision.

Gritty and Real

A harrowing story, noteworthy for its gritty realness. The Finkle accomplishes the difficult task of telling the story of the 2-16 apart from any narrative on his own time in Iraq. He writes simply of what happened to the men fighting the war.

The Truth Has Been Seen

David Finkel, a reporter and the author of this book, went to war to see the truth and write about "the Surge." This battle was fought in an attempt to secure Baghdad. The Army infantry soldiers who fought were forever changed. David Finkel tells the listener just how horrific war is. This book is filled with true words from the soldiers themselves and what David Finkel witnessed.

The book is brutally honest. Should there be a man or woman who does not know how wars are fought, The Good Soldiers, tells it all. The reader will come away from this book with the understanding and proof that the US infantry fight with courage, honor and love of country. These men are heroes of the highest order.

The book should be listened to by everyone and know just why and how our warriors face death each and every day that they are fighting in Iraq and other countries. Counterterrorism is a different type of war than ever has been fought before. American soldier's do not want to kill the men, women and children who live in Iraq. They want to offer them help in teaching them how to have a government whereby they can live free, without fear of retribution from the Taliban or other forces who control them. However, these men and women have lived as they do now for centuries. They know no other kind of life. The American's who try to help are seen as their enemy. When an American is seen by the populace of Iraq, they look with hate at them and want to kill them.

Listen to The Good Soldiers and you will understand how the hate for American's is executed by the viciousness of the terrorism of how they fight against us. You will come away from listening to this book a changed person.

Soldier's story almost without politics

Powerful story of the soldiers with very limited politics. No completely blatant Bush bashing but there is a twinge of a liberal swing. But forget that because it is barely noticeable and the stories of the soldiers involved is very powerful.

Ride alongside these brave soldiers.

What did you love best about The Good Soldiers?

The accounts told in the midst of the soldiers made their story very real to me.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

This book really helped me to understand just how dangerous their job was. And it was also frustrating to see that the high command put them into such danger to accomplish so little.