Kuwait Books

Crusade: The Untold Story of the Persian Gulf War

Rick Atkinson

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 30 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Not a Definitive History, but Compelling 4 out of 5 stars.
6 of 10 people found this review helpful.

For fifteen years the specter of Vietnam hung over the United States military. After finally devising a way to bow out of the Southeast Asian quagmire with honor, the administration of President Richard M. Nixon was eventually brought down by the scandal of Watergate. Even the failure of its Cold War nemesis, the former Soviet Union, in a similar debacle in Afghanistan, could not dilute the embarrassment of Vietnam in the American consciousness. The invasion of Kuwait by Saddam Hussein's Iraqi forces on 2 August 1990, would give the United States both the opportunity to win a conventional military victory and produce great soldier-heroes such as those that had emerged from more popular wars of the past. That is the underlining thesis of Rick Atkinson's _Crusade: The Untold Story of the Persian Gulf War_. Atkinson argues that aside from the obvious objectives of liberating the Kuwaiti oil fields and protecting America's vital interests in the Middle East, the conflict would produce two important subtle consequences. First it would provide a victory to restore prestige to a military establishment haunted by the ghosts of Vietnam. Second, and more importantly, a victory in the Persian Gulf would provide America with old-fashioned military and political heroes the likes of which had not been seen since the tumultuous parades down New York's Fifth Avenue following Japan's surrender in World War II. The heroes America needed and the media helped to create were General H. Norman Schwarzkopf and President George H.W. Bush. Atkinson portrays Schwarzkopf, arguably the most flamboyant American general since Lt. Gen. George S. Patton Jr., as raging and abusive. Written with a "you are there" approach, the author describes many top-level briefings between Schwarzkopf and his subordinates. A common theme is Schwarzkopf's accusatory bantering that his orders were deliberately disobeyed. Many of these diatribes were aimed at with a great deal of disrespect for U.S. VII Corps commander General Frederick M. Franks. Acknowledging the frustration associated with the burden of command, however, Atkinson concedes that perhaps some of Schwarzkopf's outbursts may have been justifiable. Atkinson initially portrays Bush as an "extraordinary commander." The author credits Bush's campaign to gain support of the American people by demoralizing the militaristic regime of Saddam Hussein as brilliant. Atkinson illustrates how Bush's hero status quickly diminished, however, when the president ended the war prematurely allowing the Iraqi forces to escape and failed to remove Saddam Hussein from power. Utilizing his highly regarded journalistic talent, sprinkled with a sampling of sensationalism, Atkinson examines nearly every controversy of the war. These topics include: the high degree of fratricide among U.S. Service personnel, the reasons for faulty U.S. Intelligence reports that habitually overestimated enemy strength, and the many questions surrounding just how effective were "Smart Bombs." Atkinson also delves into inter-service rivalries, particularly between the Air Force and the Army. He suggests the two services inflated their own roles concerning the conduct of the war. According to Atkinson, this over glamorizing was done in an effort to highlight the importance of their respective services in order to gain the appropriate postwar funding and budgets. The author was privy to certain principal sources during the course of his research. Some documents were declassified just for the purpose of writing of this book through the Freedom of Information Act. The author also was allowed access to the unpublished manuscript of the Official U.S. History of the Persian Gulf War. This is not the definitive history of the first Persian Gulf War, but Atkinson's spin on important issues makes for a compelling read.

Editorial Review:

This definitive account of the Gulf War relates the previously untold story of the U.S. war with Iraq in the early 1990s. The author follows the 42-day war from the first night to the final day, providing vivid accounts of bombing runs, White House strategy sessions, firefights, and bitter internal conflicts.

Moving Mountains: Lessons in Leadership and Logistics from the Gulf War

William G. Pagonis, Jeffrey L. Cruikshank

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 10 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Easy to read and understand 4 out of 5 stars.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful.

Anyone interested in buying this book must understand two things up front:

1. This book is written by a professional soldier and not a business school professor.
2. This book is one man's account of his duties and opinions on the subject of logistics and is not intended to be a textbook on the subject of logistics or a war novel.

If you understand these two things before you by the book then you will find this book to be very interesting as it is one of the few books written on military logistics. Moreover, you will gain insight into as to how General Pagonis used his personal leadership style to manage the logistical challenges of the first Gulf War. For someone wanting to learn about the nuts and bolts of logistics this book isn't for you. However, for those of you who want to gain an understanding of how logistics can impact the success or failure of a war while picking up a few words of wisdom in leadership from one of the best in the business will enjoy this book. I have read this book twice and I enjoyed it each time. Although I couldn't use much of the material from the book in my MBA classes, I was able to apply some of the information from this book while I was earning a graduate certificate in Logistics and Supply Chain Management from Penn State.

Editorial Review:

In the Gulf War, leadership and logistics came together and extraordinary goals were achieved. In clear, compelling language, General Pagonis recounts the Gulf War from the first fateful telephone call, to the mobilization of 550,000 troops and the shipment of 7 million tons of supplies, to the enormously complex challenge of bringing home a half-million soldiers and their equipment.

The Rape of Kuwait: The True Story of Iraqi Atrocities Against a Civilian Population

Jean P. Sasson

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 5 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Harrowing 4 out of 5 stars.
15 of 20 people found this review helpful.

This harrowing book recounts the stories of individual Kuwaitis who suffered horribly in the days just after the Iraqi invasion in 1990. The focus on individuals makes the book all the more moving; the author's knowledge of and sympathy for the subject country comes through clearly. One can't knock the stories of the Kuwaitis; I was a little disappointed in the author (mention is made of the Kuwaiti government's lack of democracy, which she rationalizes by resorting to the old "a nation's internal policies are no one else's business" excuse, also used by none other than Saddam Hussein). For this, I was forced to deduct a star from the rating.

Riveting 5 out of 5 stars.
12 of 14 people found this review helpful.

After reading all of Jean Sasson's other books (including her most famous "Princess") I was very glad to pick up, "The Rape of Kuwait." This is Jean's first book. The author describes how Desert Storm effected the Kuwaiti people. It's atrocious, and very sad and shocking in some parts, but also a riveting tale that should be told. I could not put this book down. I look forward to reading Jean Sasson's next book as she is one of my favorite authors!!!

The Syntax of Spoken Arabic: A Comparative Study of Moroccan, Egyptian, Syrian, and Kuwaiti Dialects

Kristen E. Brustad

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Excellent piece of work 5 out of 5 stars.
7 of 7 people found this review helpful.

For me, a budding linguist, it is pure joy to read this type of linguistic work. Brustad covers so many aspcts of spoken arabic in such a professional, ordered and useful manner. Examples are cited from the four dialect regions studied (Moroccan, Egyptian, Syrian and Kuwaiti) to prove each point. They are written in the original arabic (or how they would be written), then transliterated into the romanized script, and then written with the english translation. Nearly every aspect of spoken arabic is discussed here; even the most basic of points (ie differences in singular and plural nouns) are discussed in detail. She uses information from general linguistics, typology, syntax, phonology and compares arabic with other languages for a great description of each dialect region. There are appendices in the back which have the full stories, anecdotes, jokes, etc. collected from her personal data which she uses throughout the book to prove her points. It is in written in the same manner that the examples are written in.

GREAT BOOK! If you are interested in (arabic) linguistics, get this book!

Editorial Review:

This book is the first comparative study of the syntax of Arabic dialects, based on natural language data recorded in Morocco, Egypt, Syria, and Kuwait. These four dialect regions are geographically diverse and representative of four distinct dialect groups. Kristen E. Brustad has adopted an analytical approach that is both functional and descriptive, combining insights from discourse analysis, language topology, and pragmatics -- the first time such an approach has been used in the study of spoken Arabic syntax. An appendix includes sample texts from her data. Brustad's work provides the most nuanced description available to date of spoken Arabic syntax, widens the theoretical base of Arabic linguistics, and gives both scholars and students of Arabic tools for greater cross-dialect comprehension.

Gulf War: Desert Shield and Desert Storm, 1990-1991 (G.I. Series)

Anthony Evans

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Editorial Review:

A decade ago, the United States armed forces launched its largest offensive operation since the D-Day landings in World War II. The nature of the war was vastly changed; here was a purely desert environment, with sweltering heat during the day and bitter cold at night, making new demands on men and equipment. Indeed, the need for speed during the build-up in Saudi Arabia created shortages of many desert-specific items, resulting in the deployment of troups variously clad and equipped. Many weapons and items of equipment were seeing combat for the first time together with new and sophisticated electronics gear. In this book, G.I.s from all the branches of the US armed forces are illustrated together with the many specialist units that have grown in importance over the last few decades.

Oil and Politics in the Gulf: Rulers and Merchants in Kuwait and Qatar (Cambridge Middle East Library)

Jill Crystal

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Editorial Review:

Why in recent years have the social and economic upheavals in Kuwait and Qatar been accompanied by a remarkable political continuity? In a region of revolution and coups, these particular monarchies have somehow survived. In her analysis of political change in the Gulf, Jill Crystal investigates this apparent anomaly by examining the impact of oil on the formation and destruction of political coalitions and state institutions. She also adds to our understanding of state formation by highlighting the ways in which states and rulers structure the relationship between those with money and those with power. This updated edition includes a discussion of the Gulf War and its aftermath.

The Ottoman Gulf

Frederick F. Anscombe

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 5 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

The Ottoman Failure in the Persian Gulf States 4 out of 5 stars.
7 of 7 people found this review helpful.

In The Ottoman Gulf, Frederick F. Anscombe sets out to show the inaccuracy of the thought that Britain was the main force behind the creation of the Persian Gulf's Arab states. Anscombe indicates the responsibility of the Ottoman Empire and its operations in Arabia as the central factor behind the development of the states of Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait. Instead of the conventional notion that Britain always intended to establish its influence and gain dominance in the region, Anscombe argues that it was rather the Ottoman rule of the area that led to the formation of the states. As Anscombe states in his introduction, "...if the Ottomans had governed the mainland effectively, Britain would not have become entangled in the territories that were to become the states of Kuwait, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia...the British were drawn, often unwillingly and even unwittingly, into mainland politics" (3).
Anscombe begins his narrative by tracing the causes for the renewed Ottoman interest in the Arabian Peninsula that arose during the 1870s. Istanbul felt that it needed to reassert its right to rule over the area so that a Wahhabi insurrection could be avoided and so that the Ottoman governance of the area north of the Peninsula, such as Iraq and Syria, could be protected from the raiding tribes that achieved were so prevalent in the Peninsula in the late 19th century. However, as Anscombe also points out, the Ottomans did feel competition from the British in the region. But Anscombe describes that this competition was fictitious and created much more by Ottoman insecurity than actual British interest and action.
The author then proceeds to cover the Ottoman take of the region of Hasa and the subsequent governance of Midhat Pasha in the area. Anscombe looks very favorably upon the programs of Pasha and believes that if Pasha had been allowed to stay in power for a longer period of time, his program would have succeeded in subduing the tribal problems that disrupted Ottoman rule. As Anscombe writes, "Midhat may have been an optimist, yet his visions were not beyond reason" (37) and states later of Pasha's plan to implement taxes on the region and promote agricultural development that, "If implemented as planned, the new economic, administrative, and social regimes would have been marked improvements on the decaying institutions of the Wahhabi era...His successors did not build on his initiatives, and the upheavals that were soon to strike the empire distracted Istanbul's attention for the remainder of the decade. The bad effects of official neglect were to appear within several years of Midhat's departure from Baghdad in 1872" (53).
In the following chapters, Anscombe portrays the numerous problems that eventually caused Ottoman rule to fail in the Arabian Peninsula. Anscombe places the blame for this failure squarely on the Ottomans and the financial difficulties. He writes, "As a result of the empire's extreme financial troubles in the period, anything that was to be attempted in Hasa was to be done cheaply. Money was not to be invested there, it was to be extracted. In such a harried atmosphere, political efficiency received as little attention as the economy. Consequently, little trace of Midhat's plans survived, and when challenges to the Ottomans' position rose thickly in the 1890s, they found that it rested on a fatally flawed foundation" (55). Thus, it was not the British, but rather the Ottomans that are at fault for the turmoil in the Persian Gulf states from the late 19th century until the outbreak of WWI. Incredibly corrupt Ottoman officials attempted to extract taxes from the local population that created a great deal of resentment to the Ottoman presence in the area. The Ottomans dug their own grave. Bribes amongst officials were common and such horrible governors as Bazi only caused hatred for Ottoman influence in the Peninsula.
Anscombe is able to effectively close his narrative and prove his thesis by following Mubarak's insurrection in Kuwait. Anscombe dispels the contention that Mubarak's success came from long and developed British involvement in his revolt. Rather, the author illustrates how it took a great deal of time and pressure to finally get the British to support Mubarak and it was the inability of the Ottomans to deal with Mubarak that was the true cause of the upheaval's success. Anscombe even goes so far as to state in his conclusion that, "On the whole, Britain's experience in the Gulf prior to the war was positive, especially when compared to the mixed fortunes of the Ottomans" (173). While a slightly more comprehensive dealing with history prior to 1870 would help the strength of Anscombe's objective, he is able to convey in a limited number of pages a very compressive survey of the region. The portrait he paints of the Persian Gulf states prior to 1914 is one of disorder and chaos chiefly due to the Ottoman inability to govern effectively in the region.
Overall, Anscombe is very successful in showing how Ottoman, and not British influence, was the direct cause of the states in the Arabian Peninsula. By chronicling the ineptitude of Ottoman governance in the region and highlighting the financial difficulties that limited the amount of control the Ottomans could exert of the area, Anscombe is able to contradict convincingly the notion of British superiority of influence in the history of the Persian Gulf states. While the author does not ignore the obvious impact of British influence after World War I and the discovery of oil deposits in the region, he points out the lack of intention and planned involvement in the affairs of Arabia that British showed before 1914. The inability of the Ottomans to control tribal factions and institute a government that appeased the people of the region was a much more significant factor to political development in Arabia than any pre-1914 British involvement. Responsibility for the Ottoman loss of the Arabian Peninsula rests solely with Ottoman inadequacy and blame directed at outside sources is only an attempt to divert this responsibility. Anscombe's analysis of the history behind the formation of the states is entirely successful in highlighting this responsibility of the Ottomans for their Empire's own problems and failing reign in the region.

Editorial Review:

-- Middle East Quarterly

The Eyes of Orion: Five Tank Lieutenants in the Persian Gulf War

Alex Vernon, Neal, Jr. Creighton, Greg Downey, Rob Holmes, David Trybula

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 21 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

A not-so-objective review 5 out of 5 stars.
5 of 8 people found this review helpful.

I served with Alex Vernon and the other authors in Desert Shield and Desert Storm. Their book was a powerful trip down memory lane for me. The strength of Eyes of Orion is its honest look at the challenges of military service from the eyes of junior officers. It is indeed painfully honest. Though Alex and I were in the same company and talked often, even I didn't know how much he struggled with the experience. To me he was a calm and competent platoon leader. I think that says a lot about the masks we put on, especially when commanding soldiers. If you are interested in the psychology of leadership and people under stress then read this book.

Editorial Review:

A highly personal account of the day-to-day experiences of five platoon leaders who served in the same tank battalion during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. While professional soldiers and historians will undoubtedly glean much from this narrative, the heart of the account concerns the experiences of the five young lieutenants. The authors treat their combat experience in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait from the perspective of junior officers who served on the front line -- facing physical, personal, moral, and leadership challenges.

Air War in the Gulf 1991(Osprey Combat Aircraft 27)

Chris Chant

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Total reviews: 1 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Very good condition 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

I bought this for a Christmas present, so the person receiving it hasn't gotten it yet. I received this book and it was in very good condition.

Editorial Review:

In August 1990 Saddam Hussein's Iraqi forces invaded and occupied the small Arab state of Kuwait. This book analyses the ensuing Gulf War (16 January - 28 February 1991) - a war fought to expel Iraq and restore Kuwaiti independence if not, as one British MP tartly observed, to defend democracy. The allies under General Schwarzkopf launched five weeks of air attacks, deploying 1,800 technologically highly advanced aircraft from the US, British, French and Saudi air forces. Many of these machines, including the British Tornadoes and US F-117A Stealth fighters, had never before engaged in combat, and their combined assault, watched by millions on TV, combined impressive accuracy with firepower to which the Iraqi forces had no answer.

Saddam's War of Words: Politics, Religion, and the Iraqi Invasion of Kuwait

Jerry M. Long

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Editorial Review:

From a Western perspective, the Persian Gulf War of 1990-1991 largely fulfilled the first President Bush's objective: "In, out, do it, do it right, get gone. That's the message." But in the Arab world, the causes and consequences of Saddam Hussein's invasion of Kuwait and his subsequent defeat by a U.S.-led coalition were never so clear-cut. The potent blend of Islam and Arab nationalism that Saddam forged to justify the unjustifiable—his invasion of a Muslim state—gained remarkable support among both Muslims and Arabs and continued to resonate in the Middle East long after the fighting ended. Indeed, as this study argues in passing, it became a significant strand in the tangled web of ideologies and actions that led to the attacks of 9/11.

This landmark book offers the first in-depth investigation of how Saddam Hussein used Islam and Arab nationalism to legitimate his invasion of Kuwait in the eyes of fellow Muslims and Arabs, while delegitimating the actions of the U.S.-led coalition and its Arab members. Jerry M. Long addresses three fundamental issues: how extensively and in what specific ways Iraq appealed to Islam during the Kuwait crisis; how elites, Islamists, and the elusive Arab "street," both in and out of the coalition, responded to that appeal and why they responded as they did; and the longer-term effects that resulted from Saddam's strategy.