The Ragged Edge cover art

The Ragged Edge

A US Marine’s Account of Leading the Iraqi Army Fifth Battalion

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The Ragged Edge

By: Michael Zacchea, Ted Kemp
Narrated by: John Pruden
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About this listen

At a time when the United States debates how deeply to involve itself in Iraq and Syria, Lieutenant Colonel Michael Zacchea, USMC (Ret.), holds a unique vantage point on our still-ongoing war.

Deployed to Iraq in March 2004, his team's mission was to build, train, and lead in combat the first Iraqi army battalion trained by the US military. Zacchea tells a deeply personal and powerful story while shedding light on the dangerous pitfalls of training foreign troops to fight murderous insurgents.

The Ragged Edge is the first American military memoir out of Iraq or Syria that features complex Arab and Kurdish characters and that intimately explores their culture and politics in a dispassionate way. Zacchea's invaluable lessons about Americans working with Arabs and Kurds to fight insurgency and terrorism come precisely when such wartime collaboration is happening more than at any time in US history.

©2017 Michael Zacchea and Ted Kemp (P)2017 Tantor 21st Century Afghan & Iraq Wars Military Military & War Modern Middle East War Iran Veteran

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An incredible story of the struggles faced trying to synthesise western coalition objectives and realities of the socio-political environment in Iraq. The review feels objective unlike other similar books and I can’t reccomended it enough!

A gripping story of the true Iraq struggle

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Honest, intense and raw - if you want to read just one book on Iraq war this could be it

Must read

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Well written and thoroughly relatable. A hugely enjoyable read/listen which accurately captures and describes the nuances of working with a partner nation.

An honest account.

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A pleasent change to hear an honest recoubt of a turbulent year. Well worth a listen and hopefully the author can take some solice in the fact that he is one of the few who has a moral compass....that works

Refreshingly Honest

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