Wiser in Battle: A Soldier's Story

The former commander of coalition forces in Iraq reports back from the front lines of the global war on terror to provide a comprehensive and chilling exploration of America's historic military and foreign-policy blunder.

With unflinching candor, Lieutenant General Ricardo S. Sanchez describes the chaos on the Iraqi battlefield caused by the Bush administration's misguided command of the military, as well as his own struggle to set the coalition on the path toward victory. Sanchez shows how minor insurgent attacks grew into synchronized operations that finally ignited into a major insurgency and all-out civil war. He provides an insider's account of the Abu Ghraib prison scandal, explaining the circumstances that led to the abuses, who perpetrated them, and what the formal investigations revealed. Sanchez also details the cynical use of the Iraq War for political gain in Washington and shows how the pressure of an around-the-clock news cycle drove and distorted critical battle decisions. The first book written by a former on-site commander in Iraq, Wiser in Battle is essential reading for all who wish to understand the Iraqi incursion and the role of America's military in the new century.

WISER IN BATTLE is the first book about the war in Iraq by an on-site commander. Former Lieutenant General Ricardo Sanchez served as Commander of Coalition Ground Forces from June 2003 to June 2004. WISER IN BATTLE offers the full story of his tenure, providing a first-hand account of Saddam Hussein's capture, the battle of Fallujah, and the never-ending quest to take out Shiite Cleric Muqtada al-Sadr. Sanchez also discusses how minor insurgent attacks grew into synchronized, well-coordinated operations, and then finally ignited into a major insurgency and full-scale Civil War.

General Sanchez was also the senior military commander in Iraq when the prisoner abuses at Abu Ghraib occurred, and when they were exposed to the world. In WISER IN BATTLE, he chronicles the full inside story of the scandal, including what really happened, the circumstances that led to the abuses, who perpetrated them, and what the formal investigations revealed.

Sanchez also shows how the Bush...

Former United States Army Lieutenant General Ricardo S. Sanchez served as commander of coalition ground forces in Iraq from June 2003 to June 2004. When he retired on November 1, 2006, Sanchez was the highest-ranking Hispanic in the U.S. Army, culminating thirty-three years of military service. He now lives in his home state of Texas.

Ricardo S. SÁnchez es teniente general retirado del EjÉrcito de los Estados Unidos y sirviÓ como comandante de la coaliciÓn de tropas en Irak de junio de 2003 a junio de 2004. Era el hispano de mayor rango en la Armada cuando se retirÓ el 1ro de noviembre de 2006, culminando treinta y tres aÑos al servicio del EjÉrcito de los Estados Unidos. Actualmente, SÁnchez vive en Texas.