Cobra II

Journalist Michael Gordon and General Bernard Trainor offer an intricately reported account of the Bush Administration's planning of the Iraq War and its subsequent prosecution. COBRA II is not a polemic, but history as current and detailed as it comes. Craig Wasson's matter-of-fact tone hits the ear flatly at first, but it is a stylistic choice that works well in piling on the details of political posturing, bureaucratic infighting, questionable weapons reports, murky inter-agency communication, and clashing assumptions that preceded the war. His dispassionate tone is less successful at rendering the chaos and emotional detail of battle, but on balance it's the right choice for this exhaustive document of the controversial war's contentious beginning. M.G. (c) AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine

May 1, 2006
On one level, narrator Wasson's mostly neutral delivery is apt. The authors' dispassionate prose imparts their impeccably researched story of the 2003 Iraq invasion—from concept to insurgency. Sourced at the highest levels, Cobra II
captures the fog of war and war planning. But Wasson's read too often feels routine, as if recounting a local board meeting. Because he renders the numerous players and backdrops with equal tones, differentiating between them can be a challenge. This style of narration creates an anti-tension when juxtaposed with the book's revelations that an invasion plan was being formed not long after September 11, despite administration denials. Strictly supervising the plan was defense secretary Donald Rumsfeld, who was intent on transforming the military into a lighter, leaner force. False assumptions, faulty intelligence, willful ignorance, personal politics and a lack of foresight all fed into the invasion strategy and subsequent messy outcome. During the audiobook's second half, which documents the march to Baghdad and enemy engagements, Wasson's energy picks up and he paints some impressive scenes of war. But in the end, a more vibrant read would have better complemented the significance of this penetrating work. Gordon reads the introduction and epilogue. Simultaneous release with the Pantheon hardcover.

The Iraq War has certainly has been controversial, with the planning, execution, and post-invasion conduct of operations being the targets of much criticism and acrimony. Gordon and Trainor have written a book that is certainly critical of many aspects of the war though they do give credit to the American troops involved in it. This abridgment has two narrators: Gordon himself and Craig Wasson. Gordon is OK in reading an introduction and an afterword but is sometimes flat in his performance. Wasson's performance displays his experience and training. His voice is strong and his tempo steady. He has an expert way of giving expression in his delivery without being overwhelming. M.T.F. (c) AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine