Black Hearts: One Platoon's Descent into Madness in Iraq's Triangle of Death

by Jim Frederick

“Riveting. . . a testament to a misconceived war, and to the ease with which ordinary men, under certain conditions, can transform into monsters.”— New York Times Book Review

This is the story of a small group of soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division’s fabled 502nd Infantry Regiment—a unit known as “the Black Heart Brigade.” Deployed in late 2005 to Iraq’s so-called Triangle of Death, a veritable meat grinder just south of Baghdad, the Black Hearts found themselves in arguably the country’s most dangerous location at its most dangerous time.

Hit by near-daily mortars, gunfire, and roadside bomb attacks, suffering from a particularly heavy death toll, and enduring a chronic breakdown in leadership, members of one Black Heart platoon—1st Platoon, Bravo Company, 1st Battalion—descended, over their year-long tour of duty, into a tailspin of poor discipline, substance abuse, and brutality.

Four 1st Platoon soldiers would perpetrate one of the most heinous war crimes U.S. forces have committed during the Iraq War—the rape of a fourteen-year-old Iraqi girl and the cold-blooded execution of her and her family. Three other 1st Platoon soldiers would be overrun at a remote outpost—one killed immediately and two taken from the scene, their mutilated corpses found days later booby-trapped with explosives.

Black Hearts is an unflinching account of the epic, tragic deployment of 1st Platoon. Drawing on hundreds of hours of in-depth interviews with Black Heart soldiers and first-hand reporting from the Triangle of Death, Black Hearts is a timeless story about men in combat and the fragility of character in the savage crucible of warfare. But it is also a timely warning of new dangers emerging in the way American soldiers are led on the battlefields of the twenty-first century.

Genres: Military Fiction, Nonfiction, History, War, Military History, Leadership, Middle East

464 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2010

Reviews

[Terri · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a terrific book. Initially, I thought this book was going to be, start to finish, all about an atrocious war crime that took place in March 2006 near Yusufiyah, Iraq. But it was only the opening prelude and the closing chapters that dealt directly with that war crime. The rest of the book detailed the theatre, the Battalion, the chain of command, individuals, the platoons (mostly 1st Platoon) and the world around them. The war crime itself was a very small part of the overall read.
I highly recommend Black Hearts not just to those who seek out this genre, but to those who don't mind reading well written and well presented non fiction, irrespective of genre.

[Jessica Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

The single most powerful and disturbing book I have ever read. Should be mandatory reading for all soldiers and officers as well as any elected official who would ever send us into another cluster fuck war on a whim. The men who raped and murdered Abeer Qassim & her family bear 100% of the blame for their actions but that battalion/company/platoon leadership set conditions for the crime.

I'll write more when I have fully processed it. This book will stay with me for along, long time.

[Gary · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'd seen multiple sources recommend "Black Hearts" (not the least of which is Tom Ricks' Best Defense blog at Foreign Policy), but never had impetus to read it until the Commandant of the Marine Corps said that I should...well, he didn't tell me personally to read it, but he did publish a new reading list and guidelines at the beginning of 2013, which included this book as appropriate for my rank, and that's what made me go out and get it.

I'm glad that I did. Reading the book took me back, in some ways, to my own experiences in Iraq. No, not atrocities - I never witnessed anything like that. What I mean is that I served not far from the Triangle of Death at around the same time that the events described in this book were taking place. I left Iraq in February 2006, about the same time that "First Strike" and the rest of the 101st Airborne Division were arriving. The book underscores the contrast that can exist in the experiences of soldiers or Marines even within the same unit depending on where they happen to serve their time.

I won't get too "in the weeds" on the book, but I do want to venture a guess as to why this book appears on the Commandant's reading list for company-grade officers and chief warrant officers. It provides a wrenching case study of a unit suffering from a terrible command climate - a toxic leader as a battalion commander, and subordinates who in many cases were probably well-meaning but incredibly complacent and unwilling to enforce standards. Much of the action in this book takes place at the company level - just where the officers who are assigned to read and discuss this book are as well. You can see through the experiences of the company leaders how they made mistakes in not taking care of themselves in terms of getting rest they need to be effective; the perceptions of the company-level soldiers of their higher headquarters (battalion) being indifferent, at best, to their requests for additional troops and supplies; and how that perception looking the other way, from the battalion level looking down at the company, portrayed them as lackadaisical, weak, and undisciplined: "problem children." Combat operations are a terrible place for dysfunctions such as the ones shown to be at root in this battalion to exert their effects; my biggest disappointment in completing the book was reading in the postscript that (as of 2010), the ultra-toxic battalion commander portrayed in the book whose command style consisted almost entirely of heaped scorn, personal attacks, disrespect, disparaging remarks, and personal attacks on those he was supposed to be leading, had been promoted to full colonel and was still in the Army.

In all, a great book about some trying times. Most young Americans in the service have served their country honorably; a few have not. We need to learn from the events of this book to ensure that ethics and integrity are not sacrificed on the battlefield. Recommended.

[Ensiform · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author, a reporter, chronicles the slow degradation of the First Platoon of the 101st Airborne (in a tragically apt quirk that would be too outlandish for fiction, their brigade really is nicknamed the Black Hearts) as, in the ultra-high stress environment of Mahmudiyah 24/7, reeling from the killings of popular leaders, suffering under ineffective and bullying leadership from upper levels and critically understaffed, the soldiers’ morale and discipline deteriorates. The shocking nadir comes when four soldiers from First Platoon slip away to gang rape a fourteen-year-old Iraqi girl, then kill and burn her entire family.

Through incredibly thorough interviews and access to a tremendous amount of sensitive material, Frederick brings the sordid story to life, recording both sides of every dispute and letting the facts speak for themselves. There’s a fair amount of finger pointing, of course, especially as concerns Steven Green, the racist, burned out private who “masterminds” (if drunkenly suggesting a crime deserves this description) the sickening spree – whether he got the help he clearly needed, whether he was dealt with accordingly, or whether leadership simply ignored him, along with his entire platoon, as complainers. Though Frederick doesn’t take sides, it’s pretty clear that there was a catastrophic failure of leadership; equally clearly, the grunts of First Platoon were screw-ups, but screaming at screw-ups that they’re screw-ups, as the unit’s Lt. Colonel apparently did to the exclusion of other strategies, doesn’t help anyone. Certainly Green and his cohorts deserve the hundred-year sentences they got, but as with most scandals (the financial collapse, torture memos), those who should have admitted the buck stopped at themselves faced no repercussions. When budgets are cut, when military units are criminally understaffed, when rear-echelon officers can only badger overworked men about haircuts and the proper patches on their shirts, what on earth does anyone expect stressed-out killing machines to do?

[Billy · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are those books that one knows one must read but avoid because of the fear of being enlightened -- learning the truth behind the rumors, the stable ground rather than the blurry sea. I recommend this book to anyone who is seeking an understanding of the volatile effects of war upon the human psyche. Frederick does an amazing job sorting through all the stories and giving, from what I can tell, an unbiased look into this "descent into madness" of American soldiers.

The stories behind the story are as riveting as any Ambrose recreation as we get to know the soldiers who would one day commit such an atrocity, really an act of pure terror that bled not just the Iraqis lives away but their own, not to mention the effects it had on the rest of their battalion and American lives throughout the Middle East.

Frederick also pulls back some of the veil that shrouds much of our armed forces methods of operation, as he highlights the disaster that can come from irresponsible and cowardly leadership.

Even though I've lived here in Iraq for nearly 4 years now, I have never come this close to understanding the stress that our soldiers have gone through living in this land of IEDs. The images and scenes that Frederick paints stayed with me for days after I finished the book -- like the movie you wish you hadn't watched -- bringing to light the facts that deep inside I didn't really want to know but knew I had grasp. The pain continues -- it's what happens when hearts go black.

[Stephen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wanted to read a truthful book about what its like to be in the modern deployed military. While the experience of my deployments didn't come ANYWHERE near to what was experienced by this platoon, there are several factors at play in this book that are at play across the entire military. Factors such as poor command climate, leadership by fear, ignorance of the region, limited to no planning, and unstructured decision making do run rampant in our military. Please note, I am being critical here because I care, not because I am disgruntled or anti-military. Nothing excuses the crimes committed by the soldiers in this book.

I served with some amazing human beings, but the simple fact is these factors often drive the best out of our military because they understand the risk and the consequences that exist above and beyond the normal life/death risks of being in the military. Taken individually, these factors may not lead to any significant damage. Taken together, they enable the dominos to start falling uncontrollably. This book is less a recounting of facts of the crimes committed, and more a solid start at understanding the challenges the people of our military, and our nation, must overcome if we are to remain a nation of humans with conviction.

[Michael Flanagan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not what I was expecting but so much more. Follow a Platoon in Iraq as they spiral down into chaos and what results when leadership does not listen.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

First of all, SO MANY TRIGGER WARNINGS. This book is disturbing. Like, really, really dark. All books about war are generally pretty upsetting (trust me, I’ve read a lot of them), but this particular story is another beast entirely. I think that when we read books about the U.S. military and the wars we’ve fought, we can often get wrapped up in the patriotism and grand heroism of it all. We get so wrapped up, in fact, that we forget all the ways in which modern-day warfare warps the human mind and breeds the kind of hate that leads people (including our own) to do horrific, unspeakable things; which is exactly what happened in a unit known as “the Black Heart Brigade” stationed in one of the deadliest places in Iraq in 2005 and 2006.

As we watch the story of the Black Hearts unfold, the inevitability of disaster becomes more and more difficult to bear. From top to bottom, terrible decisions were made again and again that left otherwise mentally healthy soldiers feeling abandoned, angry, and generally out of control. The unhealthy soldiers, though– the already twisted, broken, and disordered– became downright monstrous, which ultimately led to the nightmarish crime that serves as the centerpiece of this book.

This review isn’t the place for gory details, so I’ll spare you all the specifics. I will say that for those who can stomach the kind of evil that happens when hate takes over, I do think there are valuable lessons to be learned from books like this one. For those easily triggered or disturbed, however, I’d suggest avoiding Black Hearts altogether.

[Cam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Meticulously researched and expertly assembled and told, compelling, sobering, and ultimately tragic. One of the best military books I've read, though not always easy to get through. Well-written to the point that I finished it in just a few days.

The author's description of the area in and around the south of Baghdad known as the Triangle of Death is photographic and tangible; anyone who has spent any time in the area will recognize it immediately. Ripe material for studies in military and combat leadership...an examination of the conditions and attitudes that led to, in some Soldiers, dehumanization and the murder and rape of an Iraqi girl and her family. Frederick is objective and avoids making, or accepting, excuses, and at the same time offers potential root causes without coming off as harshly judgmental.

May be difficult to follow in some spots for those unfamiliar with military operations or lingo, given the number of viewpoints and complexity of the narrative in some parts, but the author does an excellent job laying out the basics - and nails every aspect of what Iraq feels like on the ground.

Harrowing...should be required reading at all levels of leadership prior to deployment to any theater.

[R.M.F. Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

Assyrians, Babylonians, Greeks, Romans, the great builders of empire, the great builders whose bones are buried beneath the sands of Arabia.

In later years, other conquerors would come - the British, and now, the Americans, all under the illusion that they could in Kipling's words, "hustle the east."

Black hearts is the riveting account of one such chapter - the story of the 101st Airborne, a long and distinguished unit of the US military that counts Normandy and Market Garden amongst its battle honours.

We see these men train, deploy, and ultimately change in the face of war, as countless others before them did, and countless others after them will.

For those looking for an account of the how and why of the Iraq invasion, this is not for you. For those wanting a nuts and bolts account of the daily realities of men pushed to the limit (superbly written by Fredrick) then this is highly recommended.

[Tristan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was supposed to read this book for a class at West Point, but didn’t, and relied on spark notes and class discussion to write a paper about it. A couple weeks after the paper was due, Justin Watt (the whistleblower in the book) came to West Point and sat on a Q&A panel.

When asked about his motivation to report the crime(s), he said two things I will never forget.

First: physical courage is easy, often win-win. Moral courage is hard, often lose-lose. Save your buddy or die a hero; be a snitch (and receive death threats) or live in guilt and shame.

Second: someone always pays the bill.

After reading the book, his clarity of conscience and pervasive moral grappling are even more impressive given the stress of combat, a hostile command climate, and unstable peer conditions he was surrounded by for an entire deployment.

There is no need to wait for hell with sins on your mind: Raskolnikov is consumed in this lifetime. This book felt far more important to read than most.

[Austin Glang]

Frederick weaves murder mystery into the genre of war journalism that debuted with Mark Bowden's Black Hawk Down. This book appeals especially to anyone fond of suspenseful non-fiction or true crime. For the military history buffs, it is a boots-on-the-ground view of the violence that engulfed Iraq during the first phase of the insurgency. And for leaders both green and seasoned, there is much to learn about the top-down influence of toxic commanders.

Definitely a read I enjoyed and will pick up again. Frederick lost some points with me for the major deceleration throughout the middle of the book, during which at times the "murder mystery" thread was lost entirely. Without it, it remains a worthwhile read, but the great momentum with which the book opens is not regained until late in the story.

[Jim Pomeroy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book I wish more people read

[Julia Chenoweth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Edit: changing this to 4 stars. I keep thinking about this book in many ways. It has surprisingly stuck with me.

3.5 stars. This was very engrossing. I found myself wanting to keep reading. I will say it was very character dense. I felt like so many people were mentioned sporadically that it got confusing.

[Mike Kershaw · Rating 2 out of 5]

"Blackhearts" is a book I recommend with some caveats. I think the author worked very hard to portray the environment faced by Soldiers in South Baghdad; I know, for example, he allowed the former company commanders of the unit to review his manuscript even after his publisher was ready to submit to go final (I have discussed this with several of them over the past few years). And I think this environment is accurately portrayed in the book based on my experience a year later in South Baghdad -- it was a grim place. However, the author also contacted me after my tour and sent me a series of questions about the Brigade and Battalion level leadership in question. I declined to answer his request because I detected he had already reached conclusions about the chain of command, particularly the unit's command climate -- something I feel is inherently difficult to evaluate from outside an organization. I am quoted in the book but it was something he lifted out of Stars and Stripes. The unit undoubtedly had command climate issues -- we certainly witnessed some -- and these have also been documented elsewhere. During our PDSS and our RIP/TOA however, I also noted the almost complete lack of understanding of the Brigade's situation among the MND-B staff. I formed strong opinions about this staff during this time which were only confirmed in my own units experience of working with them for two more months -- a staff working at cross-purposes with their commander, challenged by a demanding situation and span of control beyond their capability. So this experience figures heavily in my bias. Most importantly, I do not believe that climate issues alone can exonerate the Soldiers of their individual responsibility for their actions. I have had to work for difficult people in my time in the service; some in some pretty difficult circumstances as well. But the lesson I was taught as a junior officer (by primarily Vietnam Veterans) is that leaders and Soldiers at every level are responsible for their actions. If you've ever seen the movie "Grand Torino" with Clint Eastwood, there is a great example of this. When the young Priest is trying to establish a dialog with Eastwood's character, who'd served in Korea, he insinuates that he probably carried some guilt for the things he was ordered to do in combat. Eastwood remarks it's the things you do that you're NOT ordered to do that really bother you later. There were undoubtedly leadership failures at every level in the Blackheart incident and we certainly had to live with the effects of those failures every day during our tour. Leaders have to be forward and understand the environment and challenges their Soldiers face if they are to effectively lead. However, I've seen some really popular and well-liked leaders who were unable to exercise their duties and their units suffered similar maladies. Popularity isn't a great metric to gauge effective leadership. When I recommend "Blackhearts" to people -- and I do -- I usually recommend "The Good Soldiers" or some other book that isn't so biased, from my standpoint.

[Frank McCabe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fuck

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

An extremely disturbing account of the 1-502nd’s 2005-2006 deployment to the Triangle of Death. I have a newfound respect for a friend of mine who was himself deployed to the Triangle at a later date, having to deal with the aftermath of the incident discussed in this book. This part of Iraq was truly hell on earth.

I am not a fan of journalists, but Frederick’s treatment of extremely difficult material is fair and balanced. His writing style is dry and surgical, but these events are worth knowing about, and the drier material is important to sift through, if not educational for someone who is not knowledgeable about the ins and outs of Army leadership structures.

According to Frederick it seems to have been news media keen to capitalize on the sensation of the Yusufiyah killings who precipitated their premature publication into world news. Obviously these events should never have been leaked to media until more information had been gathered on the ground in Iraq. Crimes like this are complicated and Frederick does a great job portraying just how complicated 1st Platoon’s deployment really was.

Not only did the scandal’s publicity have an extremely negative effect on our boys in the 502nd who behaved honorably, but also likely had an effect on the outcome of the trials—a fact that should be very concerning indeed and not unfamiliar to us who find ourselves in 2020s America.

Frederick even manages to drag Achilles into this, which I loved. I wished he had spent more time on it but he didn’t seem to have the knowledge of Homer necessary to do so. The Achilles comparison is uncanny in some ways. It is amazing that Homer knew, all those years ago, the same murderous rage that American boys in Iraq would feel when they lost their friends in battle. What an incredibly human emotion, the desire for revenge. This is why we never properly understood the insurgents, who come from a cultural where violent interpersonal revenge is not traditionally frowned upon. Our soldiers are held to a different moral standard, and it is very difficult to know where to draw the line in the ethics of War. I think Achilles’ actions should be understood in this light; that according to the law of custom in the near East (which I am assuming Troy to have been governed by), Achilles was completely justified killing Hector in retaliation for the death of Patroclus.

All of this jabber might seem off topic but these are the types of questions asked by the text Frederick has left us with — the killing of the Janabi family is only a small part of the story. The rage of soldiers, perhaps a larger part.

To any vets out there reading this, thank you for your service. We can never pretend to understand the hell you went through.

[Ellie May · Rating 3 out of 5]

This. This was a tough read for two reasons

1. It needs way better explanations of how the brigade/platoon etc. broke down, what locations are what, and I gave up basically at the beginning of remember who was who and in what position. A lot of people said it’s very obvious a journalist wrote this and I agree.
(For this reason I give the 3 stars, not the nature of the content)

2. Obviously, for everything that transpired for the troops at that time. Wow. I had to physically put the book down quite often and let it sit there for a day or two before picking back up.


I will say, this should be a mandatory read for every active duty member no matter the rank. This is definitely a book I won’t be forgetting.

[Barry Sierer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jim Frederick does a superb job of delving into the unforgiving environment of counter insurgency in Iraq’s “Iron Triangle”, and its effects on a particular platoon of the 101st Airborne Division.

Frederick illuminates this situation through the prism of the soldier’s own perspectives and delves into such factors as: constant combat stress, unrealistic mission orders from command (that come without the requisite resources), and constant blame from battalion command for it’s many shortfalls.

Eventually some of these men commit an unforgiveable crime, but Frederick’s work is an explanation, not an excuse.

[Shawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This isn’t the book to try and figure out how to improve on leadership. This isn’t the book that you will want to read to be inspired that the systems in the army work. This book is the worst of all of the army culture that I have experienced. I have seen these problems in people that I have worked for and with. I much prefer other books that inspire me to do more and better. I read this because it is traveling through numerous professional reading lists. I agree with others, it needs to be read with other books to complete the thoughts on leadership.

[Chris Butler · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of the hardest books i’ve ever read. Having the perspective of an Infantryman, losing people to ghosts and not being able to get that revenge on every TIC hurts. Being a dad, I couldn’t not imagine the pain and helplessness of living in such conflict unable to protect your babies. This one can take you to a very dark place if you let it. Written from an outside perspective it still opens your eyes to the grit of war. I put the book down completed and uneasy.

[Justin Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very good, eye-opening read. One of the worst war crimes committed by the US in decades, made even sadder because the events and conditions that lead to it were so preventable. Makes you think about how much you could withstand.


"Spending months of continuous exposure to the stresses of combat is a phenomenon found only on the battlefields of this century... it is only in this century that our physical and logistical capability to support combat has completely outstripped our psychological capacity to endure it"

[Mike Cooley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Second time reading this, and It was still just as hard to read as the first time. I was with this unit and intimately know these details and lived so many other situations and events. Jim did a fantastic job writing this book and capturing so much from every platoon in the company. It only taps into the utter despair and hardships we faced and horrific events we experienced.

[Tricia Wiemers · Rating 5 out of 5]

I gave this a 5-star because I thought it was well written. It was interesting to have insight into the culture and inner workings of our military. I loved learning about this. But the events our soldiers went thru and experienced are haunting and disturbing, gave me a few bad dreams. I hope the military learns from this experience.

[Garo H · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an incredible book but it is hard to read once you get to the part which draws most people to read it- the war crime. The majority of the book is highlighting their deployment and to be honest the war crime is a very small part of it in comparison. It’s very well written and I would recommend it to non fiction readers.

[Robert Fisher · Rating 5 out of 5]

This intense novel blows readers' minds with a textbook example of poor leadership. It vividly describes the worst that can happen when military leadership neglects their subordinates. This book should be required reading for all military leadership!

[Zac · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book isn’t just about war. It’s about horrible leadership on all levels, lack of discipline, not knowing how to cope with so many people dying, no breaks, and the horrible decisions made by troops. This book was absolutely amazing yet horrific at the same time.

[Nick Quenga · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well told from the various viewpoints and building the narrative. Asks many more cultural questions about the military and wars in the Middle East than it answers. An interesting foil to the last book I read, We Were One by Patrick O'Donnell.

[Andrew Ferree · Rating 5 out of 5]

Phenomenal. Lays everything out in detail and holds back no punches. One of the best books I've read in awhile, and is one that I will very much look to as a model for my future book.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic journalism. In-depth reportage about the horrors of war. IEDs lying in wait. Kidnappings and filmed executions.

Tension needing a release, which led to a horrific climax written without the indulgence you might expect. I'd say read the Wikipedia page just to avoid the brutality but the incident really does need the context to be fully appreciated.

I thought the book might excuse the soldiers as victims, which to a degree they are, but it shows that the men were working in a system severely lacking in failsafes that could have prevented an atrocity.

Recommended.