God Willing by Capt. Eric Navarro & USMCR

God Willing (First Edition Iraq War Marine Memoir)

A Marine Reserve Captain's Candid, Darkly Funny Account of Training the New Iraqi Army, 2004-05

Bibliographic Specifications

• Title: God Willing: My Wild Ride with the New Iraqi Army
• Authors: Capt. Eric Navarro & USMCR
• Publisher: Potomac Books, Inc., Washington, D.C.
• Publication Date: 2008
• ISBN-13: 9781597971690
• Edition Details: First Edition.
• Binding: Publisher's hardcover with illustrated dust jacket.
• Physical Format: Medium-sized hardcover, with black and white photographic plates and an index.
• Language: English

Official Condition Report

• The Book: Good (G)
• Exterior / Boards: The illustrated dust jacket is protected in a clear film cover that shows some creasing and slight wrinkling. There is wear to the head and tail of the spine, with small tears or chipping. A tear runs along the lower edge of the back panel near the barcode, and a small label is stuck over part of the barcode.
• Interior: The text block is clean and bright, with no foxing or markings to the pages seen. The binding is tight. A small ink mark or speck sits at the upper right of the title page. Black and white photographic plates are included.
• The Dust Jacket: Present, with creasing, wear and small tears to the spine ends, a tear to the lower back panel edge and a label over part of the barcode. The jacket is protected in a durable archival-type plastic cover.

Synopsis & Historical Value

Published in 2008 by Potomac Books, God Willing: My Wild Ride with the New Iraqi Army is a first-hand account by a US Marine Corps Reserve captain of his tour of 2004-05 as a trainer and adviser to the fledgling Iraqi Army.

Ten Marines were tasked with training more than 500 Iraqi soldiers. Navarro's team, known as The Drifters, faced shortages of supplies, no interpreters at first, little contact with other American forces and a wide cultural gulf. The narrative mixes action, mistakes and humour, and the Washington Post described it as a tragic comedy and an eye-opening look at Iraq.

The book is also cited in scholarship on the phrase Insha Allah, for its account of how the expression shaped the training mission. It is a useful primary-source memoir for readers of modern American military experience in Iraq.

Author Profile: Eric Navarro

Eric Navarro was born in Brooklyn in 1975 and studied liberal arts with a writing specialty at The New School. He is now a lieutenant colonel in the US Marine Corps Reserve and a graduate of the National War College.

He serves as director of military and strategic programs at the Middle East Forum and has also written opinion pieces for Task & Purpose.

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