Maybe one of the best books ever written detailing the stark differences between civilian and military...

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	• No True Glory: A Frontline Account of the Battle for Fallujah Bing West Bantam, 2005 - 400 pages average customer review:based on 117 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Having been there....

Haveing been there, this was a well thought out, well written account of what happened there. Unbiased, he tells the story of many American Heros and many human mistakes... Great read!

Maybe one of the best books ever written detailing the stark differences between civilian and military leadership.

A lot of long winded an detailed reviews are listed here. Not necessary. This book tells the truth about two things. Our civilian leadership, politicians and bureaucrats largely don't have a clue; and the Marines are as always are the most abused and the absolute finest warriors on the face of the earth. As in WWII, Korea and Southeast Asia, they suffered unnecessary casualties due to civilian incompetence and political considerations. Our politicians on both sides of the isle screwed the pooch, again.

This book in reality is a treatise on why politicians should stop interfering in the conduct of war as they are incapable of letting our military win. Just as President Johnson destroyed the very effective Combined Action Platoon concept as employed by the Marines in Viet Nam, todays crop of blowhards is trying hard to lose the war against Islamic Fascism and the battle for Iraq.

Allowing the U.S. Ambassador to influence theater and field commanders decisions is like allowing Bozo to run the Federal Reserve.

Bravo for the Marines, shame on our civilian leadership.

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Gripping account of a fierce battle

I've read a number of books on the war in Iraq and this is one of the two (along with "Thunder Run") that were truly can't-put-it-down reads. The book contains some very vivid descriptions of the house-to-house fighting, and it also includes a lot of information on the politics, diplomacy, and other maneuverings being done in the background. I think this is an important read for anyone who wants to know how policy is shaped in a wartime environment and for anyone who doesn't realize what a fierce fight the soldiers and Marines faced in Fallujah.

Gory , sad, troublesome

This is a sad story that includes descriptive descriptions of West's experiences in war. It is well written though at times a slow read. If you enjoy war novels, particularly non-fiction war novels, then you may like this book. It reminds me a little of "With the Old Breed on Pelilu and Okinawa." If you were tolerable of the gory details of that book, then you will likely not mind this one. This book may evoke bad memories and anxiety in people who have experienced war, and will most likely insult people who are opposed to this war. This book may provide insight and closure to the family members of the people mentioned inside its pages. I think it is a testimony to the fact that war is terrible. The pictures inside are not for children or anyone who is especially sensitive to seeing human suffering.

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The Best Book So Far on the Iraq War

It will be many years yet before we get a good general history of the Iraq War - history is still playing out. Too many of the recent books on the Iraq conflict are shrill jeremiads or ideologically-biased axe-grinding (whether pro or con). So it's perhaps not surprising that battle memoirs would be the first really good pieces of literature to come out of this war.

The Battle of Fallujah was the biggest urban battle the military has conducted since the Battle of Hue City, and it presents unique challenges to a writer attempting to chronicle it. There are no large set-piece battles to focus on: the insurgents are guerilla fighters, often untrained (and therefore unpredictable), and practice small-unit hit-and-run tactics. Instead West tries to follow the "flow" of the battle as the Marines and Army move from North to South through the city of Fallujah.

Much of the combat is up close and personal (the "House from Hell" chapter is truly scarifying), often involving desperate actions by squads who have to assault one fortified house after another. It's a testament to West's skill that these battles don't become confusing to the reader (however much so they must have been to the soldiers themselves); West intersperses the larger decisions of the officers and politicians, and how these decisions affect the grunt in the field.

Bing West, a retired military man himself, understands how to convey both strategy and small-unit tactics. This is a weakness of many other battle histories, which sometimes tend too much to the officers while neglecting the grunts; or focusing too much on the kinetic tactical stuff while ignoring the bigger picture. "No True Glory" strikes a good balance, and West is superb at keeping the reader "centered" in the battle at all times.

This book will stand the test of time, I think, and may well become the definitive account of the battle of Fallujah.

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reviews: 1, 2, page 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12

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