Warrior King

The Triumph and Betrayal of an American Commander in Iraq

By: Nathan Sassaman, Joe Layden

Narrated by: Eric Conger

The startling and controversial memoir of combat and betrayal, written by one of the most prominent members of the U.S. fighting forces in Iraq.

A West Point graduate, a former star quarterback who carried Army to its first bowl victory, and a courageous warrior who had proven himself on the battlefield time and again, Lt. Col. Nathan Sassaman was one of the most celebrated officers in the United States military. Commanding over 800 soldiers in the heart of the insurgency-ravaged Sunni Triangle in Iraq, his unit's job was to seek out and eliminate terrorists and loyalists to Saddam Hussein, while simultaneously rebuilding the region's infrastructure and introducing democratic processes to a broken people. Sassaman's tactics were highly aggressive, his methods innovative, and his success in Iraq nearly unparalleled.

Yet Sassaman will always be known for a fateful decision to cover up the alleged drowning of an Iraqi by his men, in which they forced two detainees to jump into the Tigris River. Sassaman's decision led to the downfall of his impressive career and sent shockwaves through the American military. Warrior King is the explosive memoir of one of the most deeply involved members of the U.S. military in Iraq.

This is the first audiobook to take readers from the overnight brutality of combat to the daunting daytime humanitarian tasks of rebuilding Iraq to the upper echelons of the Pentagon to show how and why the war has gone horribly wrong.

©2008 Nathan Sassaman with Joe Layden; (P)2008 Macmillan Audio

Agree but disagree

Controversial decision making and strong ego but tells a side of the story that military leaders have to deal with. Ethical issues that arise in combat when you are trying to balance the life of your soldiers with following orders.

deja vu all over again.

sometimes ripping off the scab of a wound helps it to heal. this author revealed in this book The Truth and the reality of fighting with restraints that are not only imposed by the enemy but are imposed by the leaders in Washington and in the higher headquarters above the Fighting force.

Great book

the narrator should have taken 2 seconds to learn how to pronounce ranks in the military

A Must-Read

Powerful. Couldn't put it down. An honest, raw account of the fog of war in Iraq in '03 - '04 timeframe. Read a bunch of articles (WSJ, NYT, LA Times, etc.) about LTCOL Sassaman and watched interviews on YouTube, including one from C-SPAN.
This guy is the real deal. An absolute stud. Incredibly authentic, brave, and brilliant. He should have been a general. No question. The US military needs more leaders like him, not less.

A must read for every JMO in the Army

This review and read was long overdue.

I served in peacetime with Nate Sassaman. He was my boss, my leader. More he was an exemplary role model. His story and recount of events in Iraq are gut-wrenching to hear having served in Iraq and Afghanistan under senior leaders similar to those he had. But what resonated most with me is how Nate persevered by sticking to the values, morals, and ethics that make him the man he was then, and is today. He is a warrior. I’d follow him anywhere.