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Cobra II
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Cobra II

The Inside Story of the Invasion and Occupation of Iraq

Michael R. Gordon and Bernard E. Trainor
Pantheon Books, 2006

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Editorial Rating

9

Qualities

  • Innovative

Recommendation

Discussion of the Iraq War focuses as much on politics as on combat, and the debate about its management will continue for decades. This contentious global event mixes bad intelligence, bad politics, bad planning, huge antagonistic personalities and a smattering of good intentions. Authors Michael R. Gordon and General Bernard E. Trainor describe the power and limitations of new technologies, and detail the war’s history, battles and personalities. Their gripping battle accounts have the power of a war novel. The Iraq conflict suffered from the fog of war that plagued almost every other modern clash, so discerning clear policy motives is difficult. Few heroes emerged from the halls of adminstration, where leaders bitterly disagreed with each other and with many in the outside world. Understanding this complex global event requires mastering many social and economic forces. getAbstract finds that this large, well-researched volume is – so far – the indispensable, definitive source on the Iraq War.

Take-Aways

  • Saddam Hussein feared domestic uprising more than the ongoing US attack.
  • During the Iran-Iraq war, Iraq fired 100,000 chemical rounds against the Iranians.
  • General Tommy Franks and Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld clashed on the wartime role of technology and whether it made warfare more lethal.

About the Authors

Michael R. Gordon is the chief military correspondent for The New York Times, and has covered several wars. He and retired General Bernard E. Trainor, also co-wrote The General’s War. Trainer, also a former Times military correspondent and former director of National Security Program at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, is a military analyst for NBC.

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    B. D. 1 decade ago
    There is one mistake with this summary. It states that during the 1991 war, when Powell chaired the Joint Chiefs, Cheney often cut him out of discussions by going through Rumsfeld to then-President George H.W. Bush. Correction: Rumsfeld never worked for Bush 41 and Bush 41 never hired him for any post. They were rivals of sorts.
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      1 decade ago
      Thanks, Brian, and kudos to your history knowledge. We'll check this out immediately and post a corrected summary. We appreciate your feedback and your information. Erica Rauzin, Managing Editor, getAbstract