The Iraq War: Strategy, Tactics, and Military Lessons by Anthony H. Cordesman

From the Publisher

In the spring of 2003, a stunned world watched the armed forces of America and Britain conduct a lightning-fast military campaign against Iraq. Confounding predictions of failure, the Iraqi regime was dismantled, and much of the conventional wisdom about modern war was irrevocably altered. Yet as U.S. and British forces occupied Basra, Tikrit, and Mosul, the Iraqi nation slipped into anarchy—and the phrase shock and awe began 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 seemed 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

Library Journal

Even as American military personnel are struggling with the aftermath of the Iraq War, the debate continues over why and how we became involved, what happened during the war, and more important, what will be the short- and long-term outcomes of the conflict. Cordesman, a national security strategist at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and author of numerous books on terrorism and the Middle East, seeks to define these debates in terms of lessons learned. He outlines the success of American forces in becoming a more lethal and effective fighting machine, emphasizing better cooperation among the services, real-time battlefield information, and even greater precision in targeting. Cordesman also argues that the United States still has much to learn concerning human intelligence gathering, coalition building, and nation building. 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. Although technical and requiring extensive knowledge of national security and military terminology, the book is highly recommended for academic and military libraries.-Lt. Col. Charles M. Minyard, U.S. Army, Blountstown, FL Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

What People Are Saying

Choice
The definitive work on the war in Iraq.... Essential [for] upper-division undergraduates and above interested in strategic studies and military history.

International Affairs
Cordesman has brought together virtually all the known data and official commentary on the 2003 war in Iraq and produced a useful, relevant and up-to-date sourcebook.... The content draws on material as late as July 2003 and his deductions are proving more relevant day by day.

Army magazine
a masterful work, thus far without peer in its field.

Product Details

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Table of Contents