Reviews
"America's military and civilian leaders agree-our country's national security challenges and geopolitical objectives cannot be achieved by firepower or diplomacy alone. Economic progress, jobs, and opportunity are indispensable to winning the peace and securing our nation. Understanding this reality and driven by a passion to serve, Paul Brinkley and his colleagues took great personal, career, and financial risks to help a war-torn country build a modern economy. "Brinkley tells a compelling, page-turning story. But it's no fairy tale. Readers will share not only the vision and the importance of the cause, but also the many frustrations and roadblocks experienced along the way. This is an important book-there is much here that inspires, but also many important lessons and insights that Americans and their government need to learn and heed." -Thomas J. Donohue, President & CEO, U.S. Chamber of Commerce "Paul Brinkley's commonsense approach to rebuilding Iraqi business and industry to provide jobs, incomes, and goods to meet the country's needs, and to drain insurgencies of manpower and motive, is one of the most significant civilian efforts ever undertaken during warfare. Mr. Brinkley's brave and relentless engagement of U.S. military and civilian leaders and of Iraqis and Afghans at every level of government and industry-from farms, villages, and the front lines of battle to the U.S. Capitol, give him a breadth of knowledge and perspective like no leader in Operation Iraqi Freedom or Enduring Freedom/Afghanistan. His is an essential record to be read, debated, and relied upon by military and development specialists for decades to come." -Edwin Price, Howard G. Buffett Chair on Conflict and Development, Professor of Agricultural Economics, Texas A&M University "Paul Brinkley has written a compelling narrative about igniting economies through business creation in Iraq and Afghanistan in a war zone for two presidents. The story of his heroic team of American citizens serving in harm's way is a heartwarming and heartbreaking page-turner." -Admiral Michael Mullen, 17th Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff "Paul Brinkley provides a compelling and highly readable assessment of Afghanistan from an economic and a political perspective, and America's shortcomings in trying to build a stable Afghan state, based on his experiences throughout the country. I highly recommend this to policymakers as the transition of Afghanistan from military engagement to long-term development takes place in the next several years." -Daud Saba, Ph.D., Governor, Herat Province, Afghanistan " War Front to Store Front is two intertwined tales: one, a fascinating account of how U.S. businesses can play a new and crucial role in stabilizing America's overseas conflict zones, and another, a rollicking yarn about Brinkley's team of young Americans dodging bullets and bomb blasts to accomplish their unique mission from the Tigris River to the Hindu Kush. A terrific read!" -Milt Bearden, former Chief of CIA, Soviet/East European Division; CIA Station Chief for Pakistan, Germany, Nigeria, and Sudan; author of The Black Tulip and co-author with James Risen of The Main Enemy "Paul Brinkley captures America's experience in Afghanistan and Iraq beyond the obvious. His fascinating narrative describes a gordian knot of politics, personalities, culture, and economic realities that confronted, and often confounded, the best of intentions. A must-read for engagement in the modern world." -Stan McChrystal, GEN, USA (Ret), Commander, International Security Assistance Force - Afghanistan, 2009-2010, "America's military and civilian leaders agree-our country's national security challenges and geopolitical objectives cannot be achieved by firepower or diplomacy alone. Economic progress, jobs, and opportunity are indispensable to winning the peace and securing our nation. Understanding this reality and driven by a passion to serve, Paul Brinkley and his colleagues took great personal, career, and financial risks to help a war-torn country build a modern economy. "Brinkley tells a compelling, page-turning story. But it's no fairy tale. Readers will share not only the vision and the importance of the cause, but also the many frustrations and roadblocks experienced along the way. This is an important book-there is much here that inspires, but also many important lessons and insights that Americans and their government need to learn and heed." -Thomas J. Donohue, President & CEO, U.S. Chamber of Commerce "Paul Brinkley's commonsense approach to rebuilding Iraqi business and industry to provide jobs, incomes, and goods to meet the country's needs, and to drain insurgencies of manpower and motive, is one of the most significant civilian efforts ever undertaken during warfare. Mr. Brinkley's brave and relentless engagement of U.S. military and civilian leaders and of Iraqis and Afghans at every level of government and industry-from farms, villages, and the front lines of battle to the U.S. Capitol, give him a breadth of knowledge and perspective like no leader in Operation Iraqi Freedom or Enduring Freedom/Afghanistan. His is an essential record to be read, debated, and relied upon by military and development specialists for decades to come." -Edwin Price, Howard G. Buffett Chair on Conflict and Development, Professor of Agricultural Economics, Texas A&M University "Paul Brinkley has written a compelling narrative about igniting economies through business creation in Iraq and Afghanistan in a war zone for two presidents. The story of his heroic team of American citizens serving in harm's way is a heartwarming and heartbreaking page-turner." -Admiral Michael Mullen, 17th Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff, "America's military and civilian leaders agree-our country's national security challenges and geopolitical objectives cannot be achieved by firepower or diplomacy alone. Economic progress, jobs, and opportunity are indispensable to winning the peace and securing our nation. Understanding this reality and driven by a passion to serve, Paul Brinkley and his colleagues took great personal, career, and financial risks to help a war-torn country build a modern economy. "Brinkley tells a compelling, page-turning story. But it's no fairy tale. Readers will share not only the vision and the importance of the cause, but also the many frustrations and roadblocks experienced along the way. This is an important book-there is much here that inspires, but also many important lessons and insights that Americans and their government need to learn and heed." -Thomas J. Donohue, President & CEO, U.S. Chamber of Commerce "Paul Brinkley's commonsense approach to rebuilding Iraqi business and industry to provide jobs, incomes, and goods to meet the country's needs, and to drain insurgencies of manpower and motive, is one of the most significant civilian efforts ever undertaken during warfare. Mr. Brinkley's brave and relentless engagement of U.S. military and civilian leaders and of Iraqis and Afghans at every level of government and industry-from farms, villages, and the front lines of battle to the U.S. Capitol, give him a breadth of knowledge and perspective like no leader in Operation Iraqi Freedom or Enduring Freedom/Afghanistan. His is an essential record to be read, debated, and relied upon by military and development specialists for decades to come." -Edwin Price, Howard G. Buffett Chair on Conflict and Development, Professor of Agricultural Economics, Texas A&M University "Paul Brinkley has written a compelling narrative about igniting economies through business creation in Iraq and Afghanistan in a war zone for two presidents. The story of his heroic team of American citizens serving in harm's way is a heartwarming and heartbreaking page-turner." -Admiral Michael Mullen, 17th Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff "Paul Brinkley provides a compelling and highly readable assessment of Afghanistan from an economic and a political perspective, and America's shortcomings in trying to build a stable Afghan state, based on his experiences throughout the country. I highly recommend this to policymakers as the transition of Afghanistan from military engagement to long-term development takes place in the next several years." -Daud Saba, Ph.D., Governor, Herat Province, Afghanistan " War Front to Store Front is two intertwined tales: one, a fascinating account of how U.S. businesses can play a new and crucial role in stabilizing America's overseas conflict zones, and another, a rollicking yarn about Brinkley's team of young Americans dodging bullets and bomb blasts to accomplish their unique mission from the Tigris River to the Hindu Kush. A terrific read!" -Milt Bearden, former Chief of CIA, Soviet/East European Division; CIA Station Chief for Pakistan, Germany, Nigeria, and Sudan; author of The Black Tulip and co-author with James Risen of The Main Enemy, "America's military and civilian leaders agree-our country's national security challenges and geopolitical objectives cannot be achieved by firepower or diplomacy alone. Economic progress, jobs, and opportunity are indispensable to winning the peace and securing our nation. Understanding this reality and driven by a passion to serve, Paul Brinkley and his colleagues took great personal, career, and financial risks to help a war-torn country build a modern economy. "Brinkley tells a compelling, page-turning story. But it's no fairy tale. Readers will share not only the vision and the importance of the cause, but also the many frustrations and roadblocks experienced along the way. This is an important book-there is much here that inspires, but also many important lessons and insights that Americans and their government need to learn and heed." -Thomas J. Donohue, President & CEO, U.S. Chamber of Commerce
