Synopses & Reviews
The riveting account of how one brigade turned Iraq's most violent city into a model of stability
Colonel Sean MacFarland's brigade arrived in Iraq's deadliest city with simple instructions: pacify Ramadi without destroying it. The odds were against him from the start. In fact, few thought he would succeed. Ramadi had been going steadily downhill. By 2006, insurgents roamed freely in many parts of the city in open defiance of Iraq's U.S.-backed government. Al-Qaeda had boldly declared Ramadi its capital. Even the U.S. military acknowledged the province would be the last to be pacified.
A lanky officer with a boyish face, MacFarland was no Patton. But his soft voice masked an iron will and a willingness to take risks. While most of the American military was focused on taming Baghdad, MacFarland laid out a bold plan for Ramadi. His soldiers would take on the insurgents in their own backyard. He set up combat outposts in the city's most dangerous neighborhoods. Snipers roamed the dark streets, killing al-Qaeda leaders and terrorist cells. U.S. tanks rumbled down the streets, firing point blank into buildings occupied by insurgents. MacFarland's brigade engaged in some of the bloodiest street fighting of the war. Casualties on both sides mounted. Al-Qaeda wasn't going to give up easily. Ramadi was too important. MacFarland wasn't going to back down either.
The two sides had fought to a stalemate.
At least until Sheik Abdul Sattar Bezia al-Rishawi emerged. A minor tribal leader, Sheik Sattar had earned his reputation as a smuggler. He carried a large six-shooter on his hip and had a taste for whiskey. But he hated al-Qaeda and was watching MacFarland's brigade as they battled militants toe-to-toe. This was a different group of Americans, Sattar thought. Sattar approached MacFarland and said he was ready to join with the Americans and fight al-Qaeda. Other officers might have kept their distance. MacFarland didn't hesitate. He promised Sattar his support.
What followed was one of history's unlikeliest -- and most successful -- partnerships. Together, the Americans and Sattar's growing band of fighters drove al-Qaeda from Ramadi. A Chance in Hell is compelling tale of combat leadership and how a handful of men turned the tide of war at a time when it looked most hopeless.
Review
“Anbar province was the place where the Iraq war began to turn around, and in this book Jim Michaels captures that time and place. He also brings to this story a fine feel for how the U.S. military thinks and operates.”
--Thomas E. Ricks, bestselling author of Fiasco and The Gamble, and of ForeignPolicy.coms “Best Defense” blog
Review
"Many of the events in the book…will captivate readers." --Army Times
"Ramadi was the place where the Iraq war made its real turn toward success. A group of smart, courageous Americans--mostly Army and Marine officers on the ground, not in Washington--worked with Iraqi tribal leaders to make it happen. It is one helluva story that has been told brilliantly by Jim Michaels." --Jim Lehrer, author and anchor of PBS Newshour
“Anbar province was the place where the Iraq war began to turn around, and in this book Jim Michaels captures that time and place. He also brings to this story a fine feel for how the U.S. military thinks and operates.”
--Thomas E. Ricks, bestselling author of Fiasco and The Gamble, and of ForeignPolicy.coms “The Best Defense” blog
Synopsis
The riveting account of how a small band of officers turned Iraqs most violent city into a model of stability Colonel Sean MacFarlands brigade arrived with simple instructions: pacify Ramadi, Iraq without destroying it. Large swaths of the city belonged to al-Qaeda, which had declared the city its capital. Other neighborhoods were simply uninhabitable; the buildings bombed out shells and the streets piled with debris. Insurgents roamed freely. MacFarland and his officers were vastly outnumbered by the enemy. Their superiors didnt think they had a chance. An unconventional officer, MacFarland came up with a bold plan. He set up combat outposts in the citys most dangerous neighborhoods. Snipers and Special Forces teams roamed the dark streets, killing al-Qaeda leaders and terrorist cells. MacFarlands brigade engaged in some of the bloodiest street fighting of the war. While the U.S. military command was intent on setting up an American-style democracy, MacFarland and his officers realized tribal sheiksmany with checkered pasts and little regard for Western-style democracywere the key to victory in the Sunni heartland. He won their trust and formed the unlikeliest of alliances. Cited by President Bush as one of the wars greatest successes, together the Americans and tribes fought back against al-Qaeda and won. A Chance in Hell is a violent and harrowing tale of men at war.
Synopsis
The riveting account of how one brigade turned Iraq's most violent city into a model of stability
Colonel Sean MacFarland arrived in Iraq's deadliest city with simple instructions: pacify Ramadi without destroying it. The odds were against him from the start. By 2006, insurgents roamed freely in many parts of the city in open defiance of Iraq's U.S.-backed government. Al-Qaeda had boldly declared Ramadi its capital. Even the U.S. military acknowledged that the province would be the last to be pacified.
MacFarland laid out a bold plan. His soldiers would take on the insurgents in their own backyard. He set up combat outposts in the city's most dangerous neighborhoods. Snipers roamed the back alleys, killing al-Qaeda leaders and terrorist cells. U.S. tanks rumbled down the streets, firing point-blank into buildings occupied by insurgents. MacFarland's brigade engaged in some of the bloodiest street fighting of the war. Casualties on both sides mounted. Al-Qaeda wasn't going to give up easily--Ramadi was too important. MacFarland wasn't going to back down, either.
A Chance in Hell tells how a handful of men turned the tide of war at a time when it appeared all hope was lost.
About the Author
JIM MICHAELS is a military writer for USA Today and an experienced war correspondent, who has made dozens of reporting trips to Iraq, Afghanistan and other war zones. A former U.S. Marine infantry officer, he lives in Falls Church, Virginia.