Naval War College Review Volume 62 Article 20 Number 1 Winter

2009 Charlie Wilson’s War: The Extraordinary Story of How the Wildest Man inCongress and a Rogue CIA Agent Changed the History of Our Times, Gene Milowicki

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Recommended Citation Milowicki, Gene (2009) "Charlie Wilson’s War: The Extraordinary Story of How the Wildest Man inCongress and a Rogue CIA Agent Changed the History of Our Times,," Naval War College Review: Vol. 62 : No. 1 , Article 20. Available at: https://digital-commons.usnwc.edu/nwc-review/vol62/iss1/20

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156 NAVALMilowicki: WAR Charlie COLLEGE Wilson’s REVIEW War: The Extraordinary Story of How the Wildest

Israel. The author’s source notes at the end of the book give a sense of the grand scope of this story, which is still Crile, George. Charlie Wilson’s War: The Extraor- dinary Story of How the Wildest Man in Congress playing out today. and a Rogue CIA Agent Changed the History of Our Crile’s career, spanning thirty years Times. New York: Grove, 2004. 560pp. $14.95 with CBS, most notably as a producer A longtime best seller in its tenth print- for 60 Minutes and 60 Minutes II, posi- ing, this important book received a tioned him to be a part of this epic as it boost in December 2007 when the pop- unfolded. A two-time winner of the Ed- ular movie of the same name brought gar R. Murrow Award for broadcast this story—CIA’s secret proxy war in journalism, he shows his penchant for Afghanistan against the Soviet Union— bringing a complex story to the reader to the big screen. Crile’s painstaking ac- in an evocative, entertaining, and com- count of the complex chain of events pelling way. and of the powerful personalities that For students of national-security deci- produced the most successful covert sionmaking,foreignpolicy,U.S.and war in U.S. history is the result of ex- international politics, and the processes tensive research, countless interviews, that ultimately result in decisive action, travel, and personal interaction with this book provides an insight into how most of the key characters in this real- things really transpired during the Rea- life drama. Over a period of fifteen gan administration’s support of the years of research and reporting, George Afghan freedom fighters. The author’s Crile traveled repeatedly to Afghani- epilogue, a valuable resource for the stan, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, student interested in the history and ef- Iraq, Kuwait, and Israel and throughout fects of this period, examines the long- the United States to interview the many term unintended consequences of both who played prominently in bringing U.S. support and periods of nonsupport about the Afghan mujahideen victory over four presidential administrations. over the Soviet Union’s Red Army in Some of these consequences include the early 1989. current negative opinion of the United Reading more like a good spy novel States in the Muslim world, the rise of than the historical and factual piece of radical Islam, the attacks of September reporting that it is, the book takes the 11, 2001, and our ongoing conflicts in reader through the fascinating story of both Afghanistan and Iraq. how the CIA gained support and George Crile passed away in 2006. Al- achieved victory due, in large measure, though he did not live to see his story to the backing and behind-the-scenes come to life as a full-length motion pic- political and relationship maneuverings ture, he would probably have been of Texas congressman Charlie Wilson pleased to see the renewed interest and and CIA operative Gust Avrakotos. The intellectual curiosity that the film has extensive cast of characters includes brought to his important chronicle of a many other prominent figures in the pivotaltimeinourhistory.Thereare U.S. government; Texas society; and the countless lessons and insights here for governments and intelligence services national security professionals and of Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and those interested in the messy processes

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Naval War College Review, Vol. 62 [2009], No. 1, Art. 20 BOOK REVIEWS 157

and decisions that result in world- “brotherhood” hardened its veterans changing events. and taught them to lead, lessons that would be evident during the much GENE MILOWICKI Naval War College more horrific bloodshed that was to take place in the U.S. Civil War. Dugard relates numerous stories of these young officers and their friend- ships: of Lee assisted by a young George Dugard, Martin. The Training Ground: Grant, McClellan and supported by Jackson’s Lee, Sherman, and Davis in the Mexican War, mobile gun batteries; “Sam” Grant and 1846–1848. New York: Little, Brown, 2008. Davis charging together into battle; 446pp. $29.99 “Pete” (actually James) Longstreet serv- The English novelist C. S. Forester once ing as best man at Grant’s postwar wed- observed, concerning soldiers in war, ding; the calmness of Grant and his that it was a “coincidence that when keen battlefield observation under fire; destiny had so much to do she should the savagery of Jackson’s energy; the findtoolsofsuchhighqualityreadyto frustration of Sherman while posted in hand.” This comment aptly describes California; and the courageous, almost the human story line woven throughout supernatural, professionalism of Lee. The Training Ground, Martin Dugard’s In the end, Mexico City and Mexico spirited and nearly blow-by-blow ac- were conquered, and the Treaty of count of the major battles of the Mexi- Guadalupe Hidalgo, signed in July can War. Dugard, author of The Last 1848, ended the war. Mexico lost vast Voyage of Columbus (2005), has written portions of its northern states, includ- a robust narrative of this conflict de- ing California, while the still-young scribing President James K. Polk’s am- United States nearly doubled in size. bition to expand the territory of the United States. Reaching beyond the for- The spare and honest Grant wrote of mal history, Dugard uses the strong his experiences in Mexico, “I would like personalities, individual battlefield ac- to see a truthful history written. Such a complishments, and close relationships historywilldofullcredittothecour- among a small group of professional age, endurance, and soldierly ability of soldiers who actually fought the war to the American citizen, no matter what bring his story to life. section of the country he hailed from, or in what ranks he fought.” As These soldiers, West Point graduates Dugard’s brisk and engrossing story and well-drilled junior officers in a forecasts, the competence of this small meager U.S. Army, were the human brotherhood would be put to the fullest tools “ready to hand” in 1846. Ulysses test during the long and bitter conflict S. Grant, Robert E. Lee, William between the states. This later war was Sherman, Jefferson Davis, Thomas J. fought with great determination and vi- “Stonewall” Jackson, and others with olence by the men whom destiny had names remembered today were first ex- trained on the same ground—the West posed to the hardships and brutality of Point veterans of the Mexican War. warfare in the conflict with Mexico. Theexperiencegainedincombattac- WILLIAM CALHOUN Naval War College tics, engineering, and logistics by this

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