The Gulf Conflict, 1990-1991 [Paperback]

Lawrence Freedman (Author), Efraim Karsh (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0691037728 | ISBN-13: 978-0691037721 | Publication Date: January 9, 1995

The Gulf Conflict provides the most authoritative and comprehensive account to date of Iraq's occupation of Kuwait, its expulsion by a coalition of Western and Arab forces seven months later, and the aftermath of the war. Blending compelling narrative history with objective analysis, Lawrence Freedman and Efraim Karsh inquire into the fundamental issues underlying the dispute and probe the strategic calculations of all the participants.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

This book, written by two scholars who teach in the War Studies Department at King's College in London (Karsh is coauthor of Saddam Hussein: A Political Biography , LJ 5/15/91), is one of the most comprehensive and analytical books published in the English language on the Gulf crisis of 1990-91. The authors rely on an impressive array of sources to give us a fairly objective account of the genesis and the development of the Gulf conflict. Their book goes beyond simply describing the Gulf War and offers insight into the role of military force and diplomacy in the "New World Order." One weakness, however, is the failure to decribe the devastating impact of this conflict on the peoples, economies, and environment of the region. Despite this shortcoming, this book is a valuable resource on the Gulf conflict for Middle Eastern specialists as well as other informed readers.
- Nader Entessar, Spring Hill Coll., Mobile, Ala.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

The marshaling of so disparate a coalition, the assembling of so large an army half a world away, and the winning of a stunning if inconclusive victory are parts of a tale that until [now] has not been told in all its complexity. What [the authors] have succeeded in doing is to bring to the story a wide-angle lens and a historian's detachment.- It is unlikely that there will be a better balanced or more comprehensive chronicle of that seminal event. -- H.D.S. Greenway, The New York Times Book Review



Freedman and Karsh have done a heroic job of mining the immense amount of contemporary journalism on the Gulf War and assessing it with regard to the long-term historical issues and structures. -- Michael R. Beschloss, Newsday

Product Details

• Paperback: 540 pages
• Publisher: Princeton University Press (January 9, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0691037728
• ISBN-13: 978-0691037721
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6.4 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #80,653 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #10 in Books > History > Military > United States > Operation Desert Storm
  • #43 in Books > History > Middle East > Iran

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very Good Overview, April 18, 2002

By 

John G. Hilliard (Toronto Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Gulf Conflict 1990-1991: Diplomacy and War in the New World Order (Hardcover)

This is a very complete book about the Gulf War. The author splits the book into two parts. The first part follows the political process leading up to the air and ground war and the second part of the book covers the battle. What is interesting with this book is that, as the author is from the UK, he tends to take a more worldview on his writing. He does not just focus solely on the U.S. and Bush, but also covers the UK and EU positions. This book is a nice complement to the book The Commanders by Woodward because of the focus of the Freedman book on the politics outside the US and the Woodward books focus on the U.S. side.

The coverage of the air and ground war is good but by no means the full story. Given the space in the book dedicated to it, the author can only give you an overview. Don't get me wrong, this overview is well down and informative. The details he brings out from his contacts in the British military are a nice complement to the vast number of U.S. centered books on the market. Overall if you are looking at a more complete understanding of the conflict this is a good book to have in your library.

5.0 out of 5 stars A very good read...., October 25, 2011

By 

Franciscus - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Gulf Conflict 1990-1991: Diplomacy and War in the New World Order (Hardcover)

An excellent composition of non-fiction information. It presents very good details about the foreign policy and current information. This book is a great read for the layman and the global security reader.

Author of THE SHEQEL