Product Description''This is the face of war as only those who have fought it can describe it.''–Senator John McCain
Fallujah: Iraq’s most dangerous city unexpectedly emerged as the major battleground of the Iraqi insurgency. For twenty months, one American battalion after another tried to quell the violence, culminating in a bloody, full-scale assault. Victory came at a terrible price: 151 Americans and thousands of Iraqis were left dead.
The epic battle for Fallujah revealed the startling connections between policy and combat that are a part of the new reality of war.
The Marines had planned to slip into Fallujah “as soft as fog.” But after four American contractors were brutally murdered, President Bush ordered an attack on the city–against the advice of the Marines. The assault sparked a political firestorm, and the Marines were forced to withdraw amid controversy and confusion–only to be ordered a second time to take a city that had become an inferno of hate and the lair of the archterrorist al-Zarqawi.
Based on months spent with the battalions in Fallujah and hundreds of interviews at every level–senior policymakers, negotiators, generals, and soldiers and Marines on the front lines–No True Glory is a testament to the bravery of the American soldier and a cautionary tale about the complex–and often costly–interconnected roles of policy, politics, and battle in the twenty-first century.
From the Hardcover edition.
What Others Say
Learned more about Iraq War in the hours reading this book than in 5+ years of reading the news
I wrote a letter to Bing West and thanked him for the experience of reading No True Glory: A Frontline Account of the Battle for Fallujah. I've read a lot of war books and war histories; and this one held my attention more than any others. Yes there is a lot of rah-rah warrior spirit; but the author was a Marine, writing about Marines, who are after-all warriors. To be an effective (and alive) warrior, you don't go into battle feeling uncertain about your duty. Instead, you fashion yourself into the best killing machine you can be. That's your job.
Also, one reviewer gave No True Glory: A Frontline Account of the Battle for Fallujah a 1-star because it was written by an officer for officers. And I agree; but I think the perspective was great -- better than the grunts or the media or the politicians. From this author's perspective, ... Read More
No Glory in This Story
I bought No True Glory: A Frontline Account of the Battle for Fallujah as a gift for our grandson who is in Iraq right now (he asked for it), but thought I would read it first. I read about half of it and gave up, because I was so disgusted with the way we mishandled everything. Politicians need to let the Generals fight the wars, maybe we might win in a much shorter time without so many dying needlessly. The book itself was very graphic in its descriptions, but that was expected. I guess I would have to say that the book was as good as it could be, considering what the author was trying to tell.
great !!
As a veteran of both OEF and OIF i can tell you that this audio book is dead on, It is extremely accurate but it gives you an idea of the day to day struggle that we went through to gain a foothold in Fallujah. I would recommend this audio book to all vet's that are home or you back from your deployment.
The most comprehensive and accurate Iraq War book at this time.
I came across No True Glory: A Frontline Account of the Battle for Fallujah thanks to two things. One being that it was recommended by another Iraq war author (David Bellavia). The second being that it was on my Kindle recommended reading list. I must admit that at something like 400 pages I expected it to drag on and become convaluted at times. This is not the case at all here. Mr. West does an amazing job of pacing out the book and describing the hellish combat that the Marines faced. He also analyses the political climate and assigns the blame for the unnecessary violence where it appropriately belongs. Kudos Mr. West on a tour de force, we need more authors of your caliber in this genre.
Compelling and thought-provoking microcosm of the war in Iraq
People might be sick and tired of Iraq, but this is an excellent recounting of the battle of Fallujah in 2004 and a detailed analysis of the decisions that led to so many problems in that region.
West zooms in on the street-by-street fighting between the Marines and the insurgents, and these scenes have visceral intensity. You are there with the soldiers as bullets ricochet, RPG rounds careen through alleyways and bodies crumple with mortal wounds. Then West zooms back out to recount the meetings between the politicians, generals and religious leaders whose decisions determine the course of the Fallujuh fighting even more than the actions of the soliders on the ground.
In many ways, Fallujah is a microcosm of the war in Iraq. ... Read More
