The Heart of War: Misadventures in the Pentagon

by Kathleen J. McInnis

The Devil Wears Prada meets Catch-22; a novel about a young woman’s journey into the heart of Washington’s war machine.

Dr. Heather Reilly has been an anti-war activist since her brother died fighting the Taliban. But her crushing student loans drive her to take a job working on a peace plan for Afghanistan, in the last place on Earth she ever thought she'd be the Pentagon. On her first day, however, her position is eliminated and she’s shuffled to a war-fighting office focused on combating Russian aggression. Unfortunately, she knows little about Russia and has deep moral reservations about war. Making matters worse, she’s also working for Ariane Fletcher—a woman so terrifying, she eats generals for breakfast. As Heather learns to navigate the Pentagon’s insane bureaucracy and petty power struggles, she finds that her successes come at the expense of her personal life... and that small mistakes can have major consequences in the Department of Defense.

From Washington D.C.'s corridors of power to the dusty streets of Kabul, Kathleen McInnis spins a smart, hilarious, and heartwarming tale that shines a light on the often frustrating but sometimes rewarding experience of a career in the Pentagon. Packed with insider knowledge about one of the least-known—yet most-powerful—organizations in U.S. national security, McInnis' debut novel establishes her as a major new literary voice with a point of view we've never seen before.

Genres: Fiction, Military Fiction, Novels, Literature, Contemporary, War

374 pages, Paperback

First published September 25, 2018

Reviews

[David Eisler · Rating 4 out of 5]

So many war novels have portrayed the experience of the battlefield, but this is the first one I've read that reveals what it's like inside the building where decisions about war are made. Anyone who thinks this is just "chick lit" is sorely mistaken: it's a detailed look at bureaucracy, civil service, and the other side of war. What was most impressive to me was how much suspense McInnis built out of a narrative that, when you think about it, is mostly about memos, emails, and phone calls. But suspenseful it is, and, even though the tone is mostly lighthearted and humorous (another refreshing change for most novels about war), she doesn't shy away from the seriousness of the business or provide an easy resolution to the problems.

Highly recommended for anyone interested in learning about how the Pentagon feels without taking itself too seriously.

[Sam Lichtenstein · Rating 2 out of 5]

Depressing

This is not an especially well written book, but it's a quick read and the writing/plotting is not utterly terrible -- somehow I did finish it (mostly on the Acela corridor hurtling north from our nation's capital, no less) after all. Yet I am not the book's intended audience; this is really a work of chick lit that happens to tangentially involve foreign policy, and it is only because of my own amateur interest in the latter that I picked it up in the first place. So my rating is based on the novel's rather limited success in achieving it's ancillary goal of offering commentary/satire on "the blob".

First the spoiler free aspects, focusing on the element of satire. This book is not as funny as it thinks it is. Indeed, the comedic element is simply the dysfunction of the national security bureacracy, but this fails on a couple of levels. It reads as if intended to elicit knowing chuckles from current and former denizens of that bureacracy and guffaws of disbelief from the uninitiated, and I'm sure for some readers it does so. The first level on which this fails to hit home (at least for me) is that the "ridiculous" aspects of working at the Pentagon, while indeed eminently worthy of ridicule, seem completely anodyne and expected, rather than hilarious or over the top. Somehow I can't imagine anyone moderately well versed in recent (especially post Cold War) American history could be surprised by (or find funny/endearing) the notion of severe incompetence at all levels of the national security policy process, masked only by a veneer of patriotism and fancy military hardware.

On a deeper level, I think this book misses what makes successful satire tick, both for workplace settings (e.g. The Office) and military ones (e.g. Catch-22). Such successful satires certainly *feature* extreme incompetence, but they don't *revolve* around it. After all, it is not news to 21st century TV viewers that employees at a paper company in Scranton might not be bringing their A game. Nor was it news to a generation that just lived through Pearl Harbor and the Korean War that the US military does not always operate like a well-oiled machine. Rather, the reason these types of satires work is that they revel in the absurdism and escalate the incompetence up to and beyond its logical conclusion. (another good example might be the male models perishing in a gasoline fight in Zoolander.) This book fails to depict a suitably comedic apotheosis of Pentagon incompetence because - ultimately - it is too earnest.

In discussing the author's insufficient cynicism, we are now venturing into spoiler territory; you have been warned.

I came away with this impression primarily because of what *wasn't* in the novel, despite being seemingly fertile territory for a satire of Pentagon failure. There is no discussion, for example, of procurement, technology boondoggles, corruption, etc. Indeed, defense contractors get only the briefest of cameos (in the context of the lifestyle of a Congressional staffer, not that of a Pentagon bureacrat), and even *budgets* are given short shrift.

I was also bemused that a novel constructed around the conceit of a "red herring" plot focused on Moldova and US-Russia great power politics barely mentions Transnistria at all.

Covert operations and policy options also get no mention, which seemed like perhaps the novel's single greatest failure in terms of verisimilitude.

I'm obviously not sure why these sorts of things didn't end up in the book, even though they would seem to fit the theme. But I might speculate that the reason has to do with the author being culturally "of" the Blob milieu, and hence dispositionally unable to mock her subject matter in a wholehearted way. And that is the fundamental reason the book does not succeed.

[Grace Hickey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eye-opening and (from what I’ve heard) accurate insight into what it’s like working for the Pentagon, but would probably only be interesting to someone wanting to work in DC.

Ok I also have to add because I cannot stop thinking about it - how crazy is it to create a pride and prejudice love triangle except you think guy 1 is responsible for your brother’s death in the Iraq War so you sleep with guy 2 but it turns out guy 2 was actually responsible and guy 1 tried to save him??

[Dao]

My favorite boss gifted me this book for Christmas. A rom-com in the Pentagon? I’m afraid she understands me perfectly.

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Heart of War
Kathleen McInnis

They say write what you know and that’s just exactly what DC insider Kathleen McInnis has done with her debut novel, The Heart of War, a mix of realistic bureaucratic drama and political satire. With a bright, fresh protagonist, some spectacular spin-doctor costars and an in your face first person dialogue filled wry humor and some serious histrionics she delivers an engaging read that except for a slightly slow start is quite the page turner. The novel’s star Heather is a real stand out and the nonstop actions of the DC movers and shakers, government dysfunction at it’s finest and global backdrops paint an authentic albeit sobering picture of the tumultuous goings on. Fans of military or political dramas will really enjoy this story.

SUMMARY:
Armed with a PhD in conflict resolution and to honor her fallen brother’s memory Dr. Heather Reilly goes to Washington on an academic fellowship to work on a peacekeeping plan for Afghanistan. When she arrives she gets a crash course in DC politics when instead of peacekeeping she finds herself working for the Assistant Secretary of Defense also known as, the wicked witch of the pentagon who’s in the business of making war not avoiding it. And so this former peacenik is suddenly thrust in the middle of a high stakes game of Washington political warfare where if the red tape doesn’t kill you your backstabbing boss just might.

[Sara Strand · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have to just confess right now that originally I thought this was a memoir. I had it in my head that this was a memoir about her time working inside of the Pentago. So I was (and here's the embarrassing part) maybe half way through the book when it dawned on me that something wasn't quite right. The names of well known officials were not the same as I remembered them being and I (hanging my head in shame) actually Googled it because I was kind of annoyed someone would get key names wrong in a MEMOIR. Turns out, it is not a memoir. The first clue should have been the authors name is NOT the same as the main character.

You guys, I am going to blame the combination of not a lot of sleep lately, and my brain injury, and yeah. This is not a memoir. It is fiction and so if you're coming here from Instagram and you saw me reference this as a memoir, it turns out I'm an idiot and it's OK. It's fiction. It's really good but it is fiction.

Phew. So now that we have that cleared up, this book is kind of great. I was reading this at a time when my Grandpa was passing away and he's a decorated Vietnam veteran so I was interested just because I really don't know a lot about the Pentagon. I know basically what they do but how that sector of government works day to day so I thought this would be interesting for that alone. And it was. I once had a job that rivaled The Devil Wears Prada so I hold a special place in my heart for people in that crap situation, and Dr. Heather Reilly is one of those people. She's taken a job within the Pentagon basically to make ends meet. Her fiance is across the country, their financial situation is pretty bleak, and this job would help shore up some things for them but also give her some experience in the field and that would benefit her in her job as a college professor. So she takes it. But day one she finds out her job has changed and she wouldn't be doing anything that she thought she would be doing, then she meets her boss from hell and it is shenanigans from there.

Overall, I thought the book was really good. I'm giving it a solid 4 stars and the only negative about the book is that it's kind of slow to get going and it felt overly chatty. If that makes sense. Normally I like books with a lot of dialogue but this one had a lot and it almost took away from the story. Things I liked about the story are obviously Heather and her personality. I mean, she has a lot of embarrassing things that happen to her so you can't help but laugh with her because any one of us would die right there. The book is pretty humorous, not an easy fete when you're writing a book about war torn countries and the potential of sending US troops into danger. Somehow the authors makes a serious situation funny and I really appreciated that because without that this book could have been a complete downer. Interestingly, there is a romance thread in the book and I didn't really expect that from this one and while it felt a little unrealistic, it oddly fits. It feels like a movie arc, where the girl has the crap job but somehow makes it all work and falls in love along the way and the hero is there to catch her as she emerges from the job triumphant.

If you like a good romcom this is going to be your jam!

[Amrutha Prasad · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 rounding up for how well the book captures DC’s energy. The book itself was poorly written, telling more often than showing and not as funny or satirical as it thinks it is. If the story wasn’t so relatable I’d knock it down further.

[Beverly Diehl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aaah, the glamour of working in the Pentagon, helping to create policy that saves the world - or is it, destroys it?

Told in first person, Heather Reilly, PhD, is an expert on Afghanistan, hired to work on... NOT Afghanistan, because, reorg. Something that apparently happens frequently in this place. Along with fishing crumpled used folders out of waste bins and IRONING them for presentations.

For a book about making war, not one of my favorite subjects, this novel is light and funny and engaging. It's very much about human connection. Heather rooms with her friend - and brother's widow, Amanda, she makes important connections with her coworkers, has a boss from hell (who doesn't) and manages to do well despite everything. There's a sprinkling of romance and sexytimes, but it is far from the main focus of the book. And somehow, despite having been put onto other projects, Heather gets to Afghanistan - where her brother was killed - after all.

[Zachary Kjellberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Started reading this book thinking it was nonfiction as it relatable to my experiences with the Pentagon and fairly accurate to the political world challenges. Halfway through, the book takes a veer more towards fiction which hurts the momentum with predictable plot changes and cliches.

[Lauren Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whether you’re liberal or conservative, you’ll like this book. Don’t judge this book by its cover. I thought it was going to be a Pentagon themed chick flick, but I found it was more of a West Wing (the show) type drama from a female’s perspective. Loved it. I wish it was longer!

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written fictional account of life inside the US civilian defense establishment. Enjoyable pace, and insightful take on bureaucracy

[Rylie · Rating 3 out of 5]

silly but fun

[John DeRosa · Rating 3 out of 5]

A decade in the Pentagon makes this a decent enough read despite the soap opera novelty. Kathleen McInnis has a clean crisp writing style that was a delight to read while vacationing in the beach.

[Vanessa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had a good time reading this book. I enjoyed the acronym soup and how everyone is working on such short deadlines that they can only research so far...never enough.

[Emilie Dubbelman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Las prima weg, vond wel een aantal loopholes in het plot zitten. Als je als hoofdpersoon de beste analyst van het pentagon bent kan je ook prima bedenken dat een vent niet bij je past.

[Meg - A Bookish Affair · Rating 4 out of 5]

In "The Heart of War," Heather gets a plum job at the Pentagon. It isn't exactly what she wants and she worries a little bit about compromising her values but it will pay the bills and so she tries to make the best of it. She quickly finds herself swept up in many directions that she could have never anticipated and she will learn a lot about herself through her adventures and many misadventures. This book started out a bit slow but hits a really nice pace and captures the trials and triumph of a life in public service.

This book is near and dear to me as it echoes some of my own experiences (I don't work at the Pentagon but am familiar with the bureaucratic rigmarole. I thought that the author did a really good job of capturing the day to day. I do wonder how interesting that might be for people outside the bureaucratic hamster wheel and how well it will be understood but the author definitely captures it true to life.

The book really picks up as Heather's life begins to take all sorts of directions she never expected and when she begins to do work that she finds both meaningful and maybe uncomfortable. I thought that the author did a really good job of capturing that inner struggle and shedding a lot of light on what makes Heather tick. Not only do we get to see Heather at work but the book also has a heavy dose of her personal life and the way that it is changed by her work at the Pentagon.

This book would be perfect for anyone looking for some political drama with a likeable character in difficult circumstances! I enjoyed it!

[Mandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick, light-hearted read that offers a behind-the-scenes view of defense policy making at the Pentagon. As someone who only worked on the congressional side, I was curious to see how bureaucratic politics played out, including seeming extreme pettiness from both the National Security Council and senior DoD policy officials. Others with expertise in the area seem to think the novel’s portrayal of memos languishing too long or bad ideas advancing too fast is an accurate enough portrayal of reality.

That said, there were a number of tics that bothered me. A number of characters “pursed their lips” a lot (a rough search says 10-15 times). A better editor could have helped. And as someone who worked on the congressional side there were some procedural things that didn’t make sense—especially the idea that someone who helped a SecDef get embarrassed and surprised at a Senate Armed Services hearing would be embraced and promoted.

I think it’s a good read for those who want to understand the quirks, heart, and challenges of the civil service. But to the degree the book is a defense of “the blob,” I think the American people are right to keep on asking questions and for more accountability.

[Antipoet · Rating 1 out of 5]

Geez, this was a slog.

I think I about had it when I got to the scene where the protagonist impresses a general by pointing out that Turkey doesn't like Armenia. Do...do you think that isn't already known? How could you possibly write a scene that implies anyone with decision-making power could possibly give a shit?

I hit about the 40% mark, realized that I could not continue my existence while continuing to read this book, and skipped to the end. Somehow there was a successful Afghan peace process in place; I can only assume this was due to our protagonist's efforts. Cringe!

You could argue I'm being unfair to the author because she didn't write this before the Taliban won in 2021. But nah, there were people in 2001 who accurately predicted that the US would just waste a lot of blood, time, and money accomplishing nothing. By the time the author started writing this, the writing was on the wall...and she still came out with this. Mega cringe!!

[Sarah Maples · Rating 4 out of 5]

A laugh from start to finish. Having been a guest at the Pentagon on numerous occasions, I can say that McInnis' descriptions are spot on. If you've ever wanted a peek inside the Pentagon, or worked there and want a relook without having to actually go back, check this book out.

McInnis manages to address pacifism, war, veganism, Gold Star families, break-ups, hook-ups, political backstabbing, crazy bosses, and family strain in a way that stays light-hearted, without mocking or making light of the significance of many of the topics. While you may encounter a bit of predictability or an inexplicable character reversal, I promise you'll be too busy laughing to care.

Overall, a much-needed laugh and good fun.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of my new favorite books. It's a fun read but it's also very well written and true to the experience. Anyone who has worked in defense will be laughing out loud at some of the descriptions of life (and systems) around the pentagon. Anyone who has worked in defense should read it as a good book that will strike a chord of familiarity. And anyone who hasn't worked in defense should read it to gain some much needed insight in to what goes on in decision making behind the scenes. Nothing is simple.

[Maggie · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a woman, who used to work in the Pentagon, I can say that McInnis' The Heart of War captures that world perfectly. Unexpected BONUS: she does so with humor and heart. I loved it & recommend this captivating book to everyone!

[Mackenzie · Rating 4 out of 5]

As someone that works in DC in Defense industry, I found this to be an entertaining read that also contains a great deal of authenticity. Having read the author's bio, one also wonders how much of the 'story' is derived from her own experience in the Pentagon. Would recommend to others!

[Deryl McCarty · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great writing and exquisite humor

I read the whole book yesterday after seeing a War on the Rocks mention. For the first two thirds of the book I laughed aloud with the self deprecating humor and the comedic characters and situations with which the author finds herself engrossed. And as an Air Force vet I could identify the story line within about 99% accuracy, only the names and places were changed to protect the innocent (and guilty). But I did get defensive when things got combat serious and some of the antagonists did not. Probably that was the author's intent, to highlight how things can get out of hand as a result of internal politics, but my experience is that cooler heads always emerge when the potential for lead poisoning rears it ugly head. The author did a great job at writing. And except for the Pentagonese, it was thankfully written in plain, ordinary, spoken English. Fortunately I can understand most of both languages. As an aside, it was Ike whose experiences in WWII added State and/or PhD academics to the Pentagon and deployed combat staffs because there is otherwise no context to targeting and planning, therefore no perceived outcome in either the bad guy or American citizen's mind. Easy afternoon read, though a jumbled and emotional thought provoker for going to sleep.

[Robert · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a veteran of the trenches at the Pentagon, I had to pick this up to compare experiences. My own tenure in OSD was in the early 1980s (they were just introducing word processors which our secretaries insisted on keeping to themselves for the first year!). Unlike the protagonist of this 'novel' who is coming from academia, I had the security of being 'on loan' from the State Department to which I would return after my tour. I did have to put it aside for a while when the recounted stupidities threatened to overwhelm my suspension of disbelief - but during that interval I recalled a number of incidents and encounters that were just as unbelievable as those described by the author. This is not a deep, heavy novel despite some often dark moments (one of which I may not forgive having been posted abroad with my family including a daughter who attended several overseas schools). It does however actually ring true to me for its only slightly exaggerated account of life in the bureaucratic battlefield of Washington (with full allowance for the fact that I did not have to contend with the complications of gender in a workforce even more unbalanced in the 1980s than in the period of the novel). Entertaining, thought provoking, and recommended.

[Gretchen · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you’ve worked in the Pentagon and with the upper echelons of the Department of Defense, you’ll get a kick out of how accurate this is. It’s quite policy heavy and not so much a cheesy romance (though there is a bit of that), but still rather interesting - especially in today’s defense environment and we prepare to entirely pull out of Afghanistan. A few characters and plot lines wouldn’t actually go over well nor be tolerated in real life, but overall it’s a fantastic look into the of the DoD - especially from a woman’s perspective!

[Paula · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book captures the essence of working in Washington and national security perfectly. Must read for anyone who is thinking about a career in this sector or even those of us who work in it. It’s not at all a rom-com type novel, it captures the intricacies of coordinating between different offices in government and the difficulty of crafting policy while dealing with personal issues of the value of the policy you’re creating. Highly recommend.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Light and fun, a rom-com West Wing set at the Pentagon, with a great, smart narrative voice (I learned so much about Moldova and geopolitics!) that lost me the last quarter of the book by doing Way Too Much. I did love all the shoutouts to DC locales I used to frequent when I lived in Pentagon City tho lol.

[Brent White · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Heart Of War: Misadventures In The Pentagon - Kathleen J. McInnis. Excellent insight into the United State Military Complex. Good protagonist. Smart woman hero stepping into a predominantly male world. Fun push and pull with incompetent female boss. And politics that felt like they were ripped from the headlines. I’m thinking this would be a great movie adaptation.

[Steven · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think the book is great for people not used to working for big organizations with plenty of hierarchy. I absolutely recommend this book to people interested in foreign policy and especially the military side of it.

[Leo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can't wait for the sequel and Amazon series. A wonderful story that highlights the stories of the people working to make a difference in side the Beltway. I can only hope that people who have not lived this lifestyle also find the book just as beautiful.