The Operators cover art

The Operators

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The Operators

By: Michael Hastings
Narrated by: Dan Russell
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About this listen

General Stanley McChrystal, commander of international and US forces in Afghanistan, was living large, with staff calling him a rock star.

Journalist Michael Hastings of Rolling Stone looked on as McChrystal and his staff let off steam, partying and openly bashing the Obama administration. When Hastings' piece appeared a few months later, it set off a political firestorm: McChrystal was ordered to Washington, where he was unceremoniously fired.

Hastings gives us a shocking behind-the-scenes portrait of Allied military commanders, their high-stakes manoeuvres and often bitter bureaucratic infighting.

©2012 Michael Hastings (P)2016 W F Howes Ltd
Afghan & Iraq Wars Asia Military Military & War Political Science Politics & Government War Middle East Iran

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Critic reviews

"An insightful look at how powerful some of the US's top generals really are, and also unwraps some of the chaos behind allied military command and the so-called 'war on terror'." ( The Sunday Business Post)
"Hastings offers a fiercely intelligent analysis of how the American military spun the war in Afghanistan." ( The Sunday Telegraph)
All stars
Most relevant
A good eye opening book that misses an update from recent time in Afghanistan

Military mess at the top despit good will

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