Why We Lost

A General's Inside Account of the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars

By: Daniel Bolger

Narrated by: Steve Coulter

A high-ranking general's gripping insider account of the U.S. wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and how it all went wrong.

Over a 35-year career, Daniel Bolger rose through the army infantry to become a three-star general, commanding in both theaters of the U.S. campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan. He participated in meetings with top-level military and civilian players, where strategy was made and managed. At the same time, he regularly carried a rifle alongside rank-and-file soldiers in combat actions - unusual for a general. Now, as a witness to all levels of military command, Bolger offers a unique assessment of these wars, from 9/11 to the final withdrawal from the region.

Writing with hard-won experience and unflinching honesty, Bolger makes the firm case that in Iraq and in Afghanistan, we lost - but we didn't have to. Intelligence was garbled. Key decision makers were blinded by spreadsheets or theories. And at the root of our failure, we never really understood our enemy. Why We Lost is a timely, forceful, and compulsively listenable account of these wars from a fresh and authoritative perspective.

Download the accompanying reference guide.©2014 Daniel Bolger (P)2015 Audible Inc.

Good but incomplete narrative of The GWOT

Bolger makes a compelling argument of how the US lost the GWOT terror and why. The US military prior to 9/11 was modelled to win lightning wars like Desert Storm, but became an occupying force caught in protracted open-ended counter insurgency operations.

Good, but not great.

I found this book to be very interesting and filled with noteworthy anecdotes surrounding many battles in both Afghanistan and Iraq. However it lacked more insight into the political aspects of what drove both of these conflicts. As much as I appreciated the many battlefield stories I was looking for more insight and perhaps reasoning behind the battles. Maybe there really isn't any good reason why we went there why we are still in Afghanistan. I fear our country will make the same mistake in the future as long as Pride and money are at the Center of our political landscape.

Finally the truth

A lot of reviews mention that it’s more like a chronological of the wars. I found that it’s a lot of context that supports the conclusion. As a former soldier who spent years on the ground, I can say that this is an accurate and honest assessment of the GWOT.

Wow, from a vets view !

First off , I was in Iraq during the initial invasion and I’m a practicing Muslim. I just finished both the Rise and Fall of the Third Reich and Vietnam a history. The Iraq war, I was always conflicted with but this Generals inside view in the context of military history has given me more pride in serving during the war. He is right about we made costly missteps during our long campaign against the terrorists and at one point we could of won in Iraq but our right to fight and preserver is proper. As a military historian Daniel Bolger has given a proper understanding why we fought and many ideas on how we should win a long term military planning to combat the terrorist threat. His insight on military strategy gives the book lot of depth. My only compliant I wish it was more layered with many different perspectives of all sides of the issues like the other history books I finished. But more likely too early in history to make such a layered history book.

History more than analysis

Long on history and very short on analysis. I enjoyed the history and had to settle for only a hint of what the title promises.