What do you think?
Rate this book
Before the First Shots Are Fired: How America Can Win Or Lose Off The Battlefield
For the better part of the last half century, the United States has been the World's Police, claiming to defend ideologies, allies, and our national security through brute force. But is military action always the most appropriate response? Drawing on his vast experience, from combat in Vietnam to peacekeeping in Somalia, to war games in Washington, DC and negotiations with former rebels in the Philippines, retired four-star General Tony Zinni argues that we have a lot of work to do to make the process of going to war―or not―more clear-eyed and ultimately successful. He examines the relationship between the executive and the military (including the difference between passive and engaged presidents); the failures of the Joint Chief of Staff; the challenges of working with the UN, coalition forces, and NATO; the difference between young, on the ground officers and less savvy senior leaders; the role of special forces and drone warfare; and the difficult choices that need to be made to create tomorrow's military. Among his provocative
* Virtually every recent American military operation follows a disconnected series of actions that lead to outcomes we never foresaw or intended.
* We need to assign accountability for the political decisions that can make or break a mission.
* Words and ideas are as important to victory in today's conflicts as bullets.
* The cyber "war" is ongoing. Either you must build better tech than the other guy, or you must steal it.
* Our foreign aid budget is pitiful, our State Department, USAID, and the other government agencies that we critically need to be on a par with our military are underfunded, undermanned, and poorly structured for their current objectives.
From the Oval Office to the battlefield, Before the First Shots Are Fired is a hard-hitting analysis of the history of America's use of military action and a spirited call for change.
* Virtually every recent American military operation follows a disconnected series of actions that lead to outcomes we never foresaw or intended.
* We need to assign accountability for the political decisions that can make or break a mission.
* Words and ideas are as important to victory in today's conflicts as bullets.
* The cyber "war" is ongoing. Either you must build better tech than the other guy, or you must steal it.
* Our foreign aid budget is pitiful, our State Department, USAID, and the other government agencies that we critically need to be on a par with our military are underfunded, undermanned, and poorly structured for their current objectives.
From the Oval Office to the battlefield, Before the First Shots Are Fired is a hard-hitting analysis of the history of America's use of military action and a spirited call for change.
256 pages, Hardcover
First published September 2, 2014
28 people are currently reading
752 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
November 24, 2014
You have to wonder why Zinni is not the National Security Advisor. He's probably too knowledgeable, experienced, and has too much character. It's a real shame his talent and energy are not being harnessed. You can't be a Marine and not know him. He spoke at the 1st Marine Division Birthday Ball in Primm, NV in November 2002 and told us what was going to happen in Iraq. It's too bad nobody listened to him because everything he foretold came to pass. Zinni is enamored with Clinton and Eisenhower and goes after George W. Bush and Obama and rightly so. It's a book you have to read slowly as it has a lot of deep thought and meat in it. He talks about the civilian military relationship and the total contrast in planning that's resident in military culture and so lacking in the political world. He discusses mission creep and how the military has come to be besieged and overwhelmed with all sorts of missions that are not within their purview. He talks about generals who have ill served the President as well as leaders who have not managed or lead the military. It's current right up to the breakdown of Iraq and an interesting view of how the geo-political strategy is planned, executed, or more often than not improvised on a whim it seems. He talks about pretty much everything that has happened in the 20th Century involving POTUS and the military regarding planning and operations. It's almost like Sun Tzu, Sun Zinni to be accurate. He's a man whose counsel should be sought, listened to, and considered by our civilian leaders. And I cringe every time I hear Rush Limbaugh refer to him with the preceding "Clinton appointed" Zinni appellation.
June 3, 2018
Retired Marine General Zunni discusses the differences of military and civilian attitudes toward preparing and conducting wars as well as the "peace" that follows. In many cases the expectations of both groups change or are not throughly anticipated. A thoughtful read on the politics of confrontation.
September 7, 2014
You know that saying that, to a child with a hammer, all the world looks like a nail? General Tony Zinni, USArmy (Ret.) has convinced me that, to a man who’s spent his whole adult life in the military, all the world looks like a war — or something best solved by war. That’s a great disappointment. I requested the book because the subtitle, “How America Can Win or Lose Off the Battlefield,” and the synopsis from the publisher led me to believe that General Zinni might have a vision to offer of solving the problems of the world without resort to arms. What the book offers instead of that vision is a detailed memoir and justification of Gen. Zinni’s role — always able to see what should have been done but never in a position or given the resources to do it — in USAmerica’s military ventures from Vietnam through Afghanistan.
There is a brief moment in chapter two, in the context of the invasion of Iraq, when Zinni toys with questioning why it’s so easy to respond with military force, why we didn’t deal with al Qaeda and Afghanistan more directly and first, why we didn’t look to other injustices and threats in the world. He criticizes politicians — and generals — who never met an intervention they didn’t like. But he acknowledges that having the most powerful military in the world is its own temptation to use it.
What disappoints me most about the book is that General Zinni seems to accept that there will always come a crisis, and a time in each crisis when resolution will depend on shots being fired, and fired by USAmerica’s military. And because of that certainty, we will be required to maintain the largest, most powerful military force on the planet. General Zinni spent his finest years as a “combat commander,” whether or not there was active combat in his area. And he is quite clear that he knows how to fight future wars, and construct future pauses in war and geographical shifts in where the war is, more efficiently and effectively than we’ve done at least since “the good war” of the 1940s. I was really hoping he might have seen an entirely different way for the world to run.
-----------
Read my complete review in my new Scribd shop, at http://www.scribd.com/doc/238916322/b...
There is a brief moment in chapter two, in the context of the invasion of Iraq, when Zinni toys with questioning why it’s so easy to respond with military force, why we didn’t deal with al Qaeda and Afghanistan more directly and first, why we didn’t look to other injustices and threats in the world. He criticizes politicians — and generals — who never met an intervention they didn’t like. But he acknowledges that having the most powerful military in the world is its own temptation to use it.
What disappoints me most about the book is that General Zinni seems to accept that there will always come a crisis, and a time in each crisis when resolution will depend on shots being fired, and fired by USAmerica’s military. And because of that certainty, we will be required to maintain the largest, most powerful military force on the planet. General Zinni spent his finest years as a “combat commander,” whether or not there was active combat in his area. And he is quite clear that he knows how to fight future wars, and construct future pauses in war and geographical shifts in where the war is, more efficiently and effectively than we’ve done at least since “the good war” of the 1940s. I was really hoping he might have seen an entirely different way for the world to run.
-----------
Read my complete review in my new Scribd shop, at http://www.scribd.com/doc/238916322/b...
December 1, 2014
While this book is not on WWII or focused on any other particular past war. I was interested in reading this book. I wanted to know how we as America could win or lose off the battlefield. Plus the author sounded like he had past experience and great knowledge about this subject matter. Which the author did have a lot of insight. This book is divided into sections. Each one focusing on a different part of war. Like...intelligence, political pressures, goals and visions, outsourcing war, and the operational art to name a few.
While I did like reading this book. I did also feel at the same time that the details sometimes grew old quick. I would fine myself skimming parts. Luckily you can get away with doing this with this book and still get the high points of the book that the author is trying to get across. One thing that I did really like about this book is that if you are a history buff or just interested in reading about history or military themed books you can read this one with ease. You don't have to have lots of knowledge because even with the author's knowledge he breaks it down into a easy, understandable way that the layperson can get.
While I did like reading this book. I did also feel at the same time that the details sometimes grew old quick. I would fine myself skimming parts. Luckily you can get away with doing this with this book and still get the high points of the book that the author is trying to get across. One thing that I did really like about this book is that if you are a history buff or just interested in reading about history or military themed books you can read this one with ease. You don't have to have lots of knowledge because even with the author's knowledge he breaks it down into a easy, understandable way that the layperson can get.
January 28, 2019
An entertaining book where Zinni shares his thoughts and lessons learned from over 39 years of service. Zinni criticizes the lack of strategic understanding by policy makers on the appropriate use and employment of the military. Further, Zinni takes the time to critique how the U.S. went about the fights in Afghanistan and Iraq throughout the book. His thesis seems to center on leaders and policy makers need to take the time to carefully plan and think through the effects of using the military to achieve policy ends. Further, Zinni makes the case that other agencies / elements of national power require planning capabilities to better contribute to America's overseas adventures.
Worth the time to read.
Worth the time to read.
July 2, 2014
I'm obligated to preface this review as part of the Goodreads First Reads Giveaway rules by stating that I won this book through that program. I don't want anyone to think that that has influenced my review of this book though. I've given another book I won a 2 star rating in the past. A crappy book is a crappy book. This book is awesome.
General Zinni, Retired after 39 years in the United States Marine Corps, has written a book that I feel should be a required reading for military officers, junior diplomats at the State Department, and civilian employees of the Departments of Homeland Security and Defense.
Surprisingly to me, his tone was mostly critical of every presidential administration from Nixon to present, with the exception of Clinton. Donald Rumsfeld and Dick Cheney were lambasted for their unsupported and unverified claims that Iraq had Weapons of Mass Destruction leading up to the 2003 invasion, as well as their disregarding of the military's estimates on the number of troops needed to control the post invasion environment in Iraq. General Zinni, as Commander of CENTCOM in the late 1990's and Deputy Commander before that actually developed the plan to control post invasion Iraq and prevent the crisis that we see today. The military's estimates called for more than double the number of boots on the ground than was sent there. But that number would have been unsupportable politically.
To that I would put forth a quote by General Matthew Ridgeway in 1954 when he was the Army Chief of Staff, "The statesman, the senior civilian authority, says to the soldier "This is our national policy. This is what we wish to accomplish, or would like to do. What military means are required to support it?" The soldier studies this problem in detail. "Very well," he says to the statesman. "Here is what your policy will require in men and guns, in ships and planes" If the civilian authority finds the cost to be greater than the country can bear, then either the objectives themselves should be modified, or the responsibility for the risks involved should be forthrightly accepted. Under no circumstances, regardless of pressures from whatever source or motive, should the professional military man yield, or compromise his judgment for other than convincing military reasons. To do otherwise would be to destroy his usefulness."
Accountability of the political leadership and their appointees is stressed and expounded on at great length with first hand examples given when Ambassadors and Diplomats got where they are without the skills and experience to support their current position. The question as to why there isn’t a clear path of professional education from the bottom up through the State Department for these positions the way that there is within the U.S. Military. This is an interesting question and one that could probably be used for the writing of entire volumes.
Again, this is well worth the read and when it hits the shelves make sure you pick up a copy. You won’t be sorry.
General Zinni, Retired after 39 years in the United States Marine Corps, has written a book that I feel should be a required reading for military officers, junior diplomats at the State Department, and civilian employees of the Departments of Homeland Security and Defense.
Surprisingly to me, his tone was mostly critical of every presidential administration from Nixon to present, with the exception of Clinton. Donald Rumsfeld and Dick Cheney were lambasted for their unsupported and unverified claims that Iraq had Weapons of Mass Destruction leading up to the 2003 invasion, as well as their disregarding of the military's estimates on the number of troops needed to control the post invasion environment in Iraq. General Zinni, as Commander of CENTCOM in the late 1990's and Deputy Commander before that actually developed the plan to control post invasion Iraq and prevent the crisis that we see today. The military's estimates called for more than double the number of boots on the ground than was sent there. But that number would have been unsupportable politically.
To that I would put forth a quote by General Matthew Ridgeway in 1954 when he was the Army Chief of Staff, "The statesman, the senior civilian authority, says to the soldier "This is our national policy. This is what we wish to accomplish, or would like to do. What military means are required to support it?" The soldier studies this problem in detail. "Very well," he says to the statesman. "Here is what your policy will require in men and guns, in ships and planes" If the civilian authority finds the cost to be greater than the country can bear, then either the objectives themselves should be modified, or the responsibility for the risks involved should be forthrightly accepted. Under no circumstances, regardless of pressures from whatever source or motive, should the professional military man yield, or compromise his judgment for other than convincing military reasons. To do otherwise would be to destroy his usefulness."
Accountability of the political leadership and their appointees is stressed and expounded on at great length with first hand examples given when Ambassadors and Diplomats got where they are without the skills and experience to support their current position. The question as to why there isn’t a clear path of professional education from the bottom up through the State Department for these positions the way that there is within the U.S. Military. This is an interesting question and one that could probably be used for the writing of entire volumes.
Again, this is well worth the read and when it hits the shelves make sure you pick up a copy. You won’t be sorry.
September 9, 2014
I received an advanced reader's copy of Before the First Shots Are Fired: How America Can Win Or Lose Off The Battlefield through Goodreads First Reads program. Although not a member of our Armed Services myself, I was lucky enough to grow up in an Air Force household. My father served for 20 years in the Air Force and during that time taught Political Science and International Affairs at the Air Force Academy, so I guess you can say that my interest in military and political science history stemmed from there.
General Tony Zinni's book was a very easy book to read and understand for anyone despite whether or not they themselves have any type of military background themselves. General Zinni introduces and explains topics and situations in a way that make them engrossing and understandable to the average reader. Despite the ease of understanding what the General is writing about, the book is difficult to get through at times as some of the material does become quite dry and technical. Regardless of the technical aspect of the book, I found this book to be both insightful and timely in it's source material. This is a book that I feel all of our political leaders, especially those who are in charge of decisions in regards to whether or not to send our troops into yet another international conflict should read.
I would also recommend this book to any who are interested in knowing how we have come to find ourselves in different conflicts and why some such as the World Wars were successful while others such as Vietnam and the War in Iraq are considered to be unsuccessful.
Overall rating: 3.5
General Tony Zinni's book was a very easy book to read and understand for anyone despite whether or not they themselves have any type of military background themselves. General Zinni introduces and explains topics and situations in a way that make them engrossing and understandable to the average reader. Despite the ease of understanding what the General is writing about, the book is difficult to get through at times as some of the material does become quite dry and technical. Regardless of the technical aspect of the book, I found this book to be both insightful and timely in it's source material. This is a book that I feel all of our political leaders, especially those who are in charge of decisions in regards to whether or not to send our troops into yet another international conflict should read.
I would also recommend this book to any who are interested in knowing how we have come to find ourselves in different conflicts and why some such as the World Wars were successful while others such as Vietnam and the War in Iraq are considered to be unsuccessful.
Overall rating: 3.5
September 23, 2014
General Tony Zinni has produced an insider's accounting of the leadership, strategic and political wrangling, and short-sighted military planning behind the scenes for the last 4 decades. This information alone is a treasure for military historians interested in the modern era. Zinni makes some astute judgments concerning our recent military snafus, particularly our invasion of Iraq under false pretenses, and the fractured political and civil climate that we left with the Iraqi people. If you can get past the "told you so" attitude, and sour grapes evident in some of Zinni's statements, you will find exceptional ideas from a highly intelligent military mind, as well as some interesting insight of what goes on behind closed doors during all phases of military engagement.
Above all, Before the First Shots are Fired offers us an overview of where our Political and military leaders have strayed, and how to possibly reign it all in, producing a solid policy that will keep us safe, while keeping us free from decades of nation-building madness.
Read my full review in The Thugbrarian Review @ http://wp.me/p4pAFB-la
Above all, Before the First Shots are Fired offers us an overview of where our Political and military leaders have strayed, and how to possibly reign it all in, producing a solid policy that will keep us safe, while keeping us free from decades of nation-building madness.
Read my full review in The Thugbrarian Review @ http://wp.me/p4pAFB-la
August 2, 2014
I was happy to be a First Reads lucky winner. Wow! What a read. After the first four pages I knew this was going to be a GREAT book. I am very familiar with General Tony Zinni’s work.
If you are the kind of reader that is into PhD speak with pages upon pages of NOTES (which you don’t have access to too start with) than this book is not for you. It is though filled with a wealth of information from a “Boots on the Ground” general who has been there and done it.
He may not be a favorite of political “Armchair Generals” and inept members of the “Fourth Estate” who think they know better than the “Boots on the Ground”, what you get is a real insight of our past and present mistakes in warfare from Vietnam to the present.
If you are the kind of reader that is into PhD speak with pages upon pages of NOTES (which you don’t have access to too start with) than this book is not for you. It is though filled with a wealth of information from a “Boots on the Ground” general who has been there and done it.
He may not be a favorite of political “Armchair Generals” and inept members of the “Fourth Estate” who think they know better than the “Boots on the Ground”, what you get is a real insight of our past and present mistakes in warfare from Vietnam to the present.
September 12, 2014
Goodreads win. Will read and review once received.
This was an interesting read and definitely a much need break from my usual books. I found this to be a pretty decent analysis about the modern American political and military system. I thought the things suggest that could be done differently were very valid points. The author seemed to know much on these topics and impressed me quite well with his writing. The one thing I found annoying was that there were parts in the book that seemed to ramble. Other than that a good read.
This was an interesting read and definitely a much need break from my usual books. I found this to be a pretty decent analysis about the modern American political and military system. I thought the things suggest that could be done differently were very valid points. The author seemed to know much on these topics and impressed me quite well with his writing. The one thing I found annoying was that there were parts in the book that seemed to ramble. Other than that a good read.
February 14, 2025
General Zinni recounts how the Joint Chiefs of Staff bullied Congress into cutting funds for joint operations training, and how he told off a Congressman for collaborating with the Joint Chiefs, something born-again anti-Iraq War activists Andrew Bacevich, Douglas Porch and Gian Gentile never did in their quest to protect their fellow ossifers and attack the politicians/civilians.
General Zinni, like General Scherer at Cholm and Wolfram von Richtoffen and Hans Ulrich Rudel of the Luftwaffe, emphasised joint services training and operations, in stark contrast to the turf-obsessed Joint Chiefs, and whereas Bacevich, Porch and Gentile remain silent on this issue.
In this, and in The Battle For Peace , General Zinni points out how he learned from the South Vietnamese Marines he was advising as a Butter Bar in Vietnam, particularly how it was foolish to follow Westmoreland's doctrine of attack and body count, whereas Porch and Gentile carry water for Westmoreland by saying that he "had a sound strategy," and "engaged in conventional war alongside pacification," and whereas Bacevich deflects from Westmoreland's incompetence by saying "We should not focus on just one personality," just as Daniel Bolger later said about Iraq.
General Zinni in this book points out the fact that the Joint Chiefs and the Service Departments have an excess of personnel who engage in wasteful duplication of work. Most likely careerists like McChrystal, McMaster, Petraeus and Milley were well aware of this, but said nothing in order to advance their personal wars and promotion campaigns.
General Zinni, like General Scherer at Cholm and Wolfram von Richtoffen and Hans Ulrich Rudel of the Luftwaffe, emphasised joint services training and operations, in stark contrast to the turf-obsessed Joint Chiefs, and whereas Bacevich, Porch and Gentile remain silent on this issue.
In this, and in The Battle For Peace , General Zinni points out how he learned from the South Vietnamese Marines he was advising as a Butter Bar in Vietnam, particularly how it was foolish to follow Westmoreland's doctrine of attack and body count, whereas Porch and Gentile carry water for Westmoreland by saying that he "had a sound strategy," and "engaged in conventional war alongside pacification," and whereas Bacevich deflects from Westmoreland's incompetence by saying "We should not focus on just one personality," just as Daniel Bolger later said about Iraq.
General Zinni in this book points out the fact that the Joint Chiefs and the Service Departments have an excess of personnel who engage in wasteful duplication of work. Most likely careerists like McChrystal, McMaster, Petraeus and Milley were well aware of this, but said nothing in order to advance their personal wars and promotion campaigns.
January 15, 2022
Clear-eyed and precisely on the mark, retired Marine 4-star Anthony Zinni’s book may be nearly 8 years post-publication, yet its message is just as relevant now more than ever. An analysis of war and conflict and the interrelationship of military and civilian strategy and decision making transparently tell us why we haven’t gotten things right, and like many similar books, are hamstrung in preparing for future conflict by holding onto the past. This book should be required reading for all command and staff or war college-level students, as understanding the contextual elements as inputs to planning must be clearly understood and analyzed ahead of the first shots.
August 13, 2022
This is an easily digestible book that provides a window into the complex decision making process between military and political officials through the context of General Zinni’s experience in Vietnam thru the early stages of the war on terror. This book provides enlightening knowledge and assessment of military decisions made during those conflicts. The book is Zinni’s personal charge for American decision makers and he does so in a clear, detailed and context-oriented way that gives credibility to his argument. This book describes the intersection of politics, military, public opinion and leadership and I recommend it to anyone who wishes to engage in those realms.
May 22, 2018
A good insight into Gen Zinni's perspective on lessons learned from Vietnam to Iraq and Afghanistan. The book tends to jump around but I'm sure that's how a good conversation with the General would go as well. There are some great nuggets about the importance of strategy and military understanding needed for future conflicts.
November 29, 2024
A nice review of military political relationships over the last 75 years. Interesting seeing how some of the discussions about the Obama administration policy of military and international relationships actually played out. Even more interesting are the predictions of where our issues would be and pretty darn accurate. Well written and easy to read, tough to do with a complex subject.
April 24, 2025
Interesting book. Listened to it during a few long runs. He jumped around in topics, and then got to the thesis at the very end - regarding ensuring competence and experience in our leadership to ensure mistakes of the past aren’t repeated.
February 15, 2015
Full disclosure - I received Tony Zinni's book - "Before the First Shots are Fired" - as an ARC.
I didn’t much like this book and have trouble verbalizing why. Tony Zinni is supposedly a guy who speaks with candor…speaks truth to power, yet I find numerous cases where he could have done so with much more vigor. Today 15 years into retirement we hear about it in black and white, whereas society might have benefitted from it greatly had it heard about it when it was a current event. I am not sure if this book wanted to be a biography, a history lesson, a warning, or an “I told you so.” As such, I think it is in search of an audience.
Example 1…Leading up to the start of the war in Iraq in 2003 – when Zinni was retired – he heard of all the optimism of the coming battle and knew better because he had done some of the studies at CENTCOM (i.e. Desert Crossing) (Pg. 48). This would have been an opportunity to throw his feet out and go public with a lot of noise…but he didn’t. He made some inquiries but kept relatively quiet. Now here in this book we hear of his thoughts and feelings that maybe should have been painted all over the place back in 2002-2003. Here in this book at this time it comes off as “I told you so.”
Example 2…Zinni claims he knew there was no credible evidence of WMDs in Iraq and “threw a fit” (Pg. 26–27 and rephrased on Pg. 200)…this would have been another opportunity to go public with his difference…an opportunity to really raise some hell and not just throw a fit. He was retired at this point and may have made a difference…but if he didn’t yell and scream and get thrown out of the room then, why is it we should listen to him now? Maybe he was quiet because he would have lost his access to power.
The big question is if he was so much a part of past mistakes (overtly or covertly), why is he now so discerning? I don’t think he answered this. He is full of advice now, but it comes off as mostly Monday morning quarterbacking and using his perfect 20/20 hindsight.
The author has earned and deserves our love and respect for his years of service to our country, but maybe he should have just retired with honor instead of all of a sudden becoming a know-it-all who supposedly has very clean hands and an opinion on everything.
There is not a lot new here. He mentions we didn’t do Vietnam right…how we should have been working to win over the people (counter insurgency)…but we have heard this before in other works such as Lewis Sorley’s book on Vietnam titled “A Better War” and Fred Kaplan’s book on General Petraeus’ titled “The Insurgents”. Zinni also mentions how we should not have gone into Iraq on the heels of Afghanistan…once again hindsight.
“Before the First Shots are Fired” just didn’t reveal a discriminating philosophy… While Zinni never takes on or calls out a specific military figure by name in the whole book (only vague references to mistakes), he does so for civilians like SECDEFs Rumsfeld and McNamara, and Presidents Bush and Obama. In addition the first concrete suggestion didn’t arrive until page 187…where Zinni suggested we should get rid of the service secretaries to simplify the Pentagon and save tons of money. While we can all get behind ideas to trim the Pentagon, I was surprised at his suggestion to eliminate the highest civilian position in each service.
General Zinni might have been projecting in how he phrased a decision point on Pg. 188…”If you do not feel your voice has been heard or if you disagree with a decision, you have a choice: you can salute smartly and execute the orders to the best of your abilities, or you can resign or retire and express your views as a private citizen.” The General did the former during his career and – now that he is retired – is doing the latter. He wants to have it both ways. Maybe it would have taken real courage to…as he said it, “…throw your stars on the table and leave.”
I didn’t much like this book and have trouble verbalizing why. Tony Zinni is supposedly a guy who speaks with candor…speaks truth to power, yet I find numerous cases where he could have done so with much more vigor. Today 15 years into retirement we hear about it in black and white, whereas society might have benefitted from it greatly had it heard about it when it was a current event. I am not sure if this book wanted to be a biography, a history lesson, a warning, or an “I told you so.” As such, I think it is in search of an audience.
Example 1…Leading up to the start of the war in Iraq in 2003 – when Zinni was retired – he heard of all the optimism of the coming battle and knew better because he had done some of the studies at CENTCOM (i.e. Desert Crossing) (Pg. 48). This would have been an opportunity to throw his feet out and go public with a lot of noise…but he didn’t. He made some inquiries but kept relatively quiet. Now here in this book we hear of his thoughts and feelings that maybe should have been painted all over the place back in 2002-2003. Here in this book at this time it comes off as “I told you so.”
Example 2…Zinni claims he knew there was no credible evidence of WMDs in Iraq and “threw a fit” (Pg. 26–27 and rephrased on Pg. 200)…this would have been another opportunity to go public with his difference…an opportunity to really raise some hell and not just throw a fit. He was retired at this point and may have made a difference…but if he didn’t yell and scream and get thrown out of the room then, why is it we should listen to him now? Maybe he was quiet because he would have lost his access to power.
The big question is if he was so much a part of past mistakes (overtly or covertly), why is he now so discerning? I don’t think he answered this. He is full of advice now, but it comes off as mostly Monday morning quarterbacking and using his perfect 20/20 hindsight.
The author has earned and deserves our love and respect for his years of service to our country, but maybe he should have just retired with honor instead of all of a sudden becoming a know-it-all who supposedly has very clean hands and an opinion on everything.
There is not a lot new here. He mentions we didn’t do Vietnam right…how we should have been working to win over the people (counter insurgency)…but we have heard this before in other works such as Lewis Sorley’s book on Vietnam titled “A Better War” and Fred Kaplan’s book on General Petraeus’ titled “The Insurgents”. Zinni also mentions how we should not have gone into Iraq on the heels of Afghanistan…once again hindsight.
“Before the First Shots are Fired” just didn’t reveal a discriminating philosophy… While Zinni never takes on or calls out a specific military figure by name in the whole book (only vague references to mistakes), he does so for civilians like SECDEFs Rumsfeld and McNamara, and Presidents Bush and Obama. In addition the first concrete suggestion didn’t arrive until page 187…where Zinni suggested we should get rid of the service secretaries to simplify the Pentagon and save tons of money. While we can all get behind ideas to trim the Pentagon, I was surprised at his suggestion to eliminate the highest civilian position in each service.
General Zinni might have been projecting in how he phrased a decision point on Pg. 188…”If you do not feel your voice has been heard or if you disagree with a decision, you have a choice: you can salute smartly and execute the orders to the best of your abilities, or you can resign or retire and express your views as a private citizen.” The General did the former during his career and – now that he is retired – is doing the latter. He wants to have it both ways. Maybe it would have taken real courage to…as he said it, “…throw your stars on the table and leave.”
October 11, 2014
I'm sure that I had probably seen him somewhere before, but the first time that I really SAW General Tony Zinni was on "The Daily Show" awhile back, and then... he just kept popping up. He seemed to be everywhere, on TV news programs and talk radio. The more I heard him the more that I liked the man, this four-star general who served in every war/conflict since Vietnam... right up until 2000. I was a little apprehensive as I started reading "Before The First Shots Are Fired." I didn't want to find out that I'd chosen wrong when labeling him as a new personal hero. My fears were groundless.
I am beginning to question something else however. Could everything we know about human reproduction be wrong? Because I'm almost certain that George Patton and Dwight Eisenhower had a baby and his name is Anthony Zinni. He has Patton's ability to understand his military opponent and plan accordingly. And also like Patton, Zinni has an immense knowledge of world history and even more importantly, he realizes that it must be considered during every phase of a military conflict; pre-planning, during the action/fighting and post.
From his other parent, Eisenhower, he inherited the equally amazing gift of foresight, the ability to plan far ahead. And he also has Eisenhower's natural talent as a leader who understands and knows how to build coalitions, regardless of political beliefs or differences. In fact, that's what I admire about him the most. Tony Zinni is first and foremost, an AMERICAN. He does NOT like or play partisan politics.
Zinni applies what he learned during his long distinguished career to what is happening right now, TODAY, in the Middle East and in Africa. I think that while he is available to us, we should amend the Constitution to require that all future Presidents should take Zinni 101, by spending some quality lecture time with the general before taking office. A Zinnized president would be a wonderful thing.
I am beginning to question something else however. Could everything we know about human reproduction be wrong? Because I'm almost certain that George Patton and Dwight Eisenhower had a baby and his name is Anthony Zinni. He has Patton's ability to understand his military opponent and plan accordingly. And also like Patton, Zinni has an immense knowledge of world history and even more importantly, he realizes that it must be considered during every phase of a military conflict; pre-planning, during the action/fighting and post.
From his other parent, Eisenhower, he inherited the equally amazing gift of foresight, the ability to plan far ahead. And he also has Eisenhower's natural talent as a leader who understands and knows how to build coalitions, regardless of political beliefs or differences. In fact, that's what I admire about him the most. Tony Zinni is first and foremost, an AMERICAN. He does NOT like or play partisan politics.
Zinni applies what he learned during his long distinguished career to what is happening right now, TODAY, in the Middle East and in Africa. I think that while he is available to us, we should amend the Constitution to require that all future Presidents should take Zinni 101, by spending some quality lecture time with the general before taking office. A Zinnized president would be a wonderful thing.
June 23, 2014
I won this through Goodreads FirstReads program.
General Tony Zinni is a four star general with experience in a number of conflicts ranging from Somalia to the Balkans to his consulting work most recently in Afghanistan, so when he speaks on matters of conflict, one would be well advised to listen. The bottom line for Zinni is that we win and lose wars not because of a lack of tactics or fighting forces, but because of disconnects that occur between military and civilian leaders and the objectives that these institutions pursue.
I thought that Zinni’s analysis was more even handed then a mere recitation of problems with civilian control over the military. He has reasonable ideas such as a reformation of NATO and the UN and a more careful debate in the lead up to war that has plagued numerous US Presidents over the decades. Even though Zinni had notable disagreements over the Bush Administration policies in Iraq and Afghanistan, he is equally harsh on Democratic presidents such as Lyndon Johnson for his actions in Vietnam and the botched peacekeeping operations in Somalia under President Clinton and the confused nature of President Obama’s policies in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria.
The bottom line for Zinni is that war needs a coordinated civilian and military effort towards a set of goals. These goals should not be prison shackles, but without accurate measuring sticks of how we are achieving and to achieve these goals, we may end up adrift in warfare. We should further avoid magic bullets such as technological innovation and the latest and greatest untested battle plans.
A clear eyed look at war from a voice of experience.
General Tony Zinni is a four star general with experience in a number of conflicts ranging from Somalia to the Balkans to his consulting work most recently in Afghanistan, so when he speaks on matters of conflict, one would be well advised to listen. The bottom line for Zinni is that we win and lose wars not because of a lack of tactics or fighting forces, but because of disconnects that occur between military and civilian leaders and the objectives that these institutions pursue.
I thought that Zinni’s analysis was more even handed then a mere recitation of problems with civilian control over the military. He has reasonable ideas such as a reformation of NATO and the UN and a more careful debate in the lead up to war that has plagued numerous US Presidents over the decades. Even though Zinni had notable disagreements over the Bush Administration policies in Iraq and Afghanistan, he is equally harsh on Democratic presidents such as Lyndon Johnson for his actions in Vietnam and the botched peacekeeping operations in Somalia under President Clinton and the confused nature of President Obama’s policies in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria.
The bottom line for Zinni is that war needs a coordinated civilian and military effort towards a set of goals. These goals should not be prison shackles, but without accurate measuring sticks of how we are achieving and to achieve these goals, we may end up adrift in warfare. We should further avoid magic bullets such as technological innovation and the latest and greatest untested battle plans.
A clear eyed look at war from a voice of experience.
November 11, 2016
Goodreads First Reads Giveaway Book.
------------------------------------
Before the First Shots Are Fired: How America Can Win Or Lose Off The Battlefield is strategy book intended to guide future American military actions, written from the point of view of someone who has served in senior leadership positions within the US military. One of the co-authors is Tony Zinni, a retired US Marine General and former Commander in Chief for the US Central Command. The other is Tony Koltz, an American writer who also wrote Battle Ready with Tom Clancy.
The authors argue that military success involves actions that occur off the battlefield, usually involving strategic decisions before the battle begins. They suggest that warfare has changed and neither the American military, the public, nor the politicians understand that. With that, they criticize the current decisions that make up American national strategy, and provide recommendations to improve it. For example, we should overcome the disconnect between military and civilian leaders since wars are not lost because of military tactics or because of America’s fighting force. Although this book is filled with redundancies and with transcripts of various speeches, it contains valuable advice for those involved in the strategic decision-making process.
Before the First Shots are Fired is a valuable book that should be on the bookshelf of anyone interested in military or political affairs.
------------------------------------
Before the First Shots Are Fired: How America Can Win Or Lose Off The Battlefield is strategy book intended to guide future American military actions, written from the point of view of someone who has served in senior leadership positions within the US military. One of the co-authors is Tony Zinni, a retired US Marine General and former Commander in Chief for the US Central Command. The other is Tony Koltz, an American writer who also wrote Battle Ready with Tom Clancy.
The authors argue that military success involves actions that occur off the battlefield, usually involving strategic decisions before the battle begins. They suggest that warfare has changed and neither the American military, the public, nor the politicians understand that. With that, they criticize the current decisions that make up American national strategy, and provide recommendations to improve it. For example, we should overcome the disconnect between military and civilian leaders since wars are not lost because of military tactics or because of America’s fighting force. Although this book is filled with redundancies and with transcripts of various speeches, it contains valuable advice for those involved in the strategic decision-making process.
Before the First Shots are Fired is a valuable book that should be on the bookshelf of anyone interested in military or political affairs.
September 29, 2014
I won this book through Goodreads, it is one I would have picked up anyways because the subject interests me.
Mr. Zinni is a retired Marine General who has served since Vietnam. His experiences and the things he's learned from them are evident in this book. He stresses the benefits of "war-gaming" and exploring the "what-ifs" before we intervene in other countries affairs.
He stresses the concept of knowing your enemy as well as knowing your allies, their culture, their beliefs and their values so we can effectively protect our interests, our reasons for intervention, have the desired outcome from our actions and minimize the negative impacts on the people in the country that we're intervening in.
Mr. Zinni gives us an inside peak at some of the recent Presidents, their administrations and the decision making process, or lack thereof, in their decisions to use the military.
He gives us a top level insiders view of how warfare and the battleground has changed over the years and what the battlegrounds of the future might look like as well as all of the resources that will be needed, military and otherwise, if we, as Americans, want to accomplish our stated goals in foreign affairs.
Mr. Zinni is a retired Marine General who has served since Vietnam. His experiences and the things he's learned from them are evident in this book. He stresses the benefits of "war-gaming" and exploring the "what-ifs" before we intervene in other countries affairs.
He stresses the concept of knowing your enemy as well as knowing your allies, their culture, their beliefs and their values so we can effectively protect our interests, our reasons for intervention, have the desired outcome from our actions and minimize the negative impacts on the people in the country that we're intervening in.
Mr. Zinni gives us an inside peak at some of the recent Presidents, their administrations and the decision making process, or lack thereof, in their decisions to use the military.
He gives us a top level insiders view of how warfare and the battleground has changed over the years and what the battlegrounds of the future might look like as well as all of the resources that will be needed, military and otherwise, if we, as Americans, want to accomplish our stated goals in foreign affairs.
August 3, 2025
I learned about Before the First Shots Are Fired from Mattis's reading list.
Zinni does a very good job laying out the challenges faced in aligning the why across different levels of organization.
These challenges seem consistent across any organization, whether Government or Business, when trying to organize a global operation. To paraphrase his words, the need to align strategy, operational design, and tactics is inherently challenging, especially when you add the human condition and turnover.
Developing these kinds of command and control structures takes time, consistent vision, and deliberate charters. This book came out years ago, but Zinni highlighted the need for efficiency and the importance of focusing government organizations on what they are meant to do and shifting resources to win.
I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in the military or wants a candid perspective on the geostrategic landscape.
Zinni does a very good job laying out the challenges faced in aligning the why across different levels of organization.
These challenges seem consistent across any organization, whether Government or Business, when trying to organize a global operation. To paraphrase his words, the need to align strategy, operational design, and tactics is inherently challenging, especially when you add the human condition and turnover.
Developing these kinds of command and control structures takes time, consistent vision, and deliberate charters. This book came out years ago, but Zinni highlighted the need for efficiency and the importance of focusing government organizations on what they are meant to do and shifting resources to win.
I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in the military or wants a candid perspective on the geostrategic landscape.
July 15, 2014
The good: This is an analysis of how the modern American political/military system is failing to do a good job , making us end up in quagmires like Iraq and Afghanistan, and what could be done differently to make things safer and more effective, worldwide. The author has vast experience, and shares much of it with us in this book.
Problems: Well, it's not tightly written, and I would have expected the secondary author to have corrected this. It rambles. It rambles a LOT. The anecdotes are fascinating and clear, but they do not seem chosen to support the immediate point that the authors are trying to make.
This means that the main points of the book are scattered throughout, and somewhat obscured by all the rest of the stories, except for the last chapter which is a very tight summary.
I'd recommend the laat chapter widely. The rest? probably mostly of interest to military historian buffs, especially ones focusing on the last 50 or so years.
I got this book as an ARC via LibraryThing.
Problems: Well, it's not tightly written, and I would have expected the secondary author to have corrected this. It rambles. It rambles a LOT. The anecdotes are fascinating and clear, but they do not seem chosen to support the immediate point that the authors are trying to make.
This means that the main points of the book are scattered throughout, and somewhat obscured by all the rest of the stories, except for the last chapter which is a very tight summary.
I'd recommend the laat chapter widely. The rest? probably mostly of interest to military historian buffs, especially ones focusing on the last 50 or so years.
I got this book as an ARC via LibraryThing.
January 2, 2017
This is a Goodreads First Reads books.
Before the First Shots Are Fired: How America Can Win or Lose Off the Battlefield by Tony Zinni and Tony Koltz is a thought provoking critique of the American political and military systems. Leadership (or the lack thereof) plays a central role in their analysis of the military and the political leaders who direct it.
Before the First Shots Are Fired should be viewed as a wake-up call to the political and military leaders and is a good read for anyone interested in the military or political systems.
Before the First Shots Are Fired: How America Can Win or Lose Off the Battlefield by Tony Zinni and Tony Koltz is a thought provoking critique of the American political and military systems. Leadership (or the lack thereof) plays a central role in their analysis of the military and the political leaders who direct it.
Before the First Shots Are Fired should be viewed as a wake-up call to the political and military leaders and is a good read for anyone interested in the military or political systems.
October 20, 2014
A very enlightening description of the complexities with which we must deal with when deciding whether we should go to war. In some respects, it is a frightening indictment of how poorly we many times decide to do this. This carefully thought out analysis by Genrral Zinni made me think about the problems associated with war making and its aftermath.
February 8, 2015
Very insightful, operations- and tactics- level examination of America's wars since Vietnam, as well as a grand-strategy overview of America's current engagements overseas.
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews