Hunting the Caliphate: America's War on ISIS and the Dawn of the Strike Cell

Written by Dana J.H. Pittard, Wes J. Bryant and General David Petraeus

Narrated by Mike Chamberlain and Shawn Compton

In this vivid first-person narrative, a Special Operations Joint Terminal Attack Controller (JTAC) and his commanding general give fascinating and detailed accounts of America's fight against one of the most barbaric insurgencies the world has ever seen.

In the summer of 2014, three years after America's full troop withdrawal from the Iraq War, President Barack Obama authorized a small task force to push back into Baghdad. Their mission: Protect the Iraqi capital and U.S. embassy from a rapidly emerging terrorist threat.

A plague of brutality, that would come to be known as ISIS, had created a foothold in northwest Iraq and northeast Syria. It had declared itself a Caliphate-an independent nation-state administered by an extreme and cruel form of Islamic law-and was spreading like a newly evolved virus. Soon, a massive and devastating U.S. military response had unfolded.

Hear the ground truth on the senior military and political interactions that shaped America's war against ISIS, a war unprecedented in both its methodology and its application of modern military technology.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tantor Media, Inc
• Release date: Aug 27, 2019
• ISBN: 9781515940715

Reviews for Hunting the Caliphate

[Melissa Hunt · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Very good but I did find myself talking to the book in annoyance at certain times. Both authors are generally easy to listen to and honest but there are moments where (Wes especially) says things that are genuinely ignorant. For example, he’s generally supportive of the lawyers cautioning their actions and being involved, but gets annoyed by a live legal call that killing fighters fleeing is a war crime. While technically the JAG could have allowed them to strike again, the law is not black and white and there isn’t an easy answer. I understand that he’s talking from his perspective which is why I still suggest this book. But I feel like it needs to be said that sometimes Wes specifically says things that sound true but just aren’t that simple.

[1randal-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

An in-depth read of our struggles against ISIS. The author's are both decorated military heroes, who have given years of their lives in this war.The book covers the rise of ISIS, and the forming of the "strike cell" to fight it. The author's provide an excellent look into the complexities of Middle East politics. And of our own country's administration's, without a better word to describe it, "meddling". The book describes several encounters where they were forced to stand by and watch ISIS commit horrible acts, and all because of our President's inability to act quickly. So many times the military had there hands tied, because of seemingly arbitrary rules against acting. Think how frustrating it must have been to watch an ISIS gathering of 600 fighters, and be unable to attack because the gathering was 5 kilometers outside the area the administration randomly designated!The book left me with a deep feeling of frustration. I understand that there are political issues that lead the governments actions, but the meddling and fumbling is causing the deaths of our soldiers, as well as untold number of Middle Eastern civilians. Either let the military do it's job, or admit that the battle has been lost and bring our soldiers home!