Guns, Girls, and Greed

I Was a Blackwater Mercenary in Iraq

By: Morgan Lerette

Narrated by: Jay Mohr

Guns, Girls, and Greed is an unvarnished, behind-the-scenes, tell-all account of the scathing and dangerous life of mercenaries at war in Iraq.

Experience the world of private contractors conducting high-threat missions for a nascent Iraqi government in the hopes of rebuilding after the fall of Saddam Hussein. With limited support, the men of Blackwater protected US diplomats as the country descended into sectarian violence. It was a hazardous mission complete with rockets, mortars, improvised explosive devices, and not knowing who or where the enemy was.

Morgan Lerette’s irreverently honest memoir shows the good and bad of injecting private armies into active combat zones in the name of diplomacy and digs deep into the bonds of brotherhood created by war. With gut-wrenching tragedy, dark humor, and parties that make Animal House seem like a Disney film, this memoir offers a firsthand perspective on how men act and react in war.

Lerette, a private contractor employed by the notorious Blackwater in the early days of the Iraq War, pulls no punches in calling out the incompetence of both the US military and the Department of State during the collapse of Iraq. You can decide if the insertion of private contractors in Iraq assisted or detracted from the war effort and if the costs in blood and treasure were worth the carnage.

©2024 Morgan Lerette (P)2024 Recorded Books

Haven't laughed like that in a minute. Do yourself a favor and get the book.

The ONLY downside is I wish Morgan would have read it himself. I heard him as a guest on a podcast and wanted more of his stories, so I got the book.

I was initially turned off by the reader, but after you get past the first few minutes you can tell he gets into the story himself, which honestly makes sense, because the book was well written and pulls you in like a tractor beam. I started it yesterday and today I have less than an hr left. I laughed out loud on MULTIPLE occasions.

Don't expect anything to be sugarcoated or PC, it tells the real experience from a true, honest, and real American.

A Perfect Combo of Tucker Max's ("I hope they serve beer in hell") & Anthony Swofford's ("Jarhead")

Not a book for the easily offended, or those that can't handle the truth.

A couple years ago I just returned from Baghdad, from doing the exact same job as Morgan does in this book for the company who bought blackwater and triple canopy, known as Constellis.
Everything that Morgan shares in this book Fits perfectly with my experience as a PMC in Iraq, including conversations I've had with several guys that I was working with who have been in Iraq since Blackwater first opened.. yes nearly 20 years! (It blew my mind too).
This is a phenomenal book and one that I will read more than once guaranteed!

Enjoyed the stories

It was fun listen and kept you wondering what was going to happen next.
Narrator was great made you feel as if you are part of the story.

Great read

Great book very interesting and the author is very knowledgeable of the situation highly recommended

Great!

Great book! The details really make it authentic, things don’t sound over the top which makes it genuine.

Hold on to what You think You know

This book is a very open and telling tale of a government contractor in a war zone. What you may think you know will change based on Morgan’s colorful style and commentary. I am waiting for Post War stories. Truly enjoyed the anecdotes and viewpoint of a young American with a court-side view of war and the machinations of the leadership during this time.

Awesomely funny downward spiral

You are an excellent story teller. The delivery and punch lines kept me involved and invested to hear what comes next. Heard you on Mike Drop and thought this guy has it. He’s written something that I gotta hear. This didn’t disappoint. Keep up the good work and stay in it!

Tucker Max Meets Gun For Hire

Funny and raw as one would expect, honest description of the slow process of anger and apathy, and then transforms to unexpectedly human and relatable at the end. very funny yet vulnerable. A+

A brilliant, one-of-a-kind story

“A brilliant, one-of-a-kind story – Guns, Girls, and Greed is where I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell (Tucker Max) meets Generation Kill (Evan Wright). Dark, real-life, humor tipped with a murkier shade of war that every American must read. An amazing, fast-paced ride with men who dared to be mercenaries during the Iraq War who were paid for by the US Government.”

“Lerette shares it all in this exceptional story. A must-read that is so gripping and humorous at the same time you won’t be able to put it down.”

Maj Scott A. Huesing, USMC (Ret)
Bestselling and Award-Winning Author
Echo in Ramadi | The Firsthand Story of US Marines in Iraq’s Deadliest City

You want funny as hell, and emotional? This is it

I love military books, but I LOVE funny military books.
This book had me laughing out loud through the whole entire thing. It told how things really were in 2004-2005, but in his personal experiences. And those experiences were f@%&ing hilarious!

Would recommend 100% to anyone who isn't a crabby Karen 🙂