Guns, Girls, and Greed - by Morgan Lerette

About the Book

Guns, Girls, and Greed is an unvarnished, behind-the-scenes, tell-all account of the scathing and dangerous life of mercenaries at war in Iraq. Experience the world of private contractors conducting high-threat missions for a nascent Iraqi government in the hopes of rebuilding after the fall of Saddam Hussein. With limited support, the men of Blackwater protected US diplomats as the country descended into sectarian violence. It was a hazardous mission complete with rockets, mortars, improvised explosive devices, and not knowing who or where the enemy was. Morgan Lerette's irreverently honest memoir shows the good and bad of injecting private armies into active combat zones in the name of diplomacy and digs deep into the bonds of brotherhood created by war. With gut-wrenching tragedy, dark humor, and parties that make Animal House seem like a Disney film, this memoir offers a firsthand perspective on how men act and react in war. Lerette, a private contractor employed by the notorious Blackwater in the early days of the Iraq War, pulls no punches in calling out the incompetence of both the US military and the Department of State during the collapse of Iraq. You can decide if the insertion of private contractors in Iraq assisted or detracted from the war effort and if the costs in blood and treasure were worth the carnage.

Book Synopsis

Guns, Girls, and Greed is an unvarnished, behind-the-scenes, tell-all account of the scathing and dangerous life of mercenaries at war in Iraq.

Experience the world of private contractors conducting high-threat missions for a nascent Iraqi government in the hopes of rebuilding after the fall of Saddam Hussein. With limited support, the men of Blackwater protected US diplomats as the country descended into sectarian violence. It was a hazardous mission complete with rockets, mortars, improvised explosive devices, and not knowing who or where the enemy was.

Morgan Lerette's irreverently honest memoir shows the good and bad of injecting private armies into active combat zones in the name of diplomacy and digs deep into the bonds of brotherhood created by war. With gut-wrenching tragedy, dark humor, and parties that make Animal House seem like a Disney film, this memoir offers a firsthand perspective on how men act and react in war.

Lerette, a private contractor employed by the notorious Blackwater in the early days of the Iraq War, pulls no punches in calling out the incompetence of both the US military and the Department of State during the collapse of Iraq. You can decide if the insertion of private contractors in Iraq assisted or detracted from the war effort and if the costs in blood and treasure were worth the carnage.

Review Quotes

"Guns, Girls, and Greed may be the most important book about the reality of one of America's longest and most controversial wars--and how America still operates in the gray in hot spots and wars around the world."--Greg Young, Host of Chosen Generation Radio Show

"A brilliant, one-of-a-kind story--Guns, Girls, and Greed is where I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell (Tucker Max) meets Generation Kill (Evan Wright). Dark, real-life, humor tipped with a murkier shade of war that every American must read. An amazing, fast-paced ride with men who dared to be mercenaries during the Iraq War who were paid for by the US Government.

Lerette shares it all in this exceptional story. A must-read that is so gripping and humorous at the same time you won't be able to put it down."--Maj Scott A. Huesing, USMC (Ret), Bestselling Author, Echo in Ramadi: The Firsthand Story of US Marines in Iraq's Deadliest City

"Imagine a narrative where Hunter S. Thompson takes on the role of a Blackwater mercenary during the Iraq War. Picture absurd antics, devastating loss of life, and a scathing critique of political elites growing rich off the backs of those in the war zones, all while using private military contractors to do their dirty work. This is what Morgan Lerette's book delivers, and it's bloody brilliant."--Benjamin Sledge, Award-winning author of Where Cowards Go to Die

"Lerette delivers a powerful; piece of literature.

Every single page of this book is fascinating! Guns, Girls, and Greed is a book you put down just so you won't finish it. The idea of the book coming to an end was a true source of anxiety for me.

Lerette has shared with us a life overflowing with both purpose and chaos - delivering a mellifluous read that feels like you're on a water slide or free falling through most pages."--Jay Mohr, American Actor, Comedian, Author, Featured on ESPN Mohr Sports, Saturday Night Live, Jerry Maguire, Suicide Kings

"Lerette's, Guns, Girls, & Greed, gives an inside and candid look into the life and times of a United States contractor serving with this now infamous company. A topic and the story so serious in nature, yet Lerette still weaves in his unique brand of humor and levity into each page. Welcome to Blackwater is a welcome addition to the vast array of books on the American involvement in Iraq and gives a perspective most don't."--G. Michael Hopf, USA Today Bestselling Author, Co-Founder, Beyond the Fray Publishing Doomsday Press

"Gritty, candid, and darkly funny."--Kirkus Review

About the Author

Morgan Lerette was first deployed to Iraq in 2003 to provide security for the first aerial supply route in Iraq at Tallil Air Base, which was the staging point for the Jessica Lynch rescue. He joined Blackwater in 2004 and was sent to Iraq to protect diplomats. He participated in hundreds of combat missions protecting the Regime Crimes Liaison Office, which gathered evidence for the trials of Saddam Hussein.

He completed his undergraduate degree in 2007 at Northern Arizona University and is commissioned as an Army Intelligence Officer. In 2009, he deployed to Iraq where his team fed reports to Chelsea (Bradley) Manning that were given to WikiLeaks. He left the army as a Captain.

Morgan received a Master's of International Banking and Finance in 2013 at Tufts University. Lerette assisted the FBI in convicting Matt Marshall of fraud in 2022 by debunking his "proof" that he worked for the CIA.