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Imperial Grunts: On the Ground with the American Military, from Mongolia to the Philippines to Iraq and Beyond... Audiobook
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(3.04) - 659 listener ratings
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A fascinating, unprecedented first-hand look at the soldiers on the front lines on the Global War on Terror. Plunging deep into midst of some of the hottest conflicts on the globe, Robert D. Kaplan takes us through mud and jungle, desert and dirt to the men and women on the ground who are leading the charge against threats to American security. These soldiers, fighting in thick Colombian jungles or on dusty Afghani plains, are the forefront of the new American foreign policy, a policy being implemented one soldier at a time. As Kaplan brings us inside their thoughts, feelings, and operations, these modern grunts provide insight and understanding into the War on Terror, bringing the war, which sometimes seems so distant, vividly to life. Praise for Imperial Grunts “Robert Kaplan has brilliantly captured the story of today’s U.S. military operating in far-flung places on strange missions. Imperial Grunts is the most insightful and superbly written account of soldiering in the New World Disorder to date. It is a must read for all Americans.”—General Anthony C. Zinni, United States Marine Corps (Ret.) “Kaplan infuses us with a sense of hope about the future. Through astonishing observations, truths, and stories, Imperial Grunts introduces a brand-new way of thinking about the enduring virtue of the American spirit.”—George Crile, author of Charlie Wilson’s War “No recent book so well or so vividly portrays the challenges of the modern United States military. With an impressive grasp of the complexities of military missions worldwide, Robert Kaplan exposes the reader to the world of the modern soldier, sailor, airman, and Marine. A must read for both civilian and military leaders.”—General Barry R. McCaffrey, United States Army (Ret.), Bradley Distinguished Professor of International Security Studies, United States Military Academy
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"I've read some less than favorable reviews of this book, mostly by those types who find the idea of American imperialism an unsavory concept. But the fact of the matter is the American empire is a reality and has been going strong for half a century. Rather than waste time equivocating over what does or does not equate to imperialsim, Kaplan dives right in visiting forward operating bases (FOBs) where Army Special Forces, FAOs, and Marines are projecting American soft power. Instead of occupying large bases around the world, the military's more forward-thinking strategists are favoring a small footprint strategy. There are now units in places like Columbia, the Philippines, Mongolia and Djibouti training local soldiers, leaving a favorable impression through efficient humanitarian projects, and collecting favors that can be called upon in the future should America need them. All of this was an aspect of American foreign policy that I was completely ignorant of and Kaplan deserves a lot of credit for bringing it to light and doing the footwork to really tell the stories of these impressive soldiers. He also spends the requisite time in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the problems he witnesses there are precisely because these new strategies aren't being applied on the military's two most important fronts. But most of all, Kaplan highlights just how brave and professional these imperial soldiers are and it gave me a new found respect for our country's military."
— Andrew (5 out of 5 stars)
Imperial Grunts Listener Reviews
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" This seems like a good title until you realize that this must be Tom Clancy writing under a pseudonym. No overarching story, just a bunch of muscled well intentioned cookie cutter American good guys. Argh, what a disservice to actually understanding military men and women. Threw the book out my window half-way into it. What a poltroon. Reagan won the Cold War? Ass hat. "
— Bird, 2/7/2014 -
" Read Kaplan's sequel, too, both ground level, first person stories of Americans with boots in 170+ nations, special forces who called buddies to get Kaplan his next access. "
— Tom, 2/7/2014 -
" I was very interested in listening to this book to learn more about how the military operates on the ground. It was very well done, but I stopped listening to it about a quarter of the way in because it was so detailed I got bogged down, and the specifics of what happened in the different countries (why our military was there) were hard for me to listen to. "
— Tina, 1/28/2014 -
" good insights into current american military situation "
— Peter, 1/16/2014 -
" First-rate reporting on America's military in various venues around the world "
— Griff, 12/26/2013 -
" My favorite author. "
— Danny, 12/20/2013 -
" Great no nonsense look at the US military on the ground around the world. "
— Lance, 12/6/2013 -
" Very interesting account of how noncoms and junior officers are key in today's strategy. "
— Alan, 12/3/2013 -
" Will review the book when I'm done, but the difference in mindset and training between deployed Marines and Army is staggering. "
— Andrew, 4/9/2013 -
" Amazing, many revelations and insights in this book on what is actually taking place with American foreign policy and why. "
— Aaron, 3/9/2013 -
" I read most of the book, but for some reason I could not connect with it....I finally gave up on it and donated it to the local library.... "
— Sy, 3/8/2013 -
" Really well written - this MH book was written by an actual writer who has spent time in almost every corner of the world. Excellent. "
— Holly, 7/4/2012 -
" So far Mr. Kaplan has gone into great detail of his travels with US forces around the world. It's refreshing to hear about American soldiers and Marines overseas in South America and asia, especially when the focus is now only on the Middle East. "
— Nick, 4/2/2012 -
" Great insight into past, present, and future conflicts and how unconventional warfare may be the only path to success. "
— Johnathon, 12/2/2011 -
" it was a good breakdown of some of the not so known operations that are in effect in the world. over all an eye opener that gave me better insight into the US Military Operations. "
— Tucansam, 3/11/2011 -
" while the content is really interesting (at least so far) and i have to say i learn a ton reading this book, i think kaplan is way too wordy and could have conveyed the same content in half the size. "
— Carsten, 1/15/2011 -
" Very well written primer on America's "imperialistic" (hey, it's not all bad...) pretensions. Great history on the US armed forces in the Philipines and mordern-day glimpses of actions in Afganistan, Iraq, Mongolia, and others. "
— danny, 10/4/2010 -
" Some chapters are more interesting than others, but overall, I highly recommend this tour of Americal military operations worldwide, including the places we all hear about daily, and dozens of countries your average American has no idea we have a military presence in. "
— Cwhittall, 9/11/2010 -
" Análisis preciso de como los cuerpos militares de USA ejecutan su política exterior en todas sus facetas desde la guerra hasta la ayuda solitaria de los soldados americanos en gran parte desconocida. "
— Miguel, 5/20/2010 -
" Some chapters are more interesting than others, but overall, I highly recommend this tour of Americal military operations worldwide, including the places we all hear about daily, and dozens of countries your average American has no idea we have a military presence in. "
— Cwhittall, 3/7/2010 -
" First-rate reporting on America's military in various venues around the world "
— Griff, 11/3/2009 -
" Great travelogue (I found myself thinking I was reading Paul Theroux) and insight on brave soldiers and marines on the ground. Excellent read - went fast. "
— Bill, 7/22/2009 -
" while the content is really interesting (at least so far) and i have to say i learn a ton reading this book, i think kaplan is way too wordy and could have conveyed the same content in half the size. "
— Carsten, 2/2/2009 -
" Will review the book when I'm done, but the difference in mindset and training between deployed Marines and Army is staggering. "
— Andrew, 12/29/2008 -
" Great insight into past, present, and future conflicts and how unconventional warfare may be the only path to success. "
— Johnathon, 12/17/2008
About Robert D. Kaplan
Robert David Kaplan is an American journalist, currently a National Correspondent for the Atlantic Monthly. His writings have also been featured in numerous other newspapers and publications, and his more controversial essays about the nature of US power have spurred debate in academia, the media, and the highest levels of government. A frequent theme in his work is the reemergence of cultural and historical tensions temporarily suspended during the Cold War.
About John H. Mayer
John H. Mayer, author and Earphones Award–winning narrator, is a character actor whose voice has been heard on numerous commercials, animated programs, audiobooks, and narrations including E! Entertainment’s Celebrity Profiles. He was a five-year member of the Groundlings comedy theater company in Los Angeles. He is also the co-author of Radio Rocket Boy, an award-winning short film.