The Iraq War: Strategy, Tactics, and Military Lessons

(Hardback)

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Description

In the spring of 2003, a stunned world watched the armed forces of the United States and Britain conduct a military campaign against Iraq. As a result, the Iraqi regime was dismantled, and much of the conventional wisdom about modern war was irrevocably altered. Yet as U.S. and British forces occupy Basra, Tikrit, and Mosul, the Iraqi nation has slipped into anarchyand the phrase shock and awe has begun to sound more appropriate as a description of the war's aftermath, rather than its opening. Such has been the twisted trail of the Iraq War's dramatic events. But like so many other conflicts, the war ultimately seems to pose more questions than it solved. This book is the first in-depth analysis of the second war against Saddam Hussein's regime. What are the repercussions of the pre-war political fights in Washington, Paris, and the UN Was meeting initial military goals really due to Anglo-American arms, or had Saddam's regime simply been too degraded to fight Why didn't Baghdad become a second Stalingrad Why weren't the occupying forces prepared to impose order And then there is the significant question: Where are Iraq's weapons of mass destruction Respected military analyst Anthony Cordesman incisively examines the key issues swirling around the most significant U.S. war since Vietnam. Beginning the search for answers is essential to understanding America's awesome power and its place in a new age of international terror and regional conflict.

Reviews

[F]ar better than anyone would have had reason to expect....People who already know the difference between a WMD (weapon of mass destruction) and WCMD (wind-corrected munitions dispenser) will find it essential as a reference.-Military History
[P]resents an almost encyclopedic collection of data, mostly from official releases, and laces it with generally well-reasoned judgments regarding validity, accuracy, and significance. This is no mean accomplishment given that Iraqi Freedom was the most information-controlled conflict involving U.S. forces since World War II....[w]ill arm any wonk, lobbyist, student, and citizen with facts and opinions sufficient to dominate any decision meeting or cocktail party.-Joint Forces Quarterly
A thorough, information-laden presentation, The Iraq War is a very highly recommended and timely addition to Military History reference collections and reading lists.-Wisconsin Bookwatch
Cordesman's book will likely be the definitive work on the war in Iraq.... This jewel of a book will be a valuable acquisition for university, professional, and private libraries. Essential. Upper-division undergraduates and above interested in strategic studies and military history.-Choice
One does not approach a book by Anthony Cordesman with the expectation of light reading, but his extraordinary industry and productivity, along with his clear and independent analytical judgment, command attention.-Foreign Affairs
Thorough in his analysis, Cordesman examines the breadth and depth of the war from the strategic to tactical operations as well as from the Iraqi side. This study will no doubt shape many of the national security arguments for the near future as others attempt either to support or to destroy Cordesman's persuasive analysis.... Highly recommended for academic and military libraries.-Library Journal
"Far better than anyone would have had reason to expect....People who already know the difference between a WMD (weapon of mass destruction) and WCMD (wind-corrected munitions dispenser) will find it essential as a reference."-Military History
"Presents an almost encyclopedic collection of data, mostly from official releases, and laces it with generally well-reasoned judgments regarding validity, accuracy, and significance. This is no mean accomplishment given that Iraqi Freedom was the most information-controlled conflict involving U.S. forces since World War II....will arm any wonk, lobbyist, student, and citizen with facts and opinions sufficient to dominate any decision meeting or cocktail party."-Joint Forces Quarterly
"[F]ar better than anyone would have had reason to expect....People who already know the difference between a WMD (weapon of mass destruction) and WCMD (wind-corrected munitions dispenser) will find it essential as a reference."-Military History
"A thorough, information-laden presentation, The Iraq War is a very highly recommended and timely addition to Military History reference collections and reading lists."-Wisconsin Bookwatch
"Cordesman's book will likely be the definitive work on the war in Iraq.... This jewel of a book will be a valuable acquisition for university, professional, and private libraries. Essential. Upper-division undergraduates and above interested in strategic studies and military history."-Choice
"One does not approach a book by Anthony Cordesman with the expectation of light reading, but his extraordinary industry and productivity, along with his clear and independent analytical judgment, command attention."-Foreign Affairs
"Thorough in his analysis, Cordesman examines the breadth and depth of the war from the strategic to tactical operations as well as from the Iraqi side. This study will no doubt shape many of the national security arguments for the near future as others attempt either to support or to destroy Cordesman's persuasive analysis.... Highly recommended for academic and military libraries."-Library Journal
"[P]resents an almost encyclopedic collection of data, mostly from official releases, and laces it with generally well-reasoned judgments regarding validity, accuracy, and significance. This is no mean accomplishment given that Iraqi Freedom was the most information-controlled conflict involving U.S. forces since World War II....[w]ill arm any wonk, lobbyist, student, and citizen with facts and opinions sufficient to dominate any decision meeting or cocktail party."-Joint Forces Quarterly

Author Bio

ANTHONY H. CORDESMAN is Senior Fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and a military analyst for ABC News. A frequent commentator on National Public Radio, he is the author of numerous books on security issues and has served in a number of senior positions in the US government.