Rating: 
Summary: Unprofessional, but worthwhile
Review: Although I haven't read any other books by Rick Atkinson, I have no doubt that he is an excellent writer, but in this case, he let his personal feelings of disdain for the Bush administration overshadow his professionalism. In some cases, for instance the latrine grattiti, he purposely distorts the attitudes of our military troops to make his point "that President Bush deceived the American public." He had a unique opportunity to really show what it is like to be an American soldier in combat, but he fell short. I say this because I've spent over 20 years in the US Military and have been very heavily involved for the past three years with Operation Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. The troops out here have been and still are very excited about helping the Iraqis to share the same freedoms we have in America. Many of the troops I deal with daily volunteer to extend because they feel they're making a difference and they enjoy the challenges of the combat environment.
Rating: 
Summary: twenty-one gun salute to the 101st Airborne
Review: As an embedded journalist with the 101st Airborne ("Band of Brothers" fame), Pulitzer Prize winning correspondent and military historian Richard Atkinson provides a deep look at the Iraq War from the perspective of the American troops. Though the concentration is more on the field grade officers, no one seems to have been left out of this effort. Readers learn how the soldier sees things whether it is equipment and supply shortages or overages (sounds contradictory, but is a big concern) or the individual and group safety in a hostile environs. Mr. Atkinson furbishes insight from the moment the division is called up to leave Fort Campbell to deploy to the desert until the capture of Baghdad when the author returns to the states.Military history buffs will realize that the author salutes the army for their superb efforts to win a war while fighting nature and preventing civilian casualties though not all went well. IN THE COMPANY OF SOLDIERS: A CHRONICLE OF COMBAT is clearly anti this war yet fully supportive of the soldiers that the books raves about as courageous, sincere, and capable. Mr. Atkinson condemns the administration for lack of logistical planning and for its rationale for armed combat (being revised by the winners to we did right removing an abusive dictator; if that was the cause then the administration should have taken that thesis to the American people). Rumsfeld bashing aside, Mr. Atkinson clearly congratulates the deserving 101st with a twenty-one gun salute. Harriet Klausner
Rating:
Summary: Not as good as expected, but still worthwhile
Review: As these reviews are reflecting the wider debate on Iraq, I write this review to join the conversation.
As for the book itself, it is quite readable and reasonably informative, though not the home run I was anticipating when I opened it.
One striking passage describes the fighting for Najaf in the spring of '03. Could there be clearer evidence of the flaws in the administration's plans than the fact of the recently concluded "reconquest" of Najaf in August of '04? What army in history has conquered a city, abandoned it without being forced to do so, and then had to conquer it again? And who is to say that we won't have to conquer Najaf yet again? Clearly we and especially our troops in Iraq are paying dearly for invading "on the cheap", not to mention biting off more than we can chew.
In general, as an opponent of the war, I found Atkinson's criticisms of the Bush administration, some implicit and some explicit, to be well grounded in the facts that he encountered. While he evidently failed to meet the jingoistic standards of some other reviewers, no one could have exhibited greater admiration for the soldiers and their leaders in the field.
Rating: 
Summary: Pedestrian, limited in its view and a bit biased
Review: Atkinson was a stafsf writer and senior editor at The Washington Post for 20 years. He has written several other books. This one recounts his experience as an embedded journalist with the 101st Airborne Division in Iraq. In particular, Atkinson follows Major General David Petraeus, commanding general of the 101st. His subject is perhaps his misfortune. Atkinson's view is both from the top down and the peripherary, since the 101st was employed primarily in a supporting role. The overall result is a portrait of a commanding general with a broader overview of the entire Iraq campaign grafted to it. The book is well-written, interesting but ultimately unsatisfying in some ways. There is little feeling of the struggle inherent to any military campaign and essentially no connection with the individual soldiers fighting the war. This definitely is not Ernie Pyle. Atkinson, unfortunately, mars this pedestrian account with the seemingly mandatory "told you so" about the aftermath of the campaign. His critique seems a bit strained and out of place in a book that is ostensibly about the campaign itself. That said, reading "In The Company Of Soldiers" left me eager to read "An Army At Dawn," Atkinson's history of the campaign in North Africa. I think, frankly, that may be a better canvas for his skills. Jerry
Rating:
Summary: A bit disappointed ...
Review: I had read the "Army At Dawn" book before I had purchased and read this particular book. I really enjoyed the story telling of the North African campaign and had thought Mr. Atkinson would have done something similar for this book. I was wrong. My main complaint with the book is the choppiness in which it goes to tell the story. Having served in both Afghanistan and Iraq, I laughed at some his stories (AFFES and the missing chocolate cookie), cried specifically when he briefly details the letters soldiers were getting from home, and anguish at the breakdowns in communications when a task is at hand. The story telling was not cohesive and made the book like at times reading a personal diary focused on one day at a time and not connected to either the days before or after.
Rating: 
Summary: Stick to the facts please
Review: I picked up this book at the library and glad I didn't pay good money for it. I expected to get an unbiased view of the front lines from the perspective of the normal foot soldier. Instead I got only the perspective from the commanding general, boring. The real combat was miles away. I also got the impression that the author of this book was more than happy to stick his nose up the general's behind and make the impression that the general highly respected him. Maybe so, but I doubt it.
Rick makes several factually incorrect statements in this book at the expense of the Bush administration. Rick misses no opportunity to get his digs on the Bush administration. This is ok as long as the information is factual but it isn't.
The bottom line is if you want a 10,000 foot view of the war, like to hear someone repeatedly pat himself on the back and hate Bush you'll love this book. Otherwise I recommend War Stories from Oliver North as a much better read.
Rating:
Summary: In the company of politics
Review: I purchased this book because I cajoled a young man into the Army prior to 9/11. He ended up in the 101st Airborne, the famous Screaming Eagles, who are the subject of this book. Instead of a chronicle of the heroics of this Division in Iraq (after their service in Afghanistan), this author confirms the liberal leanings of the media. The author cannot help himself, criticizing the Bush admininstration throughout the book, instead of building on the accomplishments of the officers and soldiers of the 101st and the US Army in their victory in Iraq.
Rating:
Summary: What a disappointment!! Don't bother.
Review: It is a shame that such a reverred and accomplished outfit as the 101st had the misfortune of getting Atkinson as an embed. I bought the book expecting to read about their experience in battle. Instead, the story is mostly a behind-the-scenes accounting.
But worst of all, Atkinson uses the book to espouse his negative views of the Bush administration, inserting little pot-shots here and there. Perhaps he needed to do this to maintain his employment with the Post. It certainly improved his chances of an interview with NPR--which he got. But it's a smear on the legacy of the 101st to be associated with such vitriol.
In the future, Atkinson should partner with the likes of Howard Dean or Michael Moore, not the courageous patriots of the 101st.
Rating:
Summary: Embedded... very embedded
Review: Most journalists were forced by uncertainties in Baghdad to cover the war by embedding with American units as they invaded Iraq. Rick Atkinson was one of these embedded journalists, and his book, In the Company of Soldiers tells the story of his time with the Army's 101st Airborne Division. Aside from his duties with the Washington Post, Atkinson is also a military historian of some repute (his World War II book An Army at Dawn won a Pulitzer in 2003) and it shows. He is interested most in the tactics employed during the invasion and in the commanders who implemented them. Atikinson's narrative is tied to Major General David Petraeus, a no-nonesense military man. The 101st, and Atkinson along with them, saw their share of action during those early days, but much of what transpired during those first weeks feels like a footnote -- or ancient history -- compared to all that has happened since. The most interesting parts of the book are the most personal. Atkinson's daily struggles against the harshness of the desert and the austerity of military life shine far more brightly than the methodical movements of the troops he travelled with. The book takes the US to task for fouling up the aftermath of the invasion, but Atkinson's epilogue seems hastily tacked on, an attempt to save the book from being made irrelevant by the nasty turn that this war has taken.
Rating:
Summary: Decent, but flawed
Review: Mr. Atkinson is a gifted writer and this is a very readable book. As a military professional, I appreciated his conspicuous respect for the soldiers, officers and enlisted alike, with whom he lived and travelled. Embedding with the 101st Division HQ allowed unique access to the Division's General Officers, which yields an interesting perspective on their leadership styles and concerns sometimes at the expense of what might have been a more comprehensive account. I would give this particular effort 2.5 stars with the main downside being the author's clear and present disdain for the national command authority's decision to go to war in Iraq. I do not argue that the decisions made should not be scrutinized closely, but Mr. Atkinson addresses them only with matter of fact (and mostly contemptuous) comments. I enjoyed his writing enough to find An Army At Dawn in the library and am glad I did.
| 
