| Description |
xxvii, 321 p., [8] p. of plates : ill., maps ; 24 cm. |
| Bibliography |
Includes bibliographical references (p. 301-308) and index. |
| Contents |
Prelude : American military power in the post-Vietnam era, 1975-1989 -- The decision to go to war -- The Iraqi context -- Desert Shield : the line in the sand -- Desert Storm : the 1991 Gulf War campaign -- Interregnum : Iraq and UN sanctions during the 1990s -- Turning back to war -- Iraqi freedom : execution of the initial thrust -- The lost year of the Coalition Provisional Authority -- The Casey strategy, from Fallujah to Tal Afar : 2004-2006 -- 2006 : decent into chaos -- The protection strategy and the 2007 Baghdad surge -- The Iraqis take control -- A final assessment : the impact of the long war with Iraq. |
| Summary |
"A superb new history of America's twenty-year conflict with Iraq. John Ballard examines the entire scope of America's military effort from the U.S. response to Saddam's 1990 invasion of Kuwait all the way up to today's ongoing transition and departure of U.S. forces. Anyone interested in this long and painful war must read this remarkably insightful and long overdue work." LTG David W Barno, USA (Ret.), commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan, 2003-2005. |
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"From Storm to Freedom will become one of the definitive works of the U.S.-Iraq conflict. In it, John Ballard takes meticulous note of the political, diplomatic, and military perspectives that shaped the trajectory and outcome of the conflict. It is a work of modern history of the highest order, and it should be read, re-read, and then read again by all who wish to understand how this conflict unfolded." The Honorable Mario Mancuso, former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Combating Terrorism, and combat veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom. |
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"This is a must read. John Ballard combines a warrior's insight with a historian's analytical rigor to add clarity to the growing body of literature on America's war with Iraq. He correctly identifies the invasion of 2003 as a continuation of the war, unsatisfactorily resolved, that began in 1990. And, he examines the strategic implications for the U.S. and other nations faced with complex conflicts that require astute coordination of all elements of society and which may never see clear winners." Radm John F. Sigler, USN (Ret.), former Director of Plans and Policy, U.S. Central Command. |
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"From Storm to Freedom is a highly readable and comprehensive examination of America's involvement in Iraq. Drawing together the threads of multiple strategic and operational decisions, John Ballard describes a full range of missed opportunities and tragic blunders, as well as flashes of innovation and boldness of action that characterize these three decades of strategic entanglement. This book is essential reading for national security strategists, military professionals, and all students of national policy." Patrick C. Sweeney, professor of Joint Military Operations, U.S. Naval War College. |
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Covering both Operation Desert Storm and Operation Iraqi Freedom as two campaigns within a single, if discontinuous, conflict, this book analyzes the strategic interaction between Iraq and the United States from 1990 to 2010 and the key operational decisions that determined the course of the war. The author's assessment of the long war against Iraq includes misunderstandings between government leaders in Iraq and the United States that led initially to war, ineffective UN sanctions, inefficient efforts by the Clinton administration, and uncoordinated actions by the Bush administration that then led to a preemptive strategy, continuation of conventional combat, and the evolution of an Iraqi insurgency. |
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Ballard's thorough examination of these multiple operations within the context of a single conflict provides readers with rare and insightful perspectives on the complexity of modern war and the challenges of operational command. He first identifies the influence of the Vietnam era on the use of U.S. military power and the decision for war in 1990 and then outlines the important factors of Iraqi history and culture that dominated relations between the two nations during the 1980s and 1990s. Subsequent chapters examine the conduct of Desert Storm from the American and Iraqi perspectives and the military, economic, and diplomatic actions of the period between the two conventional campaigns. Final chapters analyze the 2003 offensive on Baghdad, the postwar stabilization operations that began with the failure to transition under the Coalition Provisional Authority, and the eventual implementation of a warfighting strategy that combined new doctrine and a surge of forces to protect the population in a renewed counterinsurgency campaign. A concluding chapter reviews key lessons for the future, including the importance of effective strategic decision making and the operational mindset required to prosecute modern war successfully. |
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"From Storm to Freedom is a superb study of America's nearly two decades of war with Iraq. The author brings to the reader his experience as a Marine officer, a combat veteran, and a scholar. Here for the first time, Ballard presents a well-researched, comprehensive case study of the war in all of its strategic dimensions. It will be a must read' for students of the Middle East and modern warfare." Joseph J. Collins, professor U.S. National War College and former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense --Book Jacket. |
| Subject |
Persian Gulf War, 1991 -- United States.
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Iraq War, 2003-2011.
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United States -- Foreign relations -- Iraq.
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Iraq -- Foreign relations -- United States.
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| ISBN |
9781591140184 (hc : acid-free paper) |
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1591140188 |
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