Brooklyn to Baghdad is the true story of a retired NYPD intelligence sergeant applying his street-cop tactics and interrogation skills against a lethal insurgency that had infected Iraq. A group of retired special forces soldiers and a law enforcement expert came together to form the counter-insurgency group code-named “Phoenix Team.” Exposing the corruption of both the Iraqi and US governments, Phoenix Team faces serious setbacks and challenges. Brooklyn to Baghdad shows the effectiveness of Phoenix Team in their ability to process forensic evidence and human intelligence gleaned through interrogations. Throughout, there are many humorous and emotional anecdotes that reveal the men behind the missions and the toll the theater of war takes on real human lives. 

“An exhilarating and infuriating look at busting bad guys on both sides of the Earth. Feel secure that the man about to tell you his story of law enforcement from Brooklyn to Baghdad is of the utmost character. You are in good hands.” —Vincent Marra, NYPD Deputy Inspector, Ret., from his foreword

“If you don’t understand how important a weapon on-the-ground intelligence and interrogation—or, as Christopher Strom might put it, ‘talking’— can be, you need to read this book. ‘Phoenix’ and similar intel programs played an important role in Iraq and will continue to do so in any future conflict; here they are presented at ground level. Brooklyn to Baghdad illuminates a part of modern warfare rarely mentioned in history books, let alone news accounts of war. Its warts-and-more portrayal of personalities is refreshing. Its candid discussion not only of problems but of the dilemmas and ethics, or occasional lack thereof, of contemporary policing and military intelligence gathering makes it more than just a page-turner, though it is that, too. Strom, Preisler, and Benson have added an important book to the post-9/11 oeuvre.” —Jim DeFelice, coauthor of American Sniper, Every Man a Hero, and other bestsellers

"Terse, detailed account of a no-nonsense cop's time running interrogations in Iraq."—Kirkus Reviews

"Overall, this is a highly informative glimpse into the cat and mouse side of counterterrorism."— Booklist Online

"An inherently fascinating, even riveting read from cover to cover, "Brooklyn to Baghdad: An NYPD Intelligence Cop Fights Terror in Iraq" is an extraordinary and impressively informative memoir."— Midwest Book Review

Chris Strom is a former US Marine and retired sergeant of the NYPD Intelligence Division. In October 2007, Strom was recruited by the Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization to devise top-secret strategies for combating IEDs in Afghanistan and Iraq. He lives in Roanoke, Virginia. Jerome Preisler has written more than thirty books, including eight titles in the New York Times bestselling Tom Clancy’s Power Plays series. He lives in New York City. Michael Benson is the former editor of the Military Technical Journal. He has written more than sixty books about military history, true crime, and sports. He lives in Brooklyn, New York.