Product Description

As a First Lieutenant and Infantry Platoon Leader for the U.S. Army National Guard charged with leading thirty-eight men in Iraq, Paul Rieckhoff followed in the footsteps of his father and grandfather. After Rieckhoff volunteered to take part in the invasion of Iraq, he and his soldiers spent almost a year in one of the most dangerous and volatile areas of Baghdad, where they struggled to maintain order, protect Iraqi civilians, track down insurgents, and defend themselves against sniper and roadside bomb attacks.

But it was clear to Rieckhoff almost from the get-go that America's mission in Iraq was deeply flawed - and that his platoon was overchallenged and underequipped. If there was a plan to stabilize Baghdad after the invasion, no one had let them in on it. And with so many obstacles to overcome, they faced enemies that included thousands of armed, angry, and unemployed men who had been unleashed into the streets when the U.S. government disbanded the Iraqi army.

The way that Rieckhoff responded to these and other challenges over the next ten months set him on a course that would forever change his life. And when Rieckhoff finally came home, he vowed to tell Americans the truth, however controversial, about what was going on in Iraq. He publicly demanded accountability from elected officials, created the first organization specifically for veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and took the new fight to the airwaves and the halls of power in Washington.

For anyone who wonders what alternatives there are in Iraq to either "staying the course" or "cutting-and-running," Chasing Ghosts is an uncensored and unrehearsed statement from a war veteran, providing a candid grunt's-eye view of the harrowing, bloody battles on the streets of Baghdad-and a patriot's vision of where America has gone wrong and how it can reset its path.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #3883 in Books
• Published on: 2006-05-02
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 336 pages

From Publishers Weekly
An Operation Iraqi Freedom vet and founder of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA), Rieckhoff recounts his journey from National Guard lieutenant to disillusioned patriot in this disappointing combat memoir-cum-polemic. Rieckhoff admits that he thought the reasons for invading Iraq were "bullshit," but volunteered to go anyway. His experiences in Iraq—patrolling the chaotic streets of Baghdad in the months after its occupation—only confirmed his initial judgment that the invasion "was one of the greatest foreign policy mistakes in our nation's history." Rieckhoff is anything but humble. An Amherst grad (as he often interjects), he finds his recruiter repellant—a "slick, fat... Sergeant [who] smelled like a dirty ashtray"— but enlists anyway. President Bush is "arrogant" and "a bully," and Coalition Provisional Authority head Paul Bremer is "ignorant and out-of-touch." Rieckhoff is bipartisan in his contempt: when the Kerry campaign ignores his advice, he dismisses the Democratic presidential candidate as "a calculating and coached politician." Finally, he and a "small band of pissed-off visionaries" founded their own organization, Operation Truth, to get out the word. In the end, Rieckhoff has a story to tell, but he undermines his credibility with his arrogance and petty offside remarks. (May)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist
Lieutenant Rieckhoff and his 38-man infantry platoon spent 10 months in one of the most volatile areas of Baghdad, trying to maintain order, protect civilians, track down insurgents, and protect themselves from snipers and bombers. It quickly became clear that the American mission in Iraq had vague strategy, flawed tactics, and overchallenged, underequipped soldiers. Rieckhoff made it back alive, determined to tell the truth about what was happening and demand accountability from elected officials. Although Rieckhoff does not emphasize it, it comes through clearly that Iraq War veterans are held in declining respect, evidenced by the problems they have getting help with war-related injuries, especially psychological ones. Iraq has been a rich man's war and a poor man's fight, with the Iraqi people barely visible in the American media. Moreover, Rieckhoff's experiences showed him that censorship and bias abound even in these days of "on-the-spot" reporting, distorting what anyone following the war through the general media can learn. A most commendable eyewitness report on Iraq. Frieda Murray
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review
... [an] undeniably proud narrative [written] with the intent to show us the circumstances in Iraq....recommended for all public libraries. -- Library Journal

A book that all Americans who care about their country should read. -- Arianna Huffington, political commentator and founder of HuffingtonPost.com

A clear-eyed, hard-headed, soft-hearted, and functioning-kidneyed account of our nightmare in Iraq. -- Al Franken

All the good and the ugly discussed with... integrity... A must read that I could not put down. -- Serj Tankian, lead singer, System of a Down

An honest, electric memoir. -- Gideon Yago, MTV News

Every American who professes to 'Support our Troops' should read Chasing Ghosts. -- Evan Wright, author of Generation Kill

No book since Catch-22 has depicted this gruesome subject so compellingly. Rieckoff should make room... for the Pulitzer Prize -- Chuck Palahniuk, author of Fight Club

Paul Rieckhoff is a human being of true substance and character. -- Chuck D, Public Enemy

Rieckhoff's rage is the anger of a patriot. -- Richard A. Clarke, New York Times bestselling author, Against All Enemies: Inside America's War on Terrorism

We had better heed Rieckhoff's brutally honest, strong, and unimpeachable scream. -- Leslie H. Gelb, former foreign affairs columnist for the New York Times and president emeritus of The Council on Foreign Relations

Customer Reviews

A raw look at an ugly war (that we're not winning)...
Like many Americans, I've been less-than-pleased with how the Iraqi war has played out. The reasons for going into action were likely fabricated, and now we find ourselves trapped in a morass with no easy way out. After reading Chasing Ghosts : A Soldier's Fight for America from Baghdad to Washington by Paul Rieckhoff, I'm more convinced than ever that our political leadership has completely failed both Iraq *and* America.

Rieckhoff was a National Guardsman who signed up knowing that he'd likely see action in the Middle East. He was committed to the cause and was ready to help the Iraqi people realize their freedom under a democracy. What happened was far different. He and 38 other ill-trained soldiers were put in charge of protecting a hot zone that included a hospital where they had set up base. Grossly understaffed with faulty equipment, they ended up doing the best they could with what they had, risking their lives on a daily basis. The leadership in command there seemed to be completely out of touch with the reality of the war in the streets, and the politicians at home were presenting a view of the Iraqi situation that was diametrically opposite of what the troops were facing. After having their tours extended numerous times with little warning, he finally made it home after nearly a year of service in the heart of Baghdad. His view and outlook on life upon his return had totally changed, and he decided that he had to be a voice to speak out for the servicemen and women who were on the front lines of a war that was only getting worse. He offered his services to both presidential candidates during the 2004 election, but no one wanted to confront those issues head on. His ongoing mission is to raise the public awareness of the *real* Iraqi conflict, and to help support those who have returned from those horrid conditions with little fanfare and nearly no aid.

It's likely that you'll view this book through your own preconceptions and political beliefs, and make some general assumptions about the validity of his position. Conservatives (where I would fall in the spectrum) might label him a traitor and liar, while liberals might hold him up as the complete reality of Iraq. The truth, as in all areas of life, falls somewhere between those two extremes. As for me, I find it nearly impossible to dismiss his account as fabricated or exaggerated. There are too many other voices, too many other high-ranking officials, who have come out and made the same claims as Rieckhoff. Not having served in the military, I can't bring any insight to bear on his story. But it rings true to this reader. We find ourselves in another Vietnam, fighting an enemy that looks like those we're trying to protect, being run by politicians and leaders who seemingly don't want to win. And at this stage, there are no easy answers to allow ourselves to exit the war...

If you're already against the war in Iraq, this book will only solidify your opposition. But if you're on the fence or a staunch supporter, I would challenge you to read this book from someone who's been there and done that. Your view of the "superior force of the US military" will not emerge unscathed...

A breath of fresh air
For four years I had privileged access to classified military information as an Operation Specialist in the United States Navy. Not long after I obtained a security clearance, I came to the sobering revelation that once my tour was over I would be mainly dependent on the same old convoluted media coverage the rest of us are accustomed to.

My enlistment ended four years before we invaded Iraq. Therefore, I had a hard time painting in my mind what was really happening in Iraq. I did not want to assume the media was painting a complete picture -- they never did when I served.

At last Paul Rieckhoff's strikling articulate memoir "Chasing Ghosts" hit the shelves and provided that breath of fresh air (reality) I had been feverishly waiting for.

Paul does an excellent job of presenting the good, the bad, and the ugly of his ten month experience as a Second Lieutenant in the National Guard in Baghdad. The lead up to be Paul's deployment, and the fight on the homefront after his tour had ended is equally intriguing.

I am not a big fan of telling people what they "should" or "ought" to do or read. But if you have not experienced Iraq first hand, you really should read this book to at least get some perspective the media will not offer. Perception rules over reality too much in our society. We need some fresh perspective to help ensure our fallen troops and innocent Iraqis have not died in vain.

Paul Rieckhoff has fought very hard and very bravely to not only protect us, but also to enlighten us. "Chasing Ghosts" offers us the inspiration we need to fuel the support necessary to make a difference. I highly recommend this book.

Great Insights Into the Front Lines of Iraq
Paul Rieckhoff gives a chilling account of his days as an infantry lieutenant commanding a platoon covering a section of recently liberated Bagdad. He did a great job of capturing the atmosphere and drama that surrounded him and his unit and tying it together into a compelling read. Whether your interest is history (albeit still being created), current events or just reading a really good book I highly recommend this book.

Prior to reading Chasing Ghosts I had read reports in the papers that soldiers lacked the necessary supplies to get the job done. Frankly I was a little bewildered by these assertions; after all don't we have the most technologically advanced army in the world? Reading how soldiers had to buy batteries from street "markets" for their night vision gear as one example of these problems really infuriated me. This book is filled with the reality that we are not doing the right things for our soldiers. We can pass hundreds of billions of dollars of aid but we cannot provide basic supplies for our men and women in the field? This book will get you thinking.

The stories of personal sacrifice, the horrors of war and mind numbingly bad decisions are not new. It is just surprising that they are so prevalent in the twenty-first century. This book also provides some insight to missed opportunities and how we got to the brink of civil war in Iraq.

While the topic is current, Rieckhoff has written a classic story of a soldier at war. Chasing Ghosts has earned a place in my permanent collection (about fifty books that I reread every ten years or so). It is that good.