“By no means shall I fail my comrades . . I will shoulder a lot more than my share of the duty, whatever it might be, one hundred percent and some.” -from the Ranger Creed

In early March 2010, General Stanley McChrystal, the commanding officer of most U.S. and coalition pushes in Afghanistan, strolled with President Hamid Karzai through a little rural bazaar. As Afghan townspeo­ple packed around them, a Taliban rocket loudly thudded into the surface some distance aside. Karzai looked to McChrystal, about My Share of the Task: A Memoir who shrugged. Both leaders continued greeting the townspeople and hearing their views.

That trip was usual of McChrystal’s whole career, from his first day being a West Point plebe to his last day like a four-star general. The beliefs he has come to be widely adored for were noticeable: a hunger to know the facts on the ground, the courage to think it is, and the humility to listen to those around him. Even as a mature commander, McChrystal stationed him­self forward, and frequently went on patrols with his soldiers to experience their issues firsthand.

With this illuminating memoir, McChrystal frankly explores the main shows and controversies of his eventful career. He delves candidly into the intersection of background, leadership, and his personal experience to produce a book of long lasting value.

Joining the stressed post-Vietnam army as a officer, McChrystal observed and participated in some of our military’s most difficult struggles. He identifies the many outstanding leaders he offered with and the handful of bad leaders he learned never to emulate. He paints a vibrant portrait of the original military establishment that switched itself, in a single gen­eration, in to the adaptive, resilient power that would soon be examined in Iraq, Afghanistan, and the wider Battle on Terror.

McChrystal spent much of his early career in the wonderful world of special operations, at the same time when these elite forces became increasingly effective-and required. He writes of the combat waged in the shadows by the Joint Particular Operations Command word (JSOC), which he led from 2003 to 2008. JSOC became one of our most effective counterterrorism weapons, facing off against Al Qaeda in Iraq.

Over time, JSOC gathered staggering amounts of intelligence in order to find and take away the most influential and dangerous terrorists, including the head of Al Qaeda in Iraq, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. The hunt for Zarqawi drives some of the most grip­ping scenes in this reserve, as McChrystal’s group grappled with difficult interrogations, advanced but scarce technology, weeks of unbroken security, and agonizing decisions.

McChrystal brought the same energy towards the war in Afghanistan, where the challenges loomed sometimes larger. His uncovering account pulls on his close interactions with Afghan market leaders, giving readers a unique window into the battle and the united states.

Ultimately, My Share of the duty is about a lot more than war and peace, terrorism and counterin­surgency. As McChrystal writes, “Even more by luck than style, I’d been an integral part of some occasions, organizations, and initiatives which will loom large in history, and more that won’t. I noticed selfless dedication, petty politics, unspeakable cruelty, and quiet courage in locations and quantities that I’d never have thought. But what I will remember the majority are the leaders.”