Throughout the Gulf War of 1991, unprecedented restrictions on the media’s access to the battlefield kept the true story of that brief, brutal conflict from being told. Now, after two years of intensive research, Rick Atkinson has written what will surely come to be recognized as the definitive chronicle of the war.
Crusade follows the unfolding battle from the first night to the final day, providing vivid accounts of bombing runs and White House strategy sessions, firefights and bitter interservice conflicts. Weaving individual stories into the larger narrative, Atkinson represents the allied campaign against Saddam Hussein as a wholly new kind of war, one that has transformed the nature of modern warfare.
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"This was a good book that described the prosecution of the Gulf War by the United States and the Coalition. It showed how overmatched the Iraqi army and air force were, and included many descriptions of military technology."
— Stephen (4 out of 5 stars)
“Brilliantly written and rich in important detail and incisive criticism, Atkinson’s Crusade is an indispensable work.”
— San Francisco Chronicle“If you are going to read only one book about the Persian Gulf War, Crusade, because of its rich human detail and skillful writing, should be it.”
— San Diego Union-Tribune“Thrilling…Simply the best study to date of the Persian Gulf War.”
— Detroit Free Press“An engrossing account…Rich in pertinent details, the powerful narrative leaps nimbly from Washington to Riyadh.”
— Publishers Weekly“Jeff Riggenbach’s reading is well-suited for the material. Sounding much like one delivering a report, he varies his voice enough to keep the listener’s attention during this lengthy recording.”
— Library Journal“Absorbing…offers fresh, often startling, perspectives…Military history of a very high order.”
— Kirkus Reviews" Excellent narrative history of the first gulf war. "
— Alan, 11/24/2013" Excellent writing, as is typical of all of Rick Atkinson's books. I was surprised how much of the Gulf War came back to me even after 20 years. Hard to believe--the Gulf War was 20 years ago! Highly recommend this book!! "
— Dave, 6/24/2011" A decent play-by-play of Gulf War I. Nothing particularly revelatory, but useful background nonetheless. "
— Ben, 4/28/2011" Another brilliant insight into the first Persian Gulf War and the liberation of Kuwait. "
— John, 4/22/2011" Best overall account if the military-diplomatic side of the Gulf War. "
— Phil, 10/27/2009" The Desert Shield/Storm need to have book. "
— Nicolas, 3/18/2009" Excellent narrative history of the first gulf war. "
— Alan, 8/21/2008" A decent play-by-play of Gulf War I. Nothing particularly revelatory, but useful background nonetheless. "
— Ben, 1/10/2008" Another brilliant insight into the first Persian Gulf War and the liberation of Kuwait. "
— John, 2/11/2007Rick Atkinson, a former staff writer and senior editor at the Washington Post, is the highly acclaimed author of several books of military history. An Army at Dawn won the Pulitzer Prize for History, and The Guns at Last Light was a #1 New York Times bestseller. Among his many accolades and awards are the George Polk Award, the Pritzker Military Library Literature Award, the Samuel Eliot Morison Prize, the Society for Military History Distinguished Book Award, the Axel Springer Prize, and the Henry Adams Prize, among others.
Jeff Riggenbach (1947-2021) narrated numerous titles for Blackstone Audio and won an AudioFile Earphones Award. An author, contributing editor, and producer, he worked in radio in San Francisco for more than thirty years, earning a Golden Mike Award for journalistic excellence.