American Soldier - Softcover

Franks, Tommy; McConnell, Malcolm

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0060757140 ISBN 13: 9780060757144

Publisher: HarperCollins, 2004

Synopsis

As Commander in Chief of CENTCOM, General Tommy Franks made history by leading American and Coalition forces to victory in Afghanistan and Iraq. In this riveting memoir, General Franks retraces his journey from small-town boyhood to his role as one of history's most effective commanders.

Drawing on his own memories and newly declassified records, Franks offers the first true insider's account of the war on terrorism. He traces the development of the lean, flexible new approach to warfare he evolved with Donald Rumsfeld -- and chronicles how these principles helped to win two swift, decisive wars within two years. He reveals the secret "Turkish deception," which he used to trick Saddam into preparing for a northern ground invasion that never came, and speaks frankly of intelligence shortcomings and of the WMD threats that shaped each battle plan. And, while he writes candidly of the war's aftermath, Franks shows that the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq remain heroic victories -- wars of liberation won by troops "unequalled," he writes, "by anything in the annals of war."

About this title

Synopsis:

General Tommy Franks served as the Commander-in-Chief of Centcom, the military authority that led the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq from late 2001 to 2003. These wars were planned and implemented by a very small group of key players: President George W. Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, Secretary of State Colin Powell, National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice, and General Tommy Franks. American Soldier is the first in-depth account by one of these players: a dramatic, intimate - and candid - insider's look at the march to war, from the man who commanded the campaigns. Previous books on the Iraq War, such as Bob Woodward's Plan of Attack, have only scratched the surface of this story. American Soldier - which is already being pursued by every major news network - will contain headline after dramatic headline, drawn directly from Franks's own experience and from recently declassified records available here for the first time.

About the Author:

General Tommy Franks retired from the Army on August 1, 2003. Commissioned a Second Lieutenant in 1967 as a distinguished graduate of the Artillery Officer Candidate School, Fort Sill, Oklahoma, he was assigned to the 9th Infantry Division, Republic of Vietnam. He also served as an Assistant Division Commander during Operations Desert Shield/Desert Storm. General Franks has been awarded three Defense Distinguished Service Medals, two Distinguished Service Medals, and four Legion of Merit awards. His other decorations include three Purple Hearts, three Bronze Stars, an Air Medal, and an Army Commendation Medal -- all with "V" for valor. In 2004 he was named a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire. General Franks lives with his wife, Cathy, in Tampa, Florida.

About this edition

• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Publication date: 2004
• ISBN 10: 0060757140
• ISBN 13: 9780060757144
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 964