Bipolar General, Maj. Gen Gregg F. Martin, USA Ret
Bipolar General, Maj. Gen Gregg F. Martin, USA Ret
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Bipolar General
My Forever War with Mental Illness

Author: Maj. Gen Gregg F. Martin, USA (Ret), Gen. Martin E. Dempsey USA (Ret)

Narrator: George W. Sarris

Unabridged: 10 hr 35 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Tantor Media

Published: 12/05/2023

Synopsis

Maj. Gen. Gregg Martin cut a striking figure in the Army: athletic, quick witted, devout, and studious, he was a natural leader. Thanks to his engineering and leadership knowhow, Martin was chosen to lead the thousands of combat engineers who paved the way for 100,000 Army troops to battle their way to Baghdad in 2003. Only years later would he learn how the pressure of organizing dozens of simultaneous life-or-death missions each day altered the biochemistry of his brain. The Iraq War triggered what military and Veterans Administration psychiatrists ultimately diagnosed as late-onset bipolar disorder, a chemical imbalance that sends sufferers whipsawing between grandiose imaginings and suicidal depressions. His increasing erratic behavior led to his forced resignation as president of the National Defense University and ended his military career.

Bipolar General offers a candid account of Martin's personal journey with undiagnosed mental illness as he rose through the ranks of the United States Army. He discusses why his condition went undiagnosed for so long and explores what can be done both within and outside the armed forces to diagnose and treat mental illness. Bipolar General should be of value to those with mental illness and to the communities of family, friends, and caregivers surrounding them.

About Maj. Gen Gregg F. Martin, USA (Ret)

Maj. Gen. Gregg F. Martin, USA (Retired), served on active duty for thirty-six years and commanded an engineer company, battalion, and the 130th Engineer Brigade in combat during the first year of the Iraq War. General Martin served multiple overseas tours, commanded the Corps of Engineers Northwest Division, was Commandant of the Army Engineer School, commanded Fort Leonard Wood, was Deputy Commanding General of Third US Army/Army Central in the Middle East, Commandant of the Army War College, President of the National Defense University, and Special Assistant to the Chief of Engineers. Martin holds a PhD and two master's degrees from MIT, master's degrees in national security strategy from both the Army and Naval war colleges, and a bachelor's degree from West Point.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Daniel on December 30, 2023

This was, by far, the best book I read in 2023. It's an important book that can provide insight to a great many people: military leaders, civilian managers, friends and family members of those struggling with mental illness and policy makers. The book recounts General Martin's stellar military career......more

Goodreads review by Will on April 13, 2024

The book was okay. It’s a very important topic, and is brutally honest. It’s something I would recommend people read. However…the book often read like it was bipolar. It jumped from topic to topic, repeated itself numerous times, and when Martin was describing his manic episodes, I couldn’t help but......more

Goodreads review by Bryn on November 22, 2023

I picked this up from MG Martin at the AUSA show in October 2023 and chatted with him for a while. The title drew me. The conversation with him was also interesting. This is a book that needed to be written. It chronicles the General's career and highlights how undiagnosed bipolar disorder both enha......more

Goodreads review by Reader on March 07, 2024

"Bipolar General" by MG (ret) Gregg Martin is a compelling and brutally honest account of the challenges faced by a military leader in both war and peacetime. Gregg's candid narrative sheds light on the intense pressure he endured, which ultimately triggered his bipolar disease. The book stands out......more

Goodreads review by Robert Stratton on April 24, 2024

As the title suggests, "Bipolar General" describes in gripping detail how two vastly different, almost mutually exclusive experiences in life coexist in an environment where they each compete for dominance until one eventually succumbs to the relentless pounding from the other. In Gregg's case, his......more

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