In this masterful reportage and analysis, veteran military correspondent and writer Thomas Ricks deflates excuses about the conception, execution, and leadership of the war in Iraq. The most salient points are found in Ricks' discussion of the Wolfowitz / Rumsfeld development of the Iraq regime change impetus, the infighting between Rumsfeld's DoD and Powell's State Dept as the former repeatedly undercut the latter, CENTCOM's abandonment of former CG Zinni's DESERT CROSSING op-plan to be replaced with Franks' nearsighted warplan, and the utter lack of standards in the treatment of Iraqis during the war, reflected by a huge range of operational and tactical preferences.

This book is highly recommended due to its thorough research, level-headed analysis, and Ricks' sterling reputation.