The Gulf War 1991 / Alastair Finlan.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Finlan, Alastair.

Series:

Essential histories

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Persian Gulf War, 1991.

Physical Description:

95 pages : illustrations (some color), color maps, color plans ; 24 cm.

Edition:

Hardback edition.

Place of Publication:

New York : Routledge, [2003]

Summary:

The Gulf War of 1991 heralded a new type of warfare characterized by astonishing speed and technology with remarkably few casualties amongst the coalition forces. Just under a million coalition personnel were deployed to the Gulf region to face a variety of threats from extreme temperatures to weapons of mass destruction (biological, chemical, and suspected nuclear), as well as a formidable Iraqi occupation force. This concise volume assesses the defensive Operation Desert Shield (the buildup of coalition forces) and the offensive Operation Desert Storm (the liberation of Kuwait), exploring the strategies and key personalities on both sides. Explaining the reasons behind the war, the book depicts with detail and sensitivity the human element of war amongst sophisticated military technology, providing a context for understanding present-day conflicts in Iraq and the Middle East.

Contents:

Background to war: the origins of the Gulf War

Warring sides: Iraq and the coalition forces

Outbreak: Saddam invades Kuwait

The fighting: Operation Desert Storm

Portrait of a soldier: Lieutenant Alex Vernon, 24th Infantry Division (mechanised)

The world around war: the global impact of the Gulf War

Portrait of a civilian: Dina's story

How the war ended: ending hostilities

Conclusions and consequences: casualties.

Notes:

Originally published: Oxford : Osprey, 2003.

Includes bibliographical references (page [92]) and index.

ISBN:

0415968526

OCLC:

52165755