William E. Colby Military Writers' Award
1 appearances
-
Edition 6 (2004) Winner
Francis J. West Jr.
フランシス・ジェイ・ウェスト・ジュニア
Furanshisu J. Wesuto Junia
Aliases:
Bing West
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1940-05-02 （Boston, Massachusetts）
- Nationality
- United States
- Languages
- English
- Residence History
- Newport, Rhode Island → Hilton Head, SC
Career
- Occupations
- Marine Corps officer, author, Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs
- Active Years
- 1962-2024
- Affiliations
- RAND Corporation, Council on Foreign Relations
- Memberships
- Council on Foreign Relations, Infantry Order of St. Crispin
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Georgetown University | — | — | B.A. | — | United States |
| Princeton University | — | — | M.A. | — | United States |
Georgetown University
Degree:
B.A.
Country:
United States
Princeton University
Degree:
M.A.
Country:
United States
Woodrow Wilson Fellow
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | Department of Defense Distinguished Public Service Medal | — | — | Department of Defense | recipient |
| — | Department of the Navy Distinguished Civilian Service Medal | — | — | Department of the Navy | recipient |
| — | Medaille de Liberté | — | — | — | recipient |
| — | General Wallace M. Greene, Jr. Award | The March Up | non-fiction | Marine Corps Heritage Foundation | winner |
| — | William E. Colby Award | The March Up | military history | — | winner |
| 2005 | National Media Award | No True Glory | — | Veterans of Foreign Wars | recipient |
Department of Defense Distinguished Public Service Medal
Organization:
Department of Defense
Result:
recipient
Department of the Navy Distinguished Civilian Service Medal
Organization:
Department of the Navy
Result:
recipient
Medaille de Liberté
Result:
recipient
General Wallace M. Greene, Jr. Award
Work:
The March Up
Category:
non-fiction
Organization:
Marine Corps Heritage Foundation
Result:
winner
William E. Colby Award
Work:
The March Up
Category:
military history
Result:
winner
National Media Award
2005
Work:
No True Glory
Organization:
Veterans of Foreign Wars
Result:
recipient
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
The Village
1972 military non-fictionChronicles experiences leading a Combined Action Platoon in Vietnam, a classic of practical counterinsurgency.
counterinsurgencyVietnam Warvillage defense
No True Glory: A Frontline Account of the Battle for Fallujah
2005 military non-fictionFrontline account of the Battle for Fallujah.
Iraq Warurban combat
The Strongest Tribe
2008 military non-fictionHistory of the Iraq War and counterinsurgency lessons.
Iraq Wartribal politics
Call Sign Chaos: Learning to Lead
2019 memoirCollaboration with Jim Mattis on leadership lessons.
leadershipmilitary command
Bibliography
- The Last Platoon
- Call Sign Chaos: Learning to Lead
- Small Unit Action in Vietnam, Summer 1966
- The Village
- Naval Forces and National Security
- The Pepperdogs: a Novel
- The March Up: Taking Baghdad with the US Marines
- No True Glory: a Front-line Account of the Battle of Fallujah
- The Strongest Tribe: War, Politics, and the Endgame in Iraq
- The Wrong War: Grit, Strategy, and the Way Out of Afghanistan
- One Million Steps: A Marine Platoon at War
- Into the Fire: a Firsthand Account of the Most Extraordinary Battle in the Afghan War
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- realisticdetailed combat descriptionsanalytical
- Recurring Motifs
- counterinsurgencyplatoon-level combatmilitary leadership
Legacy
Renowned military author known for books on Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan wars based on personal experience. Served as Assistant Secretary of Defense under Reagan, providing practical counterinsurgency lessons.
Trivia
- Spoke at CPAC 2011
- Frequent C-SPAN appearances