About this title: The story of the bold assault on Baghdad by the Spartan Brigade of the Third Infantry Division. It was one of the most decisive battles in American combat history, and the biggest armored battle involving American troops since the Vietnam War.
Note: This is a general synopsis. Each listing is described below.
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Atlantic Monthly Press
Date Published: 2004-03-22
ISBN-13:9780871139115ISBN:0871139111
Description: New. New-Fast shipping from trusted wholesaler with many exclusive publisher contracts. May have slight edge wear from being on the shelf. May have remainder mark. read more
Description: Good. 0871139111 Former library item may have library binding and show stamps, stickers or other marks. Items not meeting quality expectations may be returned. Due to the large scale of our operation, we do not have access to the specific contents/condition of our items. read more
Description: Good. 2004-Hardcover----Used-Good-Hall Street Books proudly ships from Brooklyn, NY. All orders are processed and shipped within 24 hours, M-F. 100% money back No-Worry guarantee with expedited delivery and delivery confirmation available. read more
Binding: Trade paperback
Publisher: Grove/Atlantic
Date Published: 2004
ISBN-13:9780802141798ISBN:080214179X
Description: Very good. No dust jacket as issued. 1980-Very good used sturdy copy. Trade paperback (US). Glued binding. 345 p. Audience: General/trade. read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Grove Press
Date Published: 2004-11-29
ISBN-13:9780802141798ISBN:080214179X
Description: Very Good. Grove Press [Published date: 2004]. Soft cover, 351 pp. State First Grove Press Edition (with full number line). Very good/ NO dust jacket. Glossy pictorial soft cover have light bumping to edges and corners. Light overall rubbing and faint scratching. Binding tight (NO spine crease). Pages crisp clean and bright with no markings. NOT Ex-library. NO remainder marks. read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Grove/Atlantic
Date Published: 2004-04
ISBN-13:9780871139115ISBN:0871139111
Description: Very Good in Very Good jacket. Hardback in very good condition with no markings. Dust jacket in very good condition with minor shelf wear. Tight binding and clear crisp text. Very nice book. read more
"The central problem of this book is a dramatic one: the battles are completely one-sided. The Iraqis were completely ill-equipped to defend against tanks and die by the hundreds for every U.S. casualty. I think the overwhelming success was completely lost on whoever was in charge of the occupation that followed the invasion, and they replaced practically invincible heavy armor for Humvees. Half the time I was trying to think of inexpensive defenses (swarms of rc or autonomous landmines on wheels?), and the other thinking of things the tanks seemed to be missing (like real-time aerial reconaissance, they were basically charging in with very little knowledge of what was in store for them).
The parts I appreciated the most were the events that overlapped with those in Anne Garrel's Naked in Baghdad but from a different perspective.
The first was a U.S. tank that was disabled by a lucky shot from an rocket-propelled-grenade or recoilless rifle (which is sort of like the cannon on a tank but mounted on a truck or freestanding), and then abandoned, after which the Iraqi information ministry brought foreign reporters to see it as proof of their defeat of the Americans- this book describes it from the point of view of the people in the tanks, and Garrels was among the reporters who saw it later.
The second event is more tragic, where a U.S. tank fired on the Palestine Hotel where Garrels and other reporters were staying and two Spanish reporters died as a result.
The first half or two thirds of the book which covers the actual 'thunder runs' of the title seems stronger, but I had difficulty later on keeping events at different locations distinct and characters are very rapidly introduced and then ignored after their moments pass. The other thing was that I had some difficulty visualizing the pacing of events- the author (and probably the interviewed participants) edits out the boring parts, but doing the math on shots fired or vehicles destroyed shows things happened in quantity but somewhat spread out in time."
"A great book in the tradition of "Black Hawk Down", Thunder Run is a story of the young men and women we send as the sharp end of America's spear in the world. It's how we took Baghdad and the horror and pathos of war. It's got triumph, as US tanks roll into a enemy capital for the first time since the Korean War, and it has tragedy, as we see young men lose their lives too damn soon, and a news crew pay the price for getting way too close to the story. (When you read Mr. Zucchino's description of that event, you see him understand the reason, and yet, regret the fact that it had occurred). It makes sense of the grainy and shaky camera images we saw in 2002, and it's a memorial I think, to all the young Americans lost in Iraq thus far, support or oppose the war, read this book, and you'll understand a little bit the young men we ask to "destroy the enemy with manuever, fire and shock effect.""
"what a breath taking fast dash into Baghdad...what we thought was a walk-over is painted in a different light...from the american lens.. very exciting..great read..until you stop to think about the folks that were been picked of by the 50 mike-mikes.."
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