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Bing West

Correspondent & Military Author

  Categories:
Authors, Current Events, Foreign Policy, International Relations, Journalists, Military
REQUEST BOOKING INFORMATION

Bing West Biography

F.J. Bing West is a correspondent for The Atlantic Monthly. He previously served as the Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs, responsible for defense policy around the globe during the Reagan administration. An expert on the Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan wars, as well as defense, national security and geopolitical issues, he penned The Strongest Tribe: War, Politics, and the Endgame in Iraq.

West is also the author of six books on national security and the military. His Vietnam classic, The Village, has been on Commandant of the Marine Corps Reading List for twenty years. His novel, The Pepperdogs, is in film development by Universal Studios. The March Up won the Marine Corps Heritage Prize and the Colby Award for Military History in 2004. His most recent book, No True Glory, was cited in The Washington Post as a “top ten” book on foreign policy and won the 2006 National Media Award from the Veterans of Foreign Wars. Film rights to No True Glory were sold to Universal, with Harrison Ford to play the lead role. West wrote the first screen treatment.

West was cited by The Los Angeles Times as one of the top ten journalists covering Iraq, where he has made 11 trips over the past four years and embedded with over 30 US battalions. His articles appear regularly in The Atlantic Monthly, The Wall St. Journal, The New York Times and Slate, and in professional journals like the Military Review. He appears frequently on The News Hour, CSPAN and NPR.

A graduate of Georgetown University and Princeton University, he served as a Marine infantry officer in Vietnam, seeing combat in the villages and jungles. His subsequent travels to battlefields include El Salvador, Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Israel, Kuwait, Iraq, the Congo, Somalia, Pakistan, Afghanistan, The Philippines and Korea. He has also been an analyst at the Rand Corporation, a visiting professor at The Fletcher School at Tufts University, Dean of Research at the Naval War College and Vice President of The Hudson Institute.

His awards include the Department of Defense Distinguished Public Service Medal, the Department of the Navy Distinguished Civilian Service Medal and Tunisia’s Medaille de Liberté. He is a consultant to the Office of the Secretary of Defense and a member of the Middle East Institute, St. Crispin's Order of the Infantry and the Council on Foreign Relations.

Topics

Lessons from Iraq:Flawed Execution or is America Unwilling to Fight?

National Security and the Military

The Strongest Tribe: War, Politics, and the Endgame in Iraq

Contact a speaker booking agent to check availability on Bing West and other top speakers and celebrities.

BOOK Bing West
Speaking Topics

  • War Strategy and Combat Decision Making: Enduring Lessons from Iraq and Afghanistan.

    Bing West has written eight best-selling books about the wars in Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan. As one reviewer wrote, “If anyone knows combat — and knows how to write about combat — it’s Bing West.” He explains how war strategy was devised at the top, how it was carried out in the field, and why it goes awry. In the view of the Washington Post, “West’s greatest strengths are his exceptional personal courage and his experienced perception of combat.” Illustrating with combat videos he filmed during hundreds of patrols, West moves the narrative effortlessly from the corporal to the general to the White House. He bluntly identifies names and assesses the reasons for good and bad decisions. He then draws lessons about courage and leadership and discusses the nature of war in the 21st century. Drawing upon his first-hand experience as a policymaker and a grunt, he poses the question: Can America defend itself by leading from behind?

  • Courage Under Fire: Can It Be Taught?

    West has spent 50 years on battlefields in jungles, mountains, cities, and villages. Using video he filmed during combat, West brings the audience into firefights, pointing out which soldiers were acting bravely. Drawing upon thousands of interviews and the hundreds of firefights described in his books, he focuses upon six men with astonishing valor. Were they born with courage in their genes? Or was courage instilled by their environment – at home, in school, and later in the military? Can courage be predicted before battle? Can it be taught? Or is courage transitory, dependent upon a particular set of circumstances? Is courage transferable from the military to business?

  • Lessons from Iraq:Flawed Execution or is America Unwilling to Fight?

  • National Security and the Military

  • The Strongest Tribe: War, Politics, and the Endgame in Iraq

Videos
BOOK Bing West
Books
Into the Fire: A Firsthand Account of the Most Extraordinary Battle in the Afghan War

Into the Fire: A Firsthand Account of the Most Extraordinary Battle in the Afghan War

The Wrong War: Grit, Strategy, and the Way Out of Afghanistan

The Wrong War: Grit, Strategy, and the Way Out of Afghanistan

The Strongest Tribe: War, Politics, and the Endgame in Iraq

The Strongest Tribe: War, Politics, and the Endgame in Iraq

The Pepperdogs: A Novel

The Pepperdogs: A Novel

No True Glory: A Frontline Account of the Battle for Fallujah

No True Glory: A Frontline Account of the Battle for Fallujah

The March Up: Taking Baghdad with the United States Marines

The March Up: Taking Baghdad with the United States Marines

News
  • Bing West speaks at UCF: Lessons from the Middle East

    "The problem about future warfare against the United States of America is that no one ever again is going to wear a uniform -- ever," journalist, author and former marine Bing West told a UCF audience Tuesday...

  • Bing West's Article on Afghanistan

    Helmand Province, Afghanistan - In early 2011, National Review published "With the Warriors," my description of the savage struggle to control Sangin District in the southern part of this province...

FAQs

  • HOW TO BOOK Bing West?

    Our booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure talent like Bing West for both live and virtual events for over 15 years. The team at All American Entertainment represents and listens to the needs of organizations and corporations seeking to hire keynote speakers, celebrities or entertainers for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment. Fill out a booking request form for Bing West, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get pricing information and check availability for Bing West or any other celebrity of your choice.

  • HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO BOOK Bing West?

    Booking fees for Bing West, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. Pricing often varies between live and virtual events. Other factors that can affect speaker fees include the talent's schedule, market conditions, length of presentation, and the location of the event. The live and virtual event speaking fees listed on this website are intended to serve as a guideline only. In some cases, the actual quote may be above or below the stated range. For the most current fee to hire Bing West, please fill out the booking request form or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak with an experienced booking agent.

  • WHO IS THE AGENT FOR Bing West?

    All American Entertainment has successfully secured celebrity talent like Bing West for clients worldwide for more than 15 years. As a full-service talent booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Fill out the booking request form or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Bing West for your next private or corporate function.

  • WHAT IS A FULL-SERVICE TALENT BOOKING AGENCY?

    All American Speakers is a "buyers agent" and exclusively represents talent buyers, meeting planners and event professionals, who are looking to secure celebrities and speakers for personal appearances, speaking engagements, corporate entertainment, public relations campaigns, commercials, or endorsements. We do not exclusively represent Bing West or claim ourselves as the exclusive booking agency, business manager, publicist, speakers bureau or management for Bing West or any other speaker or celebrity on this website. For more information on how we work and what makes us unique, please read the AAE Advantage.
Check Availability

Tell us about your event!

During normal business hours, we respond to most inquiries within 4 hours.

Users also viewed these speakers:

This website is a resource for event professionals and strives to provide the most comprehensive catalog of thought leaders and industry experts to consider for speaking engagements. A listing or profile on this website does not imply an agency affiliation or endorsement by the talent.

All American Entertainment (AAE) exclusively represents the interests of talent buyers, and does not claim to be the agency or management for any speaker or artist on this site. AAE is a talent booking agency for paid events only. We do not handle requests for donation of time or media requests for interviews, and cannot provide celebrity contact information.

If you are the talent, and wish to request removal from this catalog or report an issue with your profile, please click here.

Bing West

Correspondent & Military Author

Travels From:
Please Contact
Speaking Fee:
Live Event: $10,000 - $20,000
Virtual Event: Please Contact
More Fee Info
Categories:
Authors, Current Events, Foreign Policy, International Relations, Journalists, Military

Bing West Biography

F.J. Bing West is a correspondent for The Atlantic Monthly. He previously served as the Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs, responsible for defense policy around the globe during the Reagan administration. An expert on the Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan wars, as well as defense, national security and geopolitical issues, he penned The Strongest Tribe: War, Politics, and the Endgame in Iraq.

West is also the author of six books on national security and the military. His Vietnam classic, The Village, has been on Commandant of the Marine Corps Reading List for twenty years. His novel, The Pepperdogs, is in film development by Universal Studios. The March Up won the Marine Corps Heritage Prize and the Colby Award for Military History in 2004. His most recent book, No True Glory, was cited in The Washington Post as a “top ten” book on foreign policy and won the 2006 National Media Award from the Veterans of Foreign Wars. Film rights to No True Glory were sold to Universal, with Harrison Ford to play the lead role. West wrote the first screen treatment.

West was cited by The Los Angeles Times as one of the top ten journalists covering Iraq, where he has made 11 trips over the past four years and embedded with over 30 US battalions. His articles appear regularly in The Atlantic Monthly, The Wall St. Journal, The New York Times and Slate, and in professional journals like the Military Review. He appears frequently on The News Hour, CSPAN and NPR.

A graduate of Georgetown University and Princeton University, he served as a Marine infantry officer in Vietnam, seeing combat in the villages and jungles. His subsequent travels to battlefields include El Salvador, Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Israel, Kuwait, Iraq, the Congo, Somalia, Pakistan, Afghanistan, The Philippines and Korea. He has also been an analyst at the Rand Corporation, a visiting professor at The Fletcher School at Tufts University, Dean of Research at the Naval War College and Vice President of The Hudson Institute.

His awards include the Department of Defense Distinguished Public Service Medal, the Department of the Navy Distinguished Civilian Service Medal and Tunisia’s Medaille de Liberté. He is a consultant to the Office of the Secretary of Defense and a member of the Middle East Institute, St. Crispin's Order of the Infantry and the Council on Foreign Relations.

Topics

Lessons from Iraq:Flawed Execution or is America Unwilling to Fight?

National Security and the Military

The Strongest Tribe: War, Politics, and the Endgame in Iraq

Contact a speaker booking agent to check availability on Bing West and other top speakers and celebrities.

BOOK Bing West

Bing West Speaking Topics

  • War Strategy and Combat Decision Making: Enduring Lessons from Iraq and Afghanistan.

    Bing West has written eight best-selling books about the wars in Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan. As one reviewer wrote, “If anyone knows combat — and knows how to write about combat — it’s Bing West.” He explains how war strategy was devised at the top, how it was carried out in the field, and why it goes awry. In the view of the Washington Post, “West’s greatest strengths are his exceptional personal courage and his experienced perception of combat.” Illustrating with combat videos he filmed during hundreds of patrols, West moves the narrative effortlessly from the corporal to the general to the White House. He bluntly identifies names and assesses the reasons for good and bad decisions. He then draws lessons about courage and leadership and discusses the nature of war in the 21st century. Drawing upon his first-hand experience as a policymaker and a grunt, he poses the question: Can America defend itself by leading from behind?

  • Courage Under Fire: Can It Be Taught?

    West has spent 50 years on battlefields in jungles, mountains, cities, and villages. Using video he filmed during combat, West brings the audience into firefights, pointing out which soldiers were acting bravely. Drawing upon thousands of interviews and the hundreds of firefights described in his books, he focuses upon six men with astonishing valor. Were they born with courage in their genes? Or was courage instilled by their environment – at home, in school, and later in the military? Can courage be predicted before battle? Can it be taught? Or is courage transitory, dependent upon a particular set of circumstances? Is courage transferable from the military to business?

  • Lessons from Iraq:Flawed Execution or is America Unwilling to Fight?

  • National Security and the Military

  • The Strongest Tribe: War, Politics, and the Endgame in Iraq

Bing West Videos

  • Bing West
    Bing West
  • TAVIS SMILEY | Bing West | PBS
    TAVIS SMILEY | Bing West | PBS
See All Videos »

Bing West Books

Into the Fire: A Firsthand Account of the Most Extraordinary Battle in the Afghan War
Into the Fire: A Firsthand Account of the Most Extraordinary Battle in the Afghan War
The Wrong War: Grit, Strategy, and the Way Out of Afghanistan
The Wrong War: Grit, Strategy, and the Way Out of Afghanistan
The Strongest Tribe: War, Politics, and the Endgame in Iraq
The Strongest Tribe: War, Politics, and the Endgame in Iraq
The Pepperdogs: A Novel
The Pepperdogs: A Novel
No True Glory: A Frontline Account of the Battle for Fallujah
No True Glory: A Frontline Account of the Battle for Fallujah
The March Up: Taking Baghdad with the United States Marines
The March Up: Taking Baghdad with the United States Marines

FAQs on booking Bing West

  • How to book Bing West?

    Our booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure talent like Bing West for both live and virtual events for over 20 years. The team at All American Entertainment represents and listens to the needs of organizations and corporations seeking to hire keynote speakers, celebrities or entertainers for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment. Fill out a booking request form for Bing West, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get pricing information and check availability for Bing West or any other celebrity of your choice.

  • How much does it cost to book Bing West?

    Booking fees for Bing West, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. Pricing often varies between live and virtual events. Other factors that can affect speaker fees include the talent's schedule, market conditions, length of presentation, and the location of the event. The live and virtual event speaking fees listed on this website are intended to serve as a guideline only. In some cases, the actual quote may be above or below the stated range. For the most current fee to hire Bing West, please fill out the booking request form or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak with an experienced booking agent.

  • Who is the agent for Bing West?

    All American Entertainment has successfully secured celebrity talent like Bing West for clients worldwide for more than 20 years. As a full-service talent booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Fill out the booking request form or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Bing West for your next private or corporate function.

  • What is a full-service talent booking agency?

    All American Speakers is a "buyers agent" and exclusively represents talent buyers, meeting planners and event professionals, who are looking to secure celebrities and speakers for personal appearances, speaking engagements, corporate entertainment, public relations campaigns, commercials, or endorsements. We do not exclusively represent Bing West or claim ourselves as the exclusive booking agency, business manager, publicist, speakers bureau or management for Bing West or any other speaker or celebrity on this website. For more information on how we work and what makes us unique, please read the AAE Advantage.

Bing West is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics such as War Strategy and Combat Decision Making: Enduring Lessons from Iraq and Afghanistan., Courage Under Fire: Can It Be Taught?, Lessons from Iraq:Flawed Execution or is America Unwilling to Fight?, National Security and the Military and The Strongest Tribe: War, Politics, and the Endgame in Iraq. The estimated speaking fee range to book Bing West for your event is $10,000 - $20,000. Bing West generally travels from and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Robert D. Kaplan, Seymour Hersh, James Traub, Thomas Ricks and Josh Rushing. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Bing West for an upcoming live or virtual event.

BOOK Bing West

Bing West Speaking Topics

  • War Strategy and Combat Decision Making: Enduring Lessons from Iraq and Afghanistan.

    Bing West has written eight best-selling books about the wars in Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan. As one reviewer wrote, “If anyone knows combat — and knows how to write about combat — it’s Bing West.” He explains how war strategy was devised at the top, how it was carried out in the field, and why it goes awry. In the view of the Washington Post, “West’s greatest strengths are his exceptional personal courage and his experienced perception of combat.” Illustrating with combat videos he filmed during hundreds of patrols, West moves the narrative effortlessly from the corporal to the general to the White House. He bluntly identifies names and assesses the reasons for good and bad decisions. He then draws lessons about courage and leadership and discusses the nature of war in the 21st century. Drawing upon his first-hand experience as a policymaker and a grunt, he poses the question: Can America defend itself by leading from behind?

  • Courage Under Fire: Can It Be Taught?

    West has spent 50 years on battlefields in jungles, mountains, cities, and villages. Using video he filmed during combat, West brings the audience into firefights, pointing out which soldiers were acting bravely. Drawing upon thousands of interviews and the hundreds of firefights described in his books, he focuses upon six men with astonishing valor. Were they born with courage in their genes? Or was courage instilled by their environment – at home, in school, and later in the military? Can courage be predicted before battle? Can it be taught? Or is courage transitory, dependent upon a particular set of circumstances? Is courage transferable from the military to business?

  • Lessons from Iraq:Flawed Execution or is America Unwilling to Fight?

  • National Security and the Military

  • The Strongest Tribe: War, Politics, and the Endgame in Iraq

Bing West Speaker Videos

  • Bing West
    Bing West
    TAVIS SMILEY | Bing West | PBS
    TAVIS SMILEY | Bing West | PBS
BOOK Bing West

Bing West News

  • Bing West speaks at UCF: Lessons from the Middle East

    "The problem about future warfare against the United States of America is that no one ever again is going to wear a uniform -- ever," journalist, author and former marine Bing West told a UCF audience Tuesday...

  • Bing West's Article on Afghanistan

    Helmand Province, Afghanistan - In early 2011, National Review published "With the Warriors," my description of the savage struggle to control Sangin District in the southern part of this province...

Tell us about your event!

During normal business hours, we respond to most inquiries within 4 hours.

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Speakers Similar to Bing West

This website is a resource for event professionals and strives to provide the most comprehensive catalog of thought leaders and industry experts to consider for speaking engagements. A listing or profile on this website does not imply an agency affiliation or endorsement by the talent.

All American Entertainment (AAE) exclusively represents the interests of talent buyers, and does not claim to be the agency or management for any speaker or artist on this site. AAE is a talent booking agency for paid events only. We do not handle requests for donation of time or media requests for interviews, and cannot provide celebrity contact information.

If you are the talent, and wish to request removal from this catalog or report an issue with your profile, please click here.

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