American War Library - The Persian Gulf War: The War Against Iraq - Hardcover

Don Nardo

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1560067152 ISBN 13: 9781560067153

Publisher: Lucent Books, 2000

Synopsis

One of America's shortest wars, the Persian Gulf War also ended in one of its most decisive victories. Leading a coalition of Western and Eastern nations, the United States restored the integrity of the tiny nation of Kuwait, which had been overrun by its more powerful neighbor, Iraq.

About this title

Review:

"The text is supplemented by quotes from primary-source materials such as letters, diaries, and published accounts written by soldiers, nurses, and civilians."
-- School Library Journal (September 2001) (School Library Journal 20010901)

"A forward explains why it is important to look at America as a country defined by the wars it chose to wage while an introduction seeks to explain why the United States chose to wage this particular war. The epilogue details what happened to many of those involved. Black-and-white photographs show men, women, and materiel. (It) will appeal to a wide range of ages; clear, concise, and user-friendly, it is tailor-made for reports but will still attract browsers."
-- School Library Journal (August 2001) (School Library Journal 20010801)

"The chapters that follow deal with the trained but ill-informed soldiers, living conditions, dangers, uncontrolled behaviors, postwar personal problems, closure, and lessons learned. The texts are organized in double-column pages with detailed sidebars in tinted boxes. Many primary sources are quoted...volumes are liberally illustrated with good-quality, black-and-white captioned photos. Vocabulary is appropriate while at the same time describing the situation without softening the impact or tempering the language in the soldier's statements. These are definitely titles that should be considered for purchase."
-- School Library Journal (June 2001) (School Library Journal 20010601)

"An introduction presents a brief background history...The text is then divided into five chronological chapters...The epilogue concluded with a balanced discussion of the period. Well-captioned, black-and-white photos, supplement the main presentation. Documentation is thorough, with detailed notes. This informative presentation will be a good source for reports and for general interest."
-- School Library Journal (April 2001) (School Library Journal 20010401)

From School Library Journal:

Gr 5-8-An introduction, "A Short but Significant Conflict," sets the tone for this factual account of military operations in the Gulf War, presented as an inescapable armed deployment to defend a small nation. The author mentions, briefly, opposition to the war from Americans, but justifies everything and condemns nothing. The killing by U.S. tanks is related without comment, "U.S. planes were given `the word to work over the entire area, to find anything that was moving and take it out.'" Children will read this without any understanding of the unnecessary force that was involved. That this war was entered into so quickly and with such tremendous firepower is excused by the stubbornness of Saddam Hussein, and by the brutal behavior of Iraqi soldiers when they reached Kuwait. All this is true, but there are other truths that are perhaps equally important (and disturbing to some Americans) that are not addressed. The author gives a balanced presentation of the results of the conflict in the final chapter. Fred Bratman's War in the Persian Gulf (Millbrook, 1991) and John King's The Gulf War (Dillon, 1991; o.p.) are better choices.-Carol Johnson Shedd, National Outreach Center for Middle Eastern Studies, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Lucent Books
• Publication date: 2000
• ISBN 10: 1560067152
• ISBN 13: 9781560067153
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 112