Customer Reviews

Ambush Alley: The Most Extraordinary Battle of the Iraq War

5 star:		(35)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I was a corporal with 1/2 on that fateful day that changed my life forever. Tim Pritchard's retelling of our story was right on as far as I am concerned. The confusion, chaos, and total fear of combat is something that can never be accurately felt by someone who is reading a book unless you have experienced it for yourself. The important thing is that the story itself is told. Not how well it is told, just that it is told. I could not put the book down until I finished reading it once I started. From the first words I was immediately transported back in time to that day and his storytelling brought back up many memories I had forgotten, some good and some bad. It was very interesting for me to get a complete picture of what actually went on that day and be able to see all the pieces of the puzzle and not just my own. Take it from someone who was there, this story is the real deal, uncensored and brutally honest. March 23, 2003 was not something pretty or something we should push under the rug and forget about. It did happen. Combat is the most horrible of things in this world and I hope our story will make people realize this. But to deny that it ever happened would also be a travesty. The bravest of Marines paid the ultimate sacrifice that day and the fact that Tim Pritchard has told our story is the best way I know to honor those brave Marines. Their memories will live on forever.Thanks Tim, you have given us all honor.

It is refreshing to finally see a book that does some justice to the events of March 23rd 2003. I have been disappointed time and again by authors who sacrifice accuracy, credibility and realism in an effort to make a quick buck. Speaking as a Marine who lived through March 23rd and the days that followed I can say that this account is by far the most accurate and compelling effort to date. Mr. Pritchard deserves a great deal of credit for talking to the individual Marines who were there and letting them tell their stories. The result is a personal and realistic look at the horrors that confronted the Marines of Task Force Tarawa in the city of Nasiriyah. It seems that Pritchard's focus was on the individual Marine. Too often authors try to recreate the tactical picture with such detail that they forget about the people who lived it. He captures the terror, confusion and utter chaos that defines combat. From the first word to the last this book captures the readers emotions. What happened that day was important and deserves to be told. This book is a tribute to the fighting spirit of the United States Marine Corps as well as a testimony to the fact that there are no certainties in war. Well done Tim.

I am always nervous about a person who didn't partake in the battle or the war writing a book about it. I remember Tim coming around base asking to speak with people. He wasn't the first, and the other had muffed pretty badly on a lot of areas. He assured everyone that our story would be told as it was, no big fish stories, and no cover-ups.

He obviously did his homework well. This book is true to life. Like it or not, this is what happened. There might be some wild west like narritive, but actually it wasn't that different. This was a whirlwind of a battle and Pritchard catches the current perfectly allowing the reader to follow as the battle progressed.

Thank you for doing this day justice, I believe this is a must read for a true account of a bloody day in Iraq.

Semper Fi

A well written book about the worst day of the war. My son was there and assures me that this was the way it was. Two themes shine through: the importance of the U.S. Marine Corps' unparalled training, and their unique ability to "adapt and overcome". I'd like to thank Mr. Pritchard for writing a fair and unbiased account of a much undertold story.

This book hits the nail on the head. The urban battlespace and skillfully executed deceptive tactics of today's unconventional enemy changes the rules about the way battles are fought and won. A navigation blunder by a supply convoy set events into motion that drew American forces into the enemy's Somolia-like "fire sack". It was the Iraqi force's dream come true - an opportunity to recreate the end-state of 1993's Black Hawk Down. Col Davis and the Marine's of Task Force Tarawa were too smart to let that happen. Despite the misapplication of close air support that killed Marines - Task Force Tarawa was successful. God Bless the young men who fought this battle.

Reading this book puts you in Iraq with the young Marines that fought this battle. It shows how none of them finished that day untouched by the horror of war. It also shows how easily marines can be cut off from communication and how they relied on their own knowledge and courage. My son was in this battle. This book is a must read for everyone involved, marines, parents, wives, brothers ,sisters, ect...........It gives you a very realistic understanding on what our boys went through in Iraq!

OK! Tim Pritchard you (expletive deleted)! It is now 3:35 AM and I am finishing your book. Tim's writting is explicit, visual and brings the smoke, confusion, terror, dedication and courage of these marines into my life. The writting in Ambush Alley sets the new bar for reporting on the events on the ground in warfare, and particularly the experiences of those fighting in Ambush Alley. He describes in detail the individual actions and experiences of the participants -- and in many cases the thoughts and feelings going through the grunts minds to the officers. He leaves the analysis of the events to another writter, and I think wisely so -- that would detract from the experience of "being there." Deserves 6 stars. Now I can go wash the blood off my hands and try to stop the shaking. -- Roger

I am a former Marine, and the battles that took place in this town have intrigued me since the war. I wanted to know why we took so many casualties. Now I know. Without giving away too much, it's amazing how quickly things became unraveled. It all started with the 507th Maintenance Company of Jessica Lynch taking a wrong turn. It isn't a big one sided OOH RAH story, but objective at all levels-letting you know the true feelings of the troops and commanders on the ground. You get a feeling that you know some of these guys. At times I found myself having to put the book down to take a moment and reflect on what I had just read. The author really takes you into the battles, and into the thoughts of these Marines. Semper Fi!

Ambush Ally is an outstanding combat narrative! Gripping is a good word for it. I have written and studied the accounts of the Task Force Tarawa battle from the perspective of the Saddam's Naseriyah Fedayeen who carried out the defense of the route 7 highway. I don't believe it needs editing and I place it next to Thunder Run as the best historical account of the invasion. This is a keeper for Marine Corps enthusiasts or Iraq war historians.

It really captures just how badly prepared the Marines were for entering Naseriyah (because of incredibly bad intelligence)and how their sheer toughness and skill broke through the Fedayeen's fanatical defenses. It gives clear meaning to why Naseriyah is going up with pride on the Battle Wall at the Iwo Jima memorial. Great Book!

It is rare that one can find a book about war that catches the pace and confusion of combat. This book does exactly that. The only thing I can compare the style to is Saving Private Ryan. Need I say more? It's that good. This book is authentic. It is fresh. And it is a worthy read. Well done Tim Prichard.