These are the combat experiences of the first Marine to command a special operations task force, recounted against a backdrop of his journey from raw Second Lieutenant to seasoned Colonel and Task Force Commander; from leading Marines through the streets of Mogadishu, Baghdad, Fallujah and Mosul to directing multi-national special operations forces in a dauntingly complex fight against a formidable foe.

The journey culminates in the story’s centerpiece: the fight against ISIS, in which the author is able to use the lessons of his harsh apprenticeship to lead the SOF task force under his command to hasten the Caliphate’s eventual demise.

Milburn has an unusual background for a US Marine, and this is no ordinary war memoir. Very few personal accounts of war cover such a wide breadth of experience, or with so discerning a perspective. As Bing West comments: “His exceptional skill is telling each story of battle and then knitting them into a coherent whole. By the end of the book, the reader understands what happened on the ground in the wars against terrorists over the past twenty years.”

Milburn tells his extraordinary story with self-effacing candor, describing openly his personal struggles with the isolation of command, post-combat trauma and family tragedy. And with the skill and insight of a natural story teller, he makes the reader experience what it’s like to lead those who fight America’s wars. 

"A decorated Marine’s officer's riveting account of some thirty years of often horrific frontline fighting from, Somalia to Iraq. Milburn’s to hell and back memoir is gritty, erudite, and reminds us of the extraordinary sort of people who keep us safe while we sleep."

"Milburn has constructed a real tour de force of recent military history, strongly
written and executed with the dedication and attention to detail you would expect from a Marine
Special Operations Commander."

"This is simply the finest war memoir to emerge from the last two decades of constant fighting." 

"...the best combat memoir to emerge from the modern battlefield. Milburn’s astonishing Marine career took him from Somalia in 1992 to Syria In 2018 and everywhere in between, including traditional infantry and unique advisor and special operations commands that resulted in fighting for the same Iraqi cities years apart, again and again. The result is a searing perspective on endless Middle East combat that has no peer."  

"In the fields that today we know as Special Operations, individuals throughout history have developed near-legendary standing….The first half of the 20th century gave us T. E. Lawrence and Marines like Edson, Carlson, and Pierre “Pete” Ortiz…..Without hyperbole, the combat memoir of Colonel Andrew Milburn, USMC, When the Tempest Gathers, establishes this Marine leader’s name among this storied group…… this genuine tale of the triumphs and the challenges of leadership in today’s wars….is most importantly a compelling and completely authentic story."

"....a valuable addition to war memoir literature and well worth reading. There are numerous useful lessons packed into this extraordinarily insightful and accessible book. It is ideally suited as a professional military education resource for Marine, Army, and SOF NCOs and officers as well as any American seeking a better understanding of the toll of our post-9/11 wars on the All-Volunteer Force."

"After reading this powerful and beautifully written memoir, indispensable for understanding how a warrior engages in military combat, one can’t help but wonder if perhaps a movie or a television series based on it might be next."

"Andy Milburn provides a work that seems to bring a sense of pride to what many call the 'Long Wars', some even the 'Lost Wars.' Colonel Milburn dictates the story I feel many veterans, myself included, of those wars wished to be conveyed. Milburn’s work is the perfect 10/10 in my opinion. It will be added to the list of quintessential memoirs for the men and women who have served during that time period."   

"Exceptionally well written, organized and presented...a unique and especially recommended addition to the personal reading lists of all dedicated military history buffs..."