New York: Crown Publishers, 2009. First Edition [Stated], First Printing [Stated]. Hardcover. [6], 330 pages. Illustrations (some in color). Notes. Index. Inscription on half-title signed by Greg Jaffe. What makes an effective wartime general? Hardly an academic question when the United States is ramping up its military efforts in Afghanistan. In "The Fourth Star," David Cloud, former Pentagon correspondent for the New York Times, and Greg Jaffe, who covers the Pentagon for The Washington Post, probe this question through the eyes and careers of four distinguished officers who joined the army as second lieutenants after Vietnam and rose to the highest rank -- four-star general -- during the Iraq insurgency. This insider's view of officership and the operation of the U.S. Army is based primarily upon interviews with the four generals -- John Abizaid, George Casey, Jr., Peter Chiarelli and David Petraeus -- and their families, subordinates and others. Cloud and Jaffe are gifted writers, who use their access to these senior commanders to good effect. They provide a lively, personalized account of the successes and setbacks of the four highly able and ambitious servicemen as they climb the military career ladder. More