Overview
At a time when the United States debates how deeply to involve itself in Iraq and Syria, Lt. Col. Michael Zacchea, USMC (ret.), holds a unique vantage point on our still-ongoing war. Deployed to Iraq in March 2004, his team’s mission was to build, train, and lead in combat the first Iraqi army battalion trained by the US military. Zacchea tells a deeply personal and powerful story while shedding light on the dangerous pitfalls of training foreign troops to fight murderous insurgents. The Ragged Edge is the first American military memoir out of Iraq or Syria that features complex Arab and Kurdish characters and that intimately explores their culture and politics in a dispassionate way. Zacchea’s invaluable lessons about Americans working with Arabs and Kurds to fight insurgency and terrorism come precisely when such wartime collaboration is happening more than at any time in US history.
Reviews
“Michael Zacchea and Ted Kemp have written a superb account of the efforts to build an Iraqi Army from scratch. This is a book rich in lessons and emotions. Every commander-in-chief contemplating intervention should read this.” —General Anthony C. Zinni USMC (Retired), former commander of U.S. Central Command, author of The Battle for Peace and Before the First Shots Are Fired
“Zacchea and Kemp have nailed it. They accurately captured the inspiration, joys, sorrows, and deep frustrations we had in standing up the New Iraqi Army and Special Police Forces in the early years of the Iraq War. This book is a great read for anyone struggling to understand what it was like on the ground, and it’s also a fine primer for anyone preparing to advise foreign forces. Highly recommended.” —Major General Jeff Buchanan, Deputy Commander, U.S. Forces Afghanistan
“A must-read for anyone who wants to understand what went wrong for the United States in Iraq—and whether we should put troops in Syria.” —Michelle Caruso-Cabrera, chief international correspondent, CNBC
"[Zacchea] offers vivid accounts of base life, urban combat in Fallujah, and his close friendship with one Iraqi soldier. An honest, revealing glimpse of the dangers inherent in acting on good intentions based on ignorance." —Kirkus Reviews
“The Ragged Edge is a compelling narrative of one Marine’s year in Iraq and his efforts to build a new Iraqi Army. Michael Zacchea offers his unique perspective on American involvement in the Middle East—a perspective that can only be gleaned from firsthand experience.” —US Representative Elizabeth H. Esty (Fifth District, Connecticut)
“A solid and informative account of the trials and tribulations of the U.S. military experienced in Iraq, Zacchea’s story is one we have heard before, but it’s told exceedingly well.” —Library Journal
"...a well-written and unique account of an under-reported facet of the long U.S. involvement in Iraq since 2003." —The Virginian-Pilot
"Fiction lovers will recognize the employment of suspense techniques in the many stories told here, and consumers of history will appreciate a supremely reliable narrator with an eye for the smallest details." —Booklist
Author Biography
Lt. Col. Michael Zacchea (USMC-ret.) led the Kurds, Shiites, and Sunnis of the Iraqi Fifth Battalion and their US advisers. He won two Bronze Stars, the Purple Heart, and Iraq’s Order of the Lion of Babylon. A veterans’ advocate with VoteVets.org and elsewhere, he has appeared widely as a public speaker; in several documentaries, including Thank You for Your Service (2015); and on NPR and CBS News, among other news outlets. Zacchea is currently director of the UConn Entrepreneur Bootcamp for Veterans with Disabilities. He lives in Connecticut. Ted Kemp is managing editor for CNBC International digital, based in Singapore. Previously, he was digital bureau chief for CNBC EMEA (Europe, Middle East, and Africa), based in London. Major General Paul Eaton (US Army-ret.) commanded allied coalition training efforts in Iraq in 2003 and 2004. He is active with VoteVets.org and is a frequent contributor for various television outlets ranging from MSNBC to HBO’s Real Time with Bill Maher.
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