The Operators

The Wild and Terrifying Inside Story of America's War in Afghanistan

By: Michael Hastings

Narrated by: Lloyd James

In June 2010, Michael Hastings published an article in Rolling Stone that made headlines around the world: In “The Runaway General”, he reported on a week he spent in Europe with General Stanley McChrystal, the revered soldier in charge of the war in Afghanistan.

McChrystal and his staff's unguarded remarks about the White House, our allies, and the conduct of the war led President Obama to order McChrystal to the Oval Office, where he was fired unceremoniously. While Hastings' reporting won him a prestigious Polk award and led to two Pentagon investigations, there is much more to his story than the indiscretions of Stanley McChrystal.

In The Operators, Hastings, formerly the Baghdad bureau chief for Newsweek, takes the listener behind the diplomatic façades to paint a picture of nation-building gone awry. Hastings also takes us on patrol missions in Afghanistan, where he is embedded with American troops, and witnesses firsthand the madness, horror, and existential contradictions of Afghanistan.

The Operators combines the acute reportage of a Sebastian Junger with the mad energy of a Michael Herr - it is the painful, powerful tale of a war that can never and will never be won.

©2012 Michael Hastings (P)2012 Tantor

Critic reviews

"An impressive feat of journalism by a Washington outsider who seemed to know more about what was going on in Washington than most insiders did." (Frank Rich, The New York Times)

One of the BEST Books Ever written on AFGHAN War .

This is one of the Most HONEST, REAL INSIGHT. ....Ever Presented on :
- HOW the HIGHER Up's i.e.
-Whitehouse, Pentagon, the Top General's and Diplomats played their role , their decision making process and WHAT motivated them to Act like they did -and- WHY...

Although -I completely DIS-AGREE...With the WaY this Journalist/Author handled....
-the -Gen. Stanley McChrystal Affair !

2 Other Books -come to -My mind of
-Equal Brilliance :
-WAY OF THE KNIFE -and-
THE WRONG ENEMY....

You can't get in trouble if you don't say it

Would you listen to The Operators again? Why?

No...too depressing.

Any additional comments?

We never should have invaded Iraq. This story...proves we never EVER should have invaded Afghanistan either. What a mess...what...a...mess. Those poor families who lost loved ones to this stupid conflict that had nothing to do with what happened on 9/11. Sad...really sad.

WHERE ARE OUR GREAT GENERALS

Unlike the 1940's, today's military elite are not our best and most honorable. The War on Terror is an ill-conceived failure. This should have been an intelligence lead, law enforcement effort. We did not learn the lessons of Vietnam and we continue to invest our lives and treasure pursuing futile nation building f**k ups. Such crap. Thank you Michael Hastings, the truth is in short supply in today's media and the American public owe you a debt of gratitude for your truth telling.

Good stuff, very enjoyable.

It was well written. It had great facts and is probably one of the reasons he is not with us today.

VERY INTERESTING STORY

Somehow all the news and articles passed without touching me, so when I began this book all the facts were totally new to me.

I have to say that I'm at a loss for words, I'm not sure what I think about all of this, but I have no doubt that everybody should read it.

Reading this again during 2021 Afghan withdrawal

Incredible story about the folly of war and how we got it so terribly wrong.

One of the finest books about the Afghanistan War

I finished it all in one sitting. It was compelling, funny, and sad. The Afghanistan War was a faceless, goal less, monster. A black hole we threw bodies and money into. Michael Hastings recognized that, and expressed it beautifully in this book. Highly recommend, and it goes great as a companion piece to The Afghanistan Papers.

Ever wonder why the military distrust the press?

Would you consider the audio edition of The Operators to be better than the print version?

I did not read the print version, however the audio was well worth the listen

Who was your favorite character and why?

I liked the portrayal of General Mc Chrystal. It is unfortunate that no matter how hard Hastings tries to gloss over his despicable betrayal of Mc Chrystal and his staff, he still comes off as a deceptive worm and makes it impossible for embedded reporters in the future to get honest answers. I'm sure Hastings is proud he got one of America's greatest generals and heroes fired. Obviously no deception is below his moral.

What about Lloyd James’s performance did you like?

The narrative was excellent and well spoken.

If you could give The Operators a new subtitle, what would it be?

"How to worm your way into someone's trust and then betray him"

Any additional comments?

Although the story was extremely informative, I do not believe the author's betrayal of McChrystal can be justified. Obviously Hastings is attempting to be another Woodward and Bernstein, and comes off more as a Keith Olbermann

different perspective on GWOT

this was a really interesting perspective on the middle years of americas war on terror with focus on generals McCrystal and Petraeus.

A fine writer

An excellent account of Mr. Hastings' experiences with General McCrystal and the War in Afghanistan. Mr. Hastings was a fine reporter and this is far better than his posthumous novel which was, after all, unfinished. He died way too young.