When the Tempest Gathers: From Mogadishu to the Fight Against ISIS, a Marine Special Operations Commander at War

by Andrew Milburn

A US marine and Special Ops Commander recounts his combat experiences through Iraq and beyond in this “powerful and beautifully written memoir” (The Washington Times).These are the combat experiences of the first Marine to command a special operations task force. Andrew Milburn takes readers on his journey from Second Lieutenant to Colonel and Task Force Commander; from leading Marines through the streets of Mogadishu, Baghdad, Fallujah and Mosul to directing multi-national special operations forces in the fight against ISIS. Through it all, he shares the hard-won lessons he learned, and shows how he put them to use in a complex fight against a formidable foe. Very few personal accounts of war cover such a wide breadth of experience. Milburn tells his extraordinary story with humility and candor, describing his personal struggles with the isolation of command, post-combat trauma and family tragedy. And with the skill and insight of a natural storyteller, he makes the reader experience what it’s like to lead those who fight America’s wars. “Simply the finest war memoir to emerge from the last two decades of constant fighting.” —New York Times bestselling author Bing West

Genres: Military Fiction, War, History, Biography, Nonfiction, Military History, Memoir

497 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 1, 2021

Reviews

[Randal White · Rating 5 out of 5]

"When the Tempest Gathers" is a very different type of book than most military memoirs I have read. It's much better, in fact, I would put it at the top of my favorites.
The author, Andrew Milburn is an excellent writer. His intelligence and passion are way above the norm. Thirty two years in the Marine Corps! What a patriot. And his descriptive abilities are outstanding. While many authors can (almost) make you feel like you are in the event, Milburn's ability is to make you feel like you are INSIDE his head! The result is sometimes actually frightening. You are seeing the battles as if he is wearing a Go-Pro camera, and you are actually reading his mind.
The author did not come to the Marine Corp via the "normal" route. Far from it. He is the son of a British father and American mother, and was born in Hong Kong. He attended English boarding schools, went to St Paul's School in London (studying philosophy), then University College in London, and finally studied law at Westminster University. All followed by a crazy journey to see a girl in Australia, via travel through Europe and Iran. How he ended up in the USMC is a great story, but I don't want to spoil it for you.
Starting out as an infantryman (another great story), over the course of the next three decades he found himself in Somalia, Columbia, Ethiopia, Liberia, Iraq, Libya, back to Iraq and on to Afghanistan. Worked his way up the ranks until he commanded a Special Operations Joint Task Force. The man has seen it all!
I found myself taking notes throughout the book. Just to reread later. Way too many to list here (besides, it would ruin the story for you).
Suffice it to say that he covered his thoughts on the Iraqi Army; on combat stress; the beginnings of ISIS (and why it happened); the contrasts in different country's military's (especially interesting was the different principle of mission command from Canada to the United States). He covers his feeling about the top heavy command in the United States (never in the field of human conflict have so many invested so much, to lead so few). I enjoyed his explanations on various Marine Corp doctrines. Finally, I really appreciated his thoughts on our current administration's policy of killing the top people of an organization, and how he would do it differently. If only from his lips to the President's ears!
Milburn's battle scenes were incredible. But what I found unusual was his willingness to share his personal feelings, doubts, and regrets. Not at all the typical Marine.
I wish that I could meet the author. I feel that one couldn't help but improve one's self just by being around him.
I highly recommend this book!

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this book hoping for insider insight into military management, battle tactics and counterinsurgency strategy, what I was not expecting was a deeply poignant, highly-intelligent memoir of the experiences of modern-day urban warfare and the chaos of military command. Free from the blinkers of hero-worship, this, at times beautifully considerate and other times deeply disturbing, accounts of a rising Marine commander demonstrates how much luck plays a role in battle as much as preparation, unpresuming respect for those you dominate (as well as those you kill), and self-awareness and self-control.

Milburn's experience as a battle commander was insightful on many levels. In particular, he reinforced a lot of common ideals on military command, such as maintaining an air of self-control and projecting command, yet supports it with self-reflections on the costs of such ideals and the challenges of making life-and-death decisions. “As a leader, you can't be a gray man.” I found that a very astute point of ethical decision-making in ethically gray areas of humanity. Furthermore, it reveals a hidden layer of toxic culture in the military from exposure to constant danger and death, and it highlights the importance to hold on to honour at all costs. It's the true battle of light and dark.

Much of Milburn's experience involves training, managing and coordinating Iraqi forces, with minimal support from US military resources. In the final section of the book, he also takes on a special operations command, fighting ISIS in Iraq. He candidly exposes his vulnerabilities, while, free of bragging, demonstrating his capabilities, and sharing some sometimes odd and other times harrowing anecdotes along the way.

A couple of interesting tactical lessons I took away from this book:

• Fratricide is important to manage in tactical manoeuvres: anchoring one team to a secure location and pulling pack teams under fire toward that location is often a smart move
• In counterinsurgency, removing mid-level commanders, as opposed to top commanders, is more impacting on enemy morale and has a lower chance of worsening the situation if a more zealot leader fills the power vacuum.
• F3EAD: Find, Fix, Finish, Exploit, Analyse and Disseminate.
Find = identify, locate, and target enemy forces;
Fix = fix the target in space and time by limiting the enemy's manoeuvring capability by flanking, fires, non-visibility or non-communication;
Finish-Exploit cycle = gathering intelligence as you aim to destroy the enemy; the intelligence allows for finding, fixing and finishing the next target via intelligence analysis and dissemination among the intelligence and tactical network.

[Brandon Harding · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have served nearly 32 years in the military and have had some great leaders. At the very top of that list is Col Andrew Milburn. I had the distinct pleasure of serving with him when he was in command of 1st BN 3rd Marines. He was an extraordinary leader, mental tough, intellectually curious, with a heart for his Marines and compassion for the Iraqi people. This book captures the essence of what is like to serve in combat and the weight of decisions that Marines deal with on a daily basis. It highlights the art of leading Marines while accomplishing the mission. It is a highly compelling read and I hope my non military friends will read this book to gain some insight into the life of Marine at war and the cost it entails. I give it the strongest recommendation possible. The time you spend reading it will be well worth it!

[Ryan W. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Body and spirit, I surrendered whole, to harsh instructors, and received a soul.”

-Rudyard Kipling

War memoirs, or reflections, fictional or otherwise, are hard to compete with–especially in the Marine Corps. You can start chronologically with the fictional work by Anton Myrer, a US Marine, who penned “Once an Eagle”. It continues with works such as “With the Old Breed” by Eugene Sledge, and “Goodbye, Darkness” by William Manchester. James Webb brings us front and center to the Vietnam conflict with “Fields of Fire” only to be complimented by “Matterhorn” written by Karl Marlantes. You’ll quickly realize Marlantes provides a work of “fiction” leaving the reader to question where the blurred line of reality starts and ends as you thumb through the pages of his other work “What it is Like to Go to War”. Fictional or not, these Marines left an indelible mark capturing specific time periods of conflict.

I fall into the category of the new war, the next generation. My generation was led through the infant stages of our careers reading Nathaniel Fick’s “One Bullet Away” desperately searching to fulfill the same calling he sought:

“In Athens or Sparta, my decision would have been easy. I felt as if I had been born too late. There was no longer a place in the world for a young man who wanted to wear armor and slay dragons…I wanted something more transformative. Something that might kill me…” (Fick, N. “One Bullet Away” Kindle page 4)

That book opened the door to the new war, the HBO “Generation Kill” crowd. The war was quickly summarized over time by other services and authors hallmarked by the tragic events of Patrick Tillman captured by Jon Krakauer in “Where Men Win Glory” and the widely televised Abu Ghraib incident. Colonel Andy Milburn provides a work that seems to bring a sense of pride to what many call the “Long Wars”, some even the “Lost Wars.” Colonel Milburn dictates the story I feel many veterans, myself included, of those wars wished to be conveyed. In a world of conflicting views and ethical dilemmas, Colonel Milburn provides a simple answer to why many of us were there, or continue to serve in that theater:

“Although I am the one telling the story, it is intended to be as much about those with whom I served as it is about me. Because I am a Marine-and without, I hope, appearing parochial-much of this story is about Marines, who in a sense belong to a world of their own. With its emphasis on ritual, tradition, obedience and hierarchy, the Marine Corps is a culture far removed from the society that it protects…

The Marines who landed with me in Mogadishu were much the same as those who marched on Baghdad, captured Fallujah, and subsequently took the fight to ISIS in Northern Iraq…” (A.Milburn page xi).

The fabric of the uniforms change from generation to generation, but the fabric to which each and every Marine is cut remains constant. Andy Milburn gives the new generation a voice through telling his own story. A story gripped with inconsolable loss (both personal and professional), fear, and gut-wrenching hardship through painstakingly clearing a city overcome by terrorists. One, single, door, at a time–fully knowing there is nothing but the possibility of pure, unyielding death on the other side of each and every door. Only to find himself, years later, trying to gain back the bloodied territory Marines so valiantly won years before.

His story is not a heroic take, in fact, many lessons he bestows as what not to do should something similar arise in your own career. He also conveys the great burden of command, time away from family as a husband and father, empty phone calls and e-mails in an attempt to generate any semblance of normalcy, and the weight of decision-making in combat that comes with the enhanced responsibilities as he progresses from enlisted to officer spanning a 31 year career.

In one of my favorite lines from the book he encapsulates the gravity to which accompanies increased rank:

“His Majesty made you a major because he believed you would know when not to follow orders.” -elder Von Moltke (A. Milburn pg. 117)

This tale is one any service member can find solace in, and one to which I believe Andy searches for himself documenting not just the glory of success on the battlefields, but the broken relationships, lives, and his own personal journey as he tries to find the meaning of it all, and answer the question, “Was it all really worth it?”

“I do believe that we are a force for good here, Andy”…He climbed onto his rack and stared at the ceiling. “But some of the shit that happens here is going to stay with me for a long time,” he said, and closed his eyes.

Despite Rocco’s words, I was mired in guilt. Guilt for our callous entry into that family’s lives, leaving them forever changed while ours went on as before. (A. Milburn, pg. 178)

As the story unfolds Colonel Milburn provides a level of transparency that almost enables many others to do the same. The loss for both personal and professional events leaves Colonel Milburn with a challenge left to face on his own–like so many of us. His candid account of physical and mental exhaustion far from the battlefield reveals the toll many service members battle long after the kinetic events unfolded.

“a profession that commits them to being instruments, not architects, of national policy. That is the lot that they have chosen. “Theirs is not to reason why; theirs is but to do and die,” in the words of Victorian poet, Lord Alfred Tennyson.” (A. Milburn pg. 313)

I am a Marine Aviator by trade and have never cleared a door, gone through the funnel of death entering a building, or shot a round toward the enemy, but strangely enough relate to every page penned by Colonel Milburn as a fellow wearer of the cloth. In fact, two short months ago, holding my six month old daughter, my own past came back to me as my wife and I sat in our Hawaii home on a cool Sunday afternoon.

Watching a documentary about an Army Apache unit on the initial push into Iraq, faulty intelligence put their flight path over the largest Iraqi unit in the country, them never knowing. In the monochromatic hue of green that filled the screen, mimicking the image of night vision goggles, I heard and saw the tracer fire riddle the sky intermingled with rockets. I was transported back to almost a decade earlier on my first deployment, never realizing I had never dealt with the events that occurred on January 11, 2012. By the time I actually heard the voice of my wife asking me, “Do you need a moment?” I sat in embarrassment as she picked up my daughter and walked quietly downstairs. I never realized I sat soaked in sweat with tears running down my eyes sitting on the couch reliving the events from almost a decade before. In the words of Colonel Milburn, “Only then did I realize what a strain it had been trying to tamp down the chaos inside, while pretending that nothing was wrong.” (A. Milburn, pg. 314).

I share that story because Colonel Milburn took the time to share his own. We are a storied culture, with a historic past captured by the men and women who take the time to painfully pen down their own personal accounts opening themselves to the world about the events of their own lives–in one way extremely cathartic, another way, extremely delicate as the world is now aware of something so very personal. But this is how we heal, this is why we write.

Colonel Milburn’s work is the perfect 10/10 in my opinion. It will be added to the list of quintessential memoirs for the men and women who have served during that time period.

Personally, I owe him a debt of gratitude as his story has enabled me to confront my own past. He has also opened the door for the next brave soul to take pen to paper and write the next memoir for those who continue to fight.

[Rachael · Rating 3 out of 5]

When the Tempest Gathers by Andrew Milburn – 3 Stars

I picked up When the Tempest Gathers almost on a whim, not knowing much about the synopsis but following my recent interest in military biographies from the 21st century. It came up as an Audible recommendation, and I decided to give it a go.

This book is the memoir of Andrew Milburn, the first Marine to command a special operations task force. It traces his journey from a young Second Lieutenant to Task Force Commander, taking readers from Mogadishu to Baghdad and finally into the battle for Mosul against ISIS. Along the way, he reflects on the lessons learned in training, combat, and leadership, while also weaving in moments of personal loss and emotional honesty.

One of the challenges for me was the audiobook narration. Milburn himself, born in the UK to a British mother and American father, narrates his story. His transatlantic accent is authentic to his background but sometimes proved distracting, and I found myself disengaging at points, even needing to relisten to sections to stay focused.

What stood out most were the deeply personal passages. Milburn’s honesty when speaking about his late daughter Kayla and his fallen friend Rocco was raw, heartfelt, and incredibly moving. Those moments carried a weight that stayed with me long after listening.

Other sections that resonated were his early postings in Iraq, particularly his role advising the Iraqi military. These chapters felt well-paced and offered a clear picture of the challenges and camaraderie of his work.

However, the book often tried to cover too much ground too quickly. With a 30-year military career, there was simply too much material packed in, which left many sections feeling rushed and underdeveloped. I found myself wishing for more depth on how Milburn’s career progressed—how he moved up the ranks, what shaped his leadership, and why he was chosen for command roles. Acronyms were another challenge, explained once and then left behind, which made them hard to keep track of.

That said, Milburn’s reflections on leadership were thoughtful and resonant. His insistence that leaders must question orders rather than follow them blindly, and his call for more open debate about when wars should be entered and when they should end, elevate this memoir beyond battlefield recollections. These insights, grounded in the hard lessons of experience, are what make the book worth reading, even if the structure at times falls short.

[Robert Neil Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is a sobering thought that the War on Terror has continued long enough for combatants to write their memoirs. Yet, how many of us really know anything about this strand of our history beyond basic and sporadic news items? Andrew Milburn’s When the Tempest Gathers is therefore quite the eye-opener.
After a prologue, recounting an attack in Mosul in 2016, Milburn begins his story with his joining the Marines just in time to miss the First Gulf War in 1991. He made it to Somalia, though, as a lieutenant in command of a mortar team, patrolling the notorious Green Line in Mogadishu where he saw his first combat against local insurgents. A while after he returned, Milburn took command of a Company then became a Battalion Operations Officer. He was in the Far East when 9/11 happened but took no part in the war in Afghanistan. As a Major, and part of the Coalition and Special Warfare Center (CSW), Milburn shipped out for the invasion of Iraq, leaving his role temporarily. Among his experiences, he assisted in friendly fire incidents and helped plan attacks on the enemy. The subsequent occupation was already turning sour when he returned to the US and the CSW.
Milburn was soon back in Iraq, at Fallujah on the eve of the US assault on that town. Milburn narrates his role in the bloody affair, fighting the Muj, in some detail. From there, he served in Anbar Province, where IEDs ruled, and onto Mosul. Milburn took command of the 3rd Battalion advisor team and was charged with securing the elections in his area. From there, Milburn was sent to Afghanistan as an advisor then back to Iraq. He left there in June 2005 and took up a planning position for a potential future war in Korea. He was promoted to battalion commander in 2007 and returned to Iraq and the town of Karma, and the beginnings of ISIS. His battalion pacified the town after a struggle, then Milburn returned to the US. His next hazardous assignment was helping arrange evacuations from Libya in 2011. The next year, Milburn took command of a Marine Special Operations Regiment. After a personal tragedy, Milburn was back in Iraq, fighting ISIS alongside the Peshmerga with considerable success. He concludes his memoir with his retirement and some sobering thoughts on US policy and the squandering of American lives in seemingly pointless wars.
When the Tempest Gathers is a remarkable memoir on many levels. It is full of action and incident. Milburn has you on the edge of your seat as you follow him around the chaotic modern battlefield, fighting enemies you rarely see but when you do it is often up close and personal. Milburn’s account is full of tactical insight, as you might expect, but he is also an expert through experience on the psychology of combat. In addition, Milburn weighs up America’s allies and enemies with nuance rather than discrimination, which is refreshing, and he is scathing on US policy in Iraq. Finally, Milburn brings out the personal and emotional side of being a soldier, and you will see why he refers to his ‘gallery of ghosts’ that still haunt him. As a writer, Milburn is a well-read man, able to set his experiences into a literary context as well as the pragmatic; he is a throwback in some ways to the warrior poets of the Twentieth Century’s conflicts. This memoir will stand the test of time and be read and understood by soldiers in the future. It is a pity that poor editing let him down on a few jarring occasions, but that does not detract from the excellence of Milburn’s memoir.

[Rob Duryea · Rating 5 out of 5]

When the Tempest Gathers is a must read for multiple reasons. Disclaimer: I am a close friend of Andy Milburn and have served with Andy in some of the same places at the same time. For those who do not know Andy, he is thoughtful, intelligent, humble, has a great sense of humor and is a gifted communicator. One of my favorite aspects of his book, it feels like you are in a room with Andy talking about his experiences over a beer.
Not to tell you what you already know but, in a memoir, authors choose a pivotal moment in their lives and try to recreate the event through storytelling. The author’s feelings and assumptions are central to the narrative. Memoirs still include all the facts of the event, but the author has more flexibility here because they are telling a story as he or she remembers it, not as others can prove or disprove it.
This war memoir is a great read, it’s exciting and takes you around the world for three decades – yes, Andy is a magnet for bullets and mayhem. Honestly, my favorite parts of the book are when Andy struggles at a personal and professional level and really shares his feelings. His challenges as a husband and father. His struggles with the trauma he had to endure. His challenges as a young leader and the increasing complexity that comes with increasing responsibility throughout his career. His grappling with the responsibility’s military officers have in modern society. The entire book is great but my favorite chapter is his shortest, The Epilogue. Andy really lays bare the struggles that are in his mind and heart and succinctly sums it up in these three pages. Reading the book and knowing Andy, he has more to personally share and I look forward to reading that in the future.
In closing, this book is a must read for people who want to be a professional in the “profession of arms” or if you just enjoy an engaging, thoughtful and funny read. Reading it at different times in your military and/or civilian career will give you a different experience and different takeaways. The book is great, just like Andy.

[Phil Eubanks · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got to know Col. Andrew Milburn in 2007 when he was the Battalion Commander where our oldest son Clint was a new Infantry Officer. Col. Milburn and I stayed in touch with each other over the years and I can say that Clint and many other Marines are probably alive today because of Col Milburn’s military acumen, experience and leadership. Clint subsequently got a Harvard MBA, was a manager at McKinsey Consulting and is now a VP at a privately held company in Houston.

During Clint’s time with the Marines, serving in Iraq & Afghanistan from 2006-2010, I read over 250 books on military history, strategy and individual military leaders. I rank Col. Milburn’s book in the Top 5 of all of those books.

Readers of his book will get an Inside Look at what it takes to be an Effective Leader of small and large teams in very difficult circumstances that spanned 30 years. There are many personal stories describing individual leadership challenges, both militarily and personally.

Yes, this book will give you lots of insight into how the Marines win battles and wars. However, more importantly this is a book about Effective Leadership that applies in business, not-for-profit organizations and all other organizations, including family life. This is not a book just listing and describing leadership principles. It’s full of Real Life Stories with Big Challenges and even some failures.

I highly recommend this book. Col. Milburn is the Real Deal and has led for over 30 years with the principles described in Jim Collins book “Good to Great”, before Collins wrote his book, namely Level 5 Leadership. Level 5 Leaders have 2 overriding characteristics:

1. They are very focused and committed on accomplishing the Mission, and

2. They have and equally strong sense of Humility that permeates everything they do.

[Brendan Mooney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unresolved Soul Searching in War Story

Well written and often erudite history of one Marines career and experiences and through conflict and wars. Can't help asking myself as I read his story and sense a sadness was the absence from home and family for dubious decisions politicians made worth the sacrifices he made.

The author is,clearly a,patriot dedicated to both country and family. But he appears,to question respectfully the wars and ConFlicts to which he was sent such as an Iraqi invasion that unsettled the Middle East for years to come and arguably have rise to Isis how our nation should spend its human treasure. Battles won only to be abandoned such as Fallujah and Mosel were emblematic of our errors and a cost to dear to fathom.

Our national leaders must not squander the lives of heroes as the author in adventures such such as Afghanistan going on 19 years for what? To turn it over to the enemy and chaos like Viet Name when we leave . The writer makes it clear that the invasion of Iraq was a,distraction to the goal of defeating the Am Qaeda in Afghanistan where Bin Laden was. Get the marines went and died and we left a country with 100,000 dead and terrorists such as ISIS .

THE. Book wasn't fun readying but necessary to learn once again from the the mistakes of our national leaders.

[Jd Caron · Rating 5 out of 5]

Her Last Few Days is a rare blend of emotional weight and gripping suspense. Laurel masterfully crafts a setting that feels both familiar and unsettling a quiet town full of unspoken history, where every character carries hidden wounds. What makes this thriller exceptional is its heart: every plot twist lands not for shock value, but with genuine emotional consequence. The relationships feel lived-in, the tension simmers rather than shouts, and the final reveals are both satisfying and deeply human. A powerful, character-driven thriller that lingers long after the last page.

[Alan · Rating 5 out of 5]

An incredible read

I first came across Andy on the Team House podcast (shout out to Jack and Dave!), and throughly enjoyed his insight and sense of humour. He has lived an unusual and interesting life, and writes about it in an incredible engaging way here. He does not shy away from criticism, partiality of himself and has provided one of the best mil bio/contemporary history books I have ever read. Huzzah!

[Ted Haussman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid memoir of a Marine lieutenant colonel. Enjoyed his impressions and perception of situations, and the freedom with which he spoke of certain decisions and orders. I agreed that interspersing the military aspects of his experience with his real life added a great deal of value to the memoir. I was looking forward to reading this book and was not disappointed.

[John Rusnock · Rating 5 out of 5]

Milburn gives a very real and honest account of his years of service. His honesty, bluntness and humor is very refreshing as many of the books that retired officers write are filled with tough guy platitudes and illusions of grandeur. His outlook on the current state of the Global War on Terror hits home for me as I just returned from Afghanistan as a platoon leader and he is absolutely right.

[Jim]

great story

This book seemed to go on forever, but not in a bad way. I thoroughly enjoyed every chapter. They are real events lived by real people told by someone who's been there with a great writing style.

[Andrew Alterman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Number of very good insights. Heart breaking stories of life & battle

[Sean Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really interesting look at the leadership style in the marines. Goes into the advisor role in the Iraq war and how advisors often had to lead from the front.

[Tegan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I admit that have picked up and shelved Andy’s book on multiple occasions in the past few years. Until now, I wasn’t not ready to process the raw emotions his experiences dredged up for me.

Now that I have had the courage and opportunity to read your book to the final page, I must applaud you. Great work, Andy. I am very proud of not only the strength that you displayed in uniform but the fortitude in voicing the often dismissed concept that “combat leaves an indelible stamp on the psyche”.

As Marine leaders, I believe we have a duty to do better in recognizing the impact trauma has on our service members and continue the efforts to remove the stigma associated with addressing it or asking for help.

[sejal]

dnf, mostly because my library hold expired. I liked what I read though, good memoir and interesting stories.

[Medusa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written memoir by a kind of kindred spirit - the author studied philosophy and law before joining the marines. The audible version is narrated by the author, which I also appreciated.

[Mountain343 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Milburn has been there, done that, seen it all and it comes through in this book. Let’s just get this part out of the way, it’s a good book, but not a great book, written by someone who is still processing and understanding what he went through, what he experienced, and his role in it.

Often while reading this book you feel as if the author is simply catapulted from spot to spot, with no direction, no reasoning, no trajectory, and no arc to his career. He just sort of ends up in places and is expected to succeed … and with great struggle… he does.

He starts in mortars, goes to Mogadishu, ends up in Marine Raiders… and in the middle he trained Iraqi’s, and had a small stint in Afghanistan.

You can tell there’s a lot left out, but what he chooses to write is for an audience and it’s important to know that. He shares some personal things but holds others tight, it’s a process and you can see that losing his daughter, losing his friend, and what he experienced was hard on him.. the drinking… the anger… and he’s trying.

What we get, in this book… is worth a read though. You see him reach out to vietnam vets to recreate the Marine Advisor program because the knowledge was lost and had to be relearned. You see his experiences in Iraq, and how Mosul changed each time he’s there, first fighting the insurgency, and then fighting ISIS. You see how the Global War on Terror is this constantly evolving thing that just doesnt want to end.

I wonder if we’ll get another book from him, 10-20 years from now… I think it’ll be a very interesting read. The man has always caused waves in the military with his ideas and thoughts and he’s never been shy to shake things up, even today.

We’ll see.

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Be prepared for a very different type of military memoir. Overall I enjoyed the book, but I found it difficult to read and follow based on Milburn's storytelling capability. Col Milburn is an intellectual and the memoir reads as if directly out of his journal with breaks to explain military lingo to the non-military. I normally enjoy his readings, especially on dissent, ethics, etc. However, in the book he attempts tell a good story AND present the reader into understanding his deep thoughts on certain issues, decisions, hindsight impressions. Milburn goes down some good rabbit holes, only to realize he's gone down a rabbit hole and end his thought early. It is a bit distracting because you get invested in the rabbit hole thought and then will not always finish it. I almost didn't finish it, but the last third of the book the storytelling really picked up and Milburn exposed a lot more of his true self including his issues with PTSD and depression (and seeking professional help) which I found honest and refreshing from a Marine of his rank and caliber.

[Brian Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good read that I was excited to gain access to and it hit a sweet spot in this genre. A story about the author's time in the military where he was part of a lot of the conflicts the West has fought in the last 20 years. The author has a very easy style about him and makes the book very readable. He does not try to sugarcoat anything which makes his story all the more believable. He may have not been the most conventional of military men but seemed to care about his men and the mission.
Thank you Netgalley, by Col Andrew Milburn, Pen & Sword and Pen & Sword Military for the ARC for my honest review.

[Aloysius Teng · Rating 3 out of 5]

Andrew Milburn provided a fascinating insight into the life of a Marine who was involved in the War of Terror right from the start. Throughout the book, Milburn was unstinting with his praise for the subordinates that he worked with and frequently attributed his success as a commander to these men and women that he has worked with. Milburn's humility as he described his performance, as well as his perceived shortfalls, as an officer of the Marine Corps is a fine example of how leaders should behave both in military and civilian life.

[Paul Sparks · Rating 4 out of 5]

You don’t need to be ex or serving in the military to enjoy this book, it’s been many many years (and a different army) since I served but this is a great book with candid honesty and emotion