Introducing The Gamble

This week, In Other Words reviews FP's Best Defense blogger Tom Ricks's latest book, The Gamble: General David Petraeus and the American Military Adventure in Iraq, 2006-2008.

The Gamble is Ricks's second book-length examination of the United States' role in the Iraq war. The first was his provocative 2006 book, Fiasco, the culmination of five tours in Iraq, exhaustive interviews, and documentary research.

And now, almost three years later, Ricks once again navigates the U.S. presence in Iraq as he saw it firsthand, covering the war for the Washington Post from 2000 to 2008. This time, Ricks focuses on the new approach employed by Gen. David H. Petraeus and Lt. Gen. Raymond T. Odierno -- what became popularly known as "the surge."

What follows all this week is a running commentary on Ricks's latest work by FP's own bloggers and editors. 

In case you're interested, here's what the critics are saying:

The New York Times: 

This volume leaves the reader with an understanding of the hard-won military dynamics of the surge and the professionalism and competence of the generals who designed and executed it."

The Los Angeles Times:

Ricks has produced a book that deserves to be read by any American who realizes that something other than today's economic news also is of vital interest to the nation."

Salon.com:

[The Gamble is] an admiring, often inspiring story of the way the American military came back from humiliation thanks to the so-called surge. ... it's your responsibility to read "The Gamble" to have some prejudices challenged."