Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    In the Company of Soldiers: A Chronicle of Combat
    In the Company of Soldiers: A Chronicle of Combat
    In the Company of Soldiers: A Chronicle of Combat
    Ebook395 pages7 hours

    In the Company of Soldiers: A Chronicle of Combat

    By Rick Atkinson

    3.5/5

    ()

    Read preview

    About this ebook

    From Pulitzer Prize winner and bestselling author Rick Atkinson (Liberation Trilogy) comes an eyewitness account of the war against Iraq and a vivid portrait of a remarkable group of soldiers.

    "A beautifully written and memorable account of combat from the top down and bottom up as the 101st Airborne commanders and front-line grunts battle their way to Baghdad.... A must-read."—Tom Brokaw

    For soldiers in the 101st Airborne Division, the road to Baghdad began with a midnight flight out of Fort Campbell, Kentucky, in late February 2003. For Rick Atkinson, who would spend nearly two months covering the division for The Washington Post, the war in Iraq provided a unique opportunity to observe today's U.S. Army in combat. Now, in this extraordinary account of his odyssey with the 101st, Atkinson presents an intimate and revealing portrait of the soldiers who fight the expeditionary wars that have become the hallmark of our age.

    At the center of Atkinson's drama stands the compelling figure of Major General David H. Petraeus, described by one comrade as "the most competitive man on the planet." Atkinson spent virtually all day every day at Petraeus's elbow in Iraq, where he had an unobstructed view of the stresses, anxieties, and large joys of commanding 17,000 soldiers in combat. Atkinson watches Petraeus wrestle with innumerable tactical conundrums and direct several intense firefights; he watches him teach, goad, and lead his troops and his subordinate commanders. And all around Petraeus, we see the men and women of a storied division grapple with the challenges of waging war in an unspeakably harsh environment.

    With the eye of a master storyteller, the premier military historian of his generation puts us right on the battlefield. In the Company of Soldiers is a compelling, utterly fresh view of the modern American soldier in action.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherMacmillan Publishers
    Release dateApr 1, 2007
    ISBN9781429900010
    In the Company of Soldiers: A Chronicle of Combat
    Author

    Rick Atkinson

    Rick Atkinson is the bestselling author of the Liberation Trilogy—An Army at Dawn (winner of the Pulitzer Prize for History), The Day of Battle, and The Guns at Last Light—as well as The Long Gray Line and other books. His many additional awards include a Pulitzer Prize in journalism, a George Polk Award, and the Pritzker Military Library Literature Award. A former staff writer and senior editor at The Washington Post, he lives in Washington, D.C.

    Read more from Rick Atkinson

    Related to In the Company of Soldiers

    Related ebooks

    Military Biographies For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      The Vicksburg Question

      Jul 27, 2021

      The Vicksburg Question
      14 min read

    • Article

      Rat Patrol

      Oct 2, 2018

      Rat Patrol
      10 min read

    • Article

      Editorial: A Lesson From The Holocaust: Never Stop Telling The Terrible Stories

      Apr 13, 2018

      "My mother went in the gas chamber first," the Holocaust survivor recalled. "They took my sister and me to the bathhouse, shaved our heads and gave us striped clothes and wooden shoes. We started asking for our parents and crying, 'Where is Mom? Wher

      2 min read

    • Article

      ‘Murderous’ Fire

      Dec 24, 2019

      ‘Murderous’ Fire
      4 min read

    • Article

      An Adventurer’s Idol

      Oct 24, 2023

      An Adventurer’s Idol
      6 min read

    • Article

      The Last Kingdom

      Jul 12, 2022

      The Last Kingdom
      6 min read

    • Article

      America’s Zouaves

      Mar 17, 2022

      America’s Zouaves
      9 min read

    • Article

      Reviews

      Sep 28, 2021

      Reviews
      7 min read

    • Article

      The Little Army That Won Big

      Aug 7, 2018

      The Little Army That Won Big
      14 min read

    • Article

      Women at War

      Oct 27, 2020

      Women at War
      10 min read

    • Article

      Ten Notable Military Amateurs

      Oct 10, 2023

      Ten Notable Military Amateurs
      9 min read

    • Article

      Apache Wars

      Apr 13, 2021

      Apache Wars
      10 min read

    • Article

      Bomber Onslaught

      Apr 30, 2019

      Bomber Onslaught
      6 min read

    • Article

      On Combat In The East

      Jul 11, 2023

      On Combat In The East
      6 min read

    • Article

      A Nation’s Alibi

      Feb 25, 2020

      A Nation’s Alibi
      8 min read

    • Article

      Analysing The Past Actions Of The British Army Is Key To Understanding Its Future

      Mar 8, 2021

      In March 2006, a colleague and I were leaving Helmand for Kabul having spent time there covering the impending arrival of the British forces – who were meant to be a mission not lasting more than two years. “Are you guys going to the British embassy

      7 min read

    • Article

      Not Forgotten

      Oct 20, 2020

      Not Forgotten
      9 min read

    • Article

      Unlikely American Hero

      Oct 20, 2020

      Unlikely American Hero
      4 min read

    • Article

      War’s Endgame

      Apr 25, 2023

      War’s Endgame
      5 min read

    • Article

      Selfless Service

      Oct 11, 2022

      Selfless Service
      5 min read

    • Article

      Blood Brothers

      Jan 1, 2019

      Blood Brothers
      8 min read

    • Article

      Wrath And Aftermath

      Aug 6, 2019

      By Elisabeth Gallas; translated from the German by Alex Skinner. New York University Press, 2019. $35. Reviewed by K. M. Kostyal Europe lay in ruins and 6 million Jews had been murdered when, in late winter 1946, the American military designated an o

      8 min read

    • Article

      ‘Carnage Infernal’

      Oct 4, 2022

      ‘Carnage Infernal’
      8 min read

    • Article

      A Drive to Serve

      Jun 8, 2021

      A Drive to Serve
      8 min read

    • Article

      Besieged

      Aug 25, 2020

      Besieged
      10 min read

    • Article

      Salute The Master Of Sword And Word

      Jun 29, 2023

      HOW MANY BRITISH GENERALS HAVE been able to write as well as they could fight? Strangely perhaps, quite a few. Field Marshal Sir Michael Carver (Dilemmas of the Desert War, The Seven Ages of the British Army etc), General Sir David Fraser (And We Sha

      6 min read

    • Article

      Kings Mountain

      Nov 29, 2018

      Kings Mountain
      5 min read

    • Article

      War And Peaceniks

      Oct 6, 2020

      War And Peaceniks
      7 min read

    • Article

      Becoming Rome

      Sep 4, 2018

      Becoming Rome
      6 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for In the Company of Soldiers

    3.5/5

    87 ratings5 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 4/5
      He makes the details interesting.
    • 2/5
      The book called: In The Company Of Soldiers, was however very interesting. It had very cool facts about how they survived through out the night, and even what they eat and drink. However, the reason i had dropped this book was because it was way above my reading level. Another reason why i had dropped: In The Company Of Soldiers was because it got very confusing at times. The reason why i chose this book was because i had read other books from the author (Rick Atkinson) and were a very good read for me. Another reason why i had chose the book to read was because i love reading about the army and combat fighting. If you like reading combat fighting books with facts about the army, then you might like this book. Also, you do however, need a very good higher type of reading level. Another reason why you really have to get into this book to like it is if you understand chronicle books. That however, is another reason why i had to drop this book because i do not read those types of books and i do however get really confused at times on how they jump from people to people.
    • 4/5
      In my humble opinion Rick Atkinsons book is in the same league as Max Hastings' 'Going to wars'
      This account is vivid and I felt enlightened in many levels after reading it.
    • 4/5
      This book is exceedingly well written, by a Pulitzer Prize winning author. I love books that send me to the dictionary to look up words. It's a straightforward account of a journalist embedded with General Petraeus during the Iraq war. Fascinating, both for those who've never been to war and those who have. For me, this wasn't a book I couldn't put down. It's not a novel; it's an account of what happened, and a very good one. It brings new understanding of the problems and logistics encountered during war. If you sit home watching the war on TV and ask yourself why this and why that, why is this taking so long or why didn't they do that, you need to read this book. If you've been a soldier, this account is from a different perspective and will also give you insight.
    • 3/5
      I agree with the reviewer who said this is more aptly titled, "In the Company of Generals," though I would add "and Colonels." Unlike Thunder Run or The March Up, few battles are narrated from the perspective of the soldier actually doing the fighting. This is not a criticism of the book, just a notice to the prospective reader. What Atkinson does well is write about the Commanders of the 101st Airborne, and their travels, travels, and accomplishments from preparing for war through the Gulf War itself.The sheer logistical nightmare of preparing for a war thousands of miles from one's base is captured in the big picture and through anecdotes, such as the vigorous disagreement about whether to tape or paint helicopter blades to protect them from the sand. After heated discussion and much agonizing, it was discovered there was no tape. Paint would have to suffice. By spending time with the Commanding General of the 101, as well as his logistics and other officers, Atkinson does an excellent job of conveying the size of the logistical challenge faced by the 101st (and, no doubt, other U.S. divisions) and the magnitude of the accomplishment in meeting it.As the war itself unfolds, Atkinson does a decent job of helping us understand how the 101st' mission changes to meet the realities of combat. The reader may be (as I was) distracted by continuous petty attacks on President Bush, Secretary Rumsfeld, and even Fox News. They are so ancillary to his point that they serve no purpose other to offend, or at the very least distract. Though Atkinson may try to place them in a bigger context, it's pretty transparent he is searching for his own voice among the facts at his disposal (like when he singles out a negative comment written in a bathroom stall about President Bush as somehow representative of troop morale and opinions on the war).Overall, an excellent discussion about preparing for war, a good discussion of the 101st' role in that war as seen from its Commanders, but distracting and petty political potshots taken throughout.

    Book preview

    In the Company of Soldiers - Rick Atkinson

    q'͓7O|>/}/Oy޼}5?=g>`k36m76 _2ѥm1]ağw[aqezu|/zjm`޹zp{GşWG\C8l;sIM3akW;7sćs\m1d\|^weHX|ĭ=&#BC-R ?*~vh6/Tf'⯯l~ ְѼslӔV|GZshd~jM­W*M[GlIT-vrlu쏼]k̉?F|}q]2m>~8MM3~y?4R[мvBэ0iph;ȸx::|6Gs=L ]MaZ*zc=weE M;sKYMѩSvXfڏv6 N+|rXmqlEB]) <YGh3`>q#hZh;?gE~67_M{j7_ ,jCtT }7$1 Shpz1{}&i+so*xH&1yiymuI6vVE_ؖzF]pG` *jQgp1=2Lt-'"|{4gם,1doʜwc @+Kz4t]=L?TLsRV Lq5G"|ND0hǙvpP`|"&k<pKv ꂹ> 5쪜@DYZ\FÍhYNޅE\!tW싎ۈ!N!D(FqP=#&uXm՞ L"&[6+Dp? X´P"Cc& `SEZ7SDjAPYAVx?նu5V$+94oI@TR+Hb``Vl,4{#UV+(Gqa uߐ_@F2^pbbm@Qs~6!y9 Q$|{q .v]2^aŕ\Ā۫[{\b%1m5"+a sǴ؁dYX܏ rZ6媎ܫT&7ZMd]<cwxTVZ9q(͛6b$p (+/!Cr$C@!=\)j99Qj, vx*AOj@\Z/)2ĻWmpd"%^Y;zpiSM!!G7þGKKEH-BM"A~U%yJ9$$ u jE*W6@7,y.zF!hN@b2V2WuVI„tq lI!=Z-F#z4</U {_Tɋi\)dE/w`<SQ74'!6`:G-tlm)`Z-ͮ  ;wGItj3]C@~SvSK񼊎u"*PNO&:@CO,N1R C N'h_HJr;9VSUJjgfK%*3CIIzY> >3{&  Ԗҡm5~dV" 0h~x3I~WH 22V$>B+Zs]g7dnN5Jmlr)1g #SM,~J$WNꅠ3~L[z!b!-0$&8wGFƱxa2Аحzy=%LL`>V20_qfI[h'_ WW_=Z\mziTA^ڗDz{dM+oIV'$u u[6}rJX|ɿ/^YO;R\CMIMlYHlܲ#p>9D0o҈ hc@f<ޥKW5J&giO%U(L7I ZR5~{9<ۯeqު;j # ͭ۫VZ,>0ě\Ɩ7[r|39.M i*)0Z?VswޗڇȧFDՃ,aN|W| ![\o˗!`3x"21_arWA [gQMxߙ0Q],rff'a\HL걪_00NX]:H>;FR!t4ޢnϔ3Z QӐ:xOifTQmֵ pŞ0X6+Lk]l{R٠#CaDē~md f%F A;T+Mi0j %, hUb2 {FJacqFD-..[ >P. <`h6, ~ K_xVJNafGJeH$͖ -SM,s#ly#աw&y_Ѫ`!IJ[Σt֝Tf 0 (J `aw7X bvR8S}9BVRS]aW.@ѷ/SJM{)F~^4<ނ[2Ndp o9Pv u`NnԖ,f xZTC-A$pMfϾ^C-qJJTB.rO.#b,G?\WŠAKYlJyʼnX$p@S|_L¢ xr|)joaDtwjPR}NQ{ Hjݤ'z#|}ȝJ3$v2,cx;Iޠs{,0I1\˳P*bq\Q΍2": >p&aX[UȶCd(l8Qt>!Ue" ͂r` x)cFw YEם%+:uGEF;ٺ~Ek 7.^Z 61Pۖ[ىyvЖG&r#- ,˷R˭ R*zv~ Ò`9 !'6 ![)"Al_D*xX R`P"vpqY/?x[*spgc!y?#񰴫or7SDzjƞ!ԙ1%,1+ LSgZrjN'Giue <.fW7i Ii>|R"]:2)zԤ";" k]Fԗ벛Fg8pt kry?, g}lޖ']- : tL;cAk#'L qUFNF2oNb\[HvRku!i*d`UR?7d*C ?_;&2dWZo:a'I=/+9_O~(S6SEB;c nMr?I&ˠ. + 7vd:`Y} 1&<+.~u_d\$M"Lee2#jY_(n:Mit3RoD%Oh)^NaIMd$U>MЦldKOٻ)=@F/}8%CNE?.CbSNjc XFK ʯuN2$!7)'2zr]L,v vbԌ*v{eOk؂B[㍈'EѼfxM䑬)t s:'lV!N +|Fl8.$JZ;Ќ*Se}[>"I&dwy$h1cV|sU2Mq:ݑUP:PZL7^fC{䅧 ^(-]G X_2ɖ tW ִn8mJַ< l6E_+
    Enjoying the preview?
    Page 1 of 1