When the Tempest Gathers
From Mogadishu to the Fight Against ISIS, a Marine Special Operations Commander at War
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When the Tempest Gathers
Buy Now for $27.99
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Narrated by:
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Andrew Milburn
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By:
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Andrew Milburn
About this listen
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.
Sorry about Kayla
And friends RIP
Lest we forget”
Thank you for sharing story
I’m
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Extraordinary Strength of Character
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I picked up When the Tempest Gathers almost on a whim, not knowing much about the synopsis but following my recent interest in military biographies from the 21st century. It came up as an Audible recommendation, and I decided to give it a go.
This book is the memoir of Andrew Milburn, the first Marine to command a special operations task force. It traces his journey from a young Second Lieutenant to Task Force Commander, taking readers from Mogadishu to Baghdad and finally into the battle for Mosul against ISIS. Along the way, he reflects on the lessons learned in training, combat, and leadership, while also weaving in moments of personal loss and emotional honesty.
One of the challenges for me was the audiobook narration. Milburn himself, born in the UK to a British mother and American father, narrates his story. His transatlantic accent is authentic to his background but sometimes proved distracting, and I found myself disengaging at points, even needing to relisten to sections to stay focused.
What stood out most were the deeply personal passages. Milburn’s honesty when speaking about his late daughter Kayla and his fallen friend Rocco was raw, heartfelt, and incredibly moving. Those moments carried a weight that stayed with me long after listening.
Other sections that resonated were his early postings in Iraq, particularly his role advising the Iraqi military. These chapters felt well-paced and offered a clear picture of the challenges and camaraderie of his work.
However, the book often tried to cover too much ground too quickly. With a 30-year military career, there was simply too much material packed in, which left many sections feeling rushed and underdeveloped. I found myself wishing for more depth on how Milburn’s career progressed—how he moved up the ranks, what shaped his leadership, and why he was chosen for command roles. Acronyms were another challenge, explained once and then left behind, which made them hard to keep track of.
That said, Milburn’s reflections on leadership were thoughtful and resonant. His insistence that leaders must question orders rather than follow them blindly, and his call for more open debate about when wars should be entered and when they should end, elevate this memoir beyond battlefield recollections. These insights, grounded in the hard lessons of experience, are what make the book worth reading, even if the structure at times falls short.
Powerful Insights, Uneven Delivery
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