Letters From Baghdad

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Experience the Iraq War through the eyes of a senior U.S. Army Colonel. A gripping firsthand account of coalition efforts, insurgent outreach, and daily life in the heart of conflict during a pivotal year of American involvement.

Tea With Terrorists

Letters from Baghdad Volume 1 chronicles COL (Ret) Mike
Courts’ first year in Baghdad from 2006-07. Serving as a senior U.S. Army Colonel on the Multi-National Forces-Iraq (MNF-I), primarily in the role of Chief Engagements Branch in the Strategic Effects Directorate, Mike had a unique perspective on the U.S. led Coalition’s efforts to reach out to Sunni Insurgent groups and separate them from Al-Qaeda.

Mike describes his team’s work as well as what life working in the
in “The Palace” was like. Told in real time, Letters from Baghdad
Volume 1 describes the situation and life in Iraq as it occurred.

Like life itself, Letters from Baghdad Volume 1 combines the
serious issues of the war, insights into daily life of a staff officer and humor into a compelling narrative of this critical period during the U.S, involvement in Iraq.

The perspective of a senior staff officer has not been told before. The inclusion of lessons learned from each week as well as topical articles creates a holistic view of this time in the war.

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Leadership Observations

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Epilogue

Letters from Baghdad I departed Iraq in late June 2007. In my twelve months in theater, I saw significant changes.

Reflections

Letters from Baghdad As you watch the frenzied debate that is ongoing in Washington that will do nothing but accelerate

Offers Unique Insider's View of Iraq War

Retired U.S. Army Colonel Mike Courts brings readers into the heart of the Iraq War with his captivating new book “Letters from Baghdad: Volume 1.” Based on weekly letters Courts wrote home during his 2006-2007 deployment, this memoir provides an unprecedented look behind the scenes at the U.S.-led coalition’s efforts during a pivotal period of the conflict.

As Chief of the Engagements Branch in the Strategic Effects Directorate at Multi-National Force-Iraq headquarters, Courts had a front-row seat to high-level strategy sessions and delicate negotiations with Iraqi leaders. His vivid accounts capture both the intensity of wartime decision-making and the often surreal nature of life in Baghdad’s heavily fortified Green Zone.

“There’s nothing quite like eating lobster in an air-conditioned dining hall while mortar rounds explode outside,” Courts quips in one passage. “It gives new meaning to the phrase ‘bubble.'”

But Courts’ wit is balanced by sober analysis of the complex challenges facing coalition forces. He offers nuanced insights into efforts to peel Sunni insurgent groups away from Al-Qaeda – a strategy that would later pay dividends during the famous “Anbar Awakening.”

“We were trying to convince people who’d been shooting at us last week to suddenly become our allies,” Courts explains. “Not exactly something they teach you at West Point.”

The book also paints a compelling portrait of daily life for American personnel in Baghdad, from nerve-wracking trips outside the Green Zone to lighter moments of levity amidst the stress. Courts’ eye for telling details brings the setting to life, wheter describing the “pizza oven” summer heat or the surreal sight of Romanian contractors sunbathing by the pool as rockets whistle overhead.

While offering plenty of drama and action, “Letters from Baghdad” is ultimately a thoughtful meditation on the nature of unconventional warfare and nation-building. Courts’ frank assessments of both successes and failures make this essential reading for anyone seeking to understand the complexities of the Iraq conflict.

With its blend of frontline reportage, strategic analysis, and wry humor, “Letters from Baghdad” seems destined to become a clssic of modern war literature. Colonel Courts has produced a vital historical document that’s also a riveting page-turner.