The Ragged Edge: A US Marine’s Account of Leading the Iraqi Army Fifth Battalion

by Michael Zacchea, Ted Kemp, Paul D. Eaton (Foreword)

At a time when the United States debates how deeply to involve itself in Iraq and Syria, Lt. Col. Michael Zacchea, USMC (ret.), holds a unique vantage point on our still-ongoing war that is shared by literally no one else, anywhere. Deployed to Iraq in March 2004 after the overthrow of Saddam Hussein, 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 of hopeful determination turned to hopeless desperation, of brotherhood and betrayal, and of cultural ignorance and misunderstanding, while shedding light on the dangerous pitfalls of training foreign troops to fight murderous insurgents. Unlike other combat Marines in Iraq at the time, Zacchea immersed himself in Iraq’s culture: learning its languages, eating its foods, observing its traditions—even being inducted into one of its Sunni tribes. The Ragged Edge is the first American military memoir out of Iraq or Syria that features complex Arab and Kurdish characters, and which 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.

Genres: Memoir, War, History, Military Fiction

400 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2017

About the author

Lieutenant Colonel Michael Zacchea (USMC-ret.) led the Kurds, Shiites, and Sunnis of the Iraqi Fifth Battalion and their US advisers. He won two Bronze Stars, the Purple Heart, and Iraq’s Order of the Lion of Babylon. A veterans’ advocate with VoteVets.org and elsewhere, he has appeared widely as a public speaker; in several documentaries, including Thank You for Your Service (2015); and on NPR and CBS News, among other news outlets. Zacchea is currently director of the UConn Entrepreneur Bootcamp for Veterans with Disabilities. He lives in Connecticut.

Reviews

[Peter Spaulding · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was so much better than I expected. Aside from some awkward Marines hoo-rah and a T. E. Lawrence complex, I think the book is a really detailed example of what all went wrong after the invasion of Iraq and how that was connected to the vision (or lack thereof) of leaders beforehand.

[Lynn Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can't wait for the movie!
The Ragged Edge showed me a side of my own American history from an entirely new perspective. I never understood just how desperate the conditions were, just how barren Iraq was. On one level, I knew there was a privatization effort going on but how it manifested on the ground became a painful reality when I read this book. The culture of Iraqi men who chose to serve because they needed the money and left when the job no longer served them explains one of the many difficulties of bringing American Democracy to a place that understood neither America or Democracy. Essential reading for every American.Michael ZaccheaTed Kemp are masters at making me feel the heat of Iraqi dessert and leave me thirsty for more.

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars, easily rounded up.

Occasionally, authors will walk into the small library I work for, offering a copy of their book for our collection. Had I realized just who was offering a copy of this book, I'm sure my posture would have improved about 200% and 'sir' would have entered my vocabulary. (I was in the military about 45 years ago)

This book is about a Marine's year tour of duty in Iraq. A little different tour than most. He was the guy who was to take a battalion of Iraqi recruits and turn them into an effective fighters for the Iraqi military. He had a small team of other advisors to work with but in the end it was his battalion, his responsibility. Oh, right, and no one had a clue how to do this, especially with time constraints.

The US government is not now nor has it been sensitive to the religious, social, and cultural issues of anyone from that general area. It showed. Ever wondered why Iraq is SNAFU? What happened to their own army? And what the hell happened - these people, saved from Saddam, were not exactly ecstatic over the thought of democracy and freedom!?!?!

This is not a dry report. This is not an aren't-I-wonderful memoir. This is a story, a very real, true story about very real human beings. This book should be read . In some areas, it should be compulsive reading.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was not really sure what to expect because I know the Author and said I would read Mikes book. It can usually go one of 2 ways. Either you don't even get through it and lie because you don't want to hurt anyones feelings or you like it. In this case it was neither. I loved it!

Mike is a great guy on a personal note but his story is truly inspiring. This book, to me, is not about the war or the action he saw. It was about our Military, his views on what made his job difficult to say the least, what Americans and the Military think about other cultures, and most important the relationships with the men he worked with in Iraq. It really made me think about and gain a deeper respect for other cultures. We may not agree with them but should, respect them.

At the end of the book I find myself full of questions for him and can't wait to get to ask him some of them. I also have even more respect for the man and the Marine. I am fortunate that I know him and so glad I followed through on my promise to read his book.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best memoirs of the Iraq War that I've found, The Ragged Edge paints a gritty, interesting, and ultimately exasperating portrait of the early post-invasion years. Zacchea's unusual vantage point as a US Marine advisor to an Iraqi infantry battalion highlights the challenges of rebuilding the Iraqi military in the midst of strategic and tactical failures of post-invasion planning; he casts an unsparing and fair eye on both US and Iraqi cultures in doing so. The deep bond Zacchea shares with many of his Iraqi brothers in arms is clear and noteworthy, as are the vast differences between them all. Their victories, large and small, contrast sharply with often mind-boggling struggles, and the reader is vividly brought along. The Ragged Edge is a gift to history and a warning to everyone who may give short shrift to the human and cultural dimensions of the Middle East, or to the eternal truths of war. Highly recommended.

[Jonah Wolff · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a powerful look inside the U.S. mission to establish a new Iraq and a new Iraqi Army. LtCol Zacchea outlines the tireless, risky work by American and Iraqi forces, and the political ineptitude that doomed the mission from the start. The lessons in this book should become a fundamental part of our understanding of the war in Iraq.

[Forrest · Rating 5 out of 5]

"There are notions that we take for granted in the United States, things that are so inherent to us that we think they're universal truths. We fail to recognize that they are just our beliefs. Much of what we were teaching the Iraqis had no history or place in their world. I'm talking about things as elevated as peaceful diversity and as mundane as not driving on sidewalks." -Michael Zacchea

[Jesse · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great read. Not a typical war memoir, but a deep look at what the author went through both personally and with his group of Iraqi military members.
There was enough battle action to satisfy that itch, as well as a look into the mindset of the men surrounding the author.
Thank you sir, for your service and for penning this book.

[Colleen Benelli · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is well written. It is informative and important. I highly recommend this book because we all need to know how our military works, and doesn't. Our soldiers deserve support from the top down and the bottom up. It is an inside look at recent history and there are lessons to be learned.

[Kevin Hickey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked it.

[Annie Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating, covers a lot in a really brief period.

[Audiobook Accomplice (Gillian) · Rating 4 out of 5]

A huge part of the war you just don’t hear about
My Full Review

[Jan · Rating 5 out of 5]

An intense, truly ragged and unflinchingly honest account

[Geffrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best books on the Iraqi war I’ve read. Very interesting to read the perspective of the US advisers training the Iraqi army. How big the cultural differences are, what the reasons are for Iraqi soldiers to stay in the army, or not. How insurgents try to infiltrate and how this can be countered. Besides all the cultural differences, the book is also written nicely with good pace and developments and never gets boring. The battle of Fallujah for example. Last of all, it is also interesting how the US advisers had to deal with US colleagues not working as close with the Iraqi’s and how to deal with the Iraqi high ranking officers.

Great book. Very personalized story with a lot to learn from, definitely on the cultural level.