Customer Reviews

The March Up: Taking Baghdad with the United States Marines

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The is was a very good and informative book about the 1st Marine Division during the Iraq War. The authors, Bing West and Major General Ray L. Smith, traveled with the division during their campaign that began at the Kuwaiti border and ended with them in the heart of Baghdad itself.

The book starts out with the battle to take the Az Zubayr pumping station (dubbed the "Crown Jewel") near the Kuwait border to prevent a repeat of what Saddam did in Kuwait during the Persian Gulf War. After that it details the advance of the three RCTs and the critical battles they faced at places like An Nasiriyah. Finally, after crossing the Tigris and linking up just North of Al Kut, RCTs 1,5, and 7 struck towards Baghdad. And as you all know Baghdad fell on April 9th with Saddam's statue being torn down and the rest is history.

Now for the criticisms of the book. While this was very informative and had some good details of the action, there were parts of the book that were quite boring. I think this comes from the fact that the authors include themselves too much in the book and mostly only detail the fighting they actually saw. But overall it was worth the read and I would recommend it to anybody who wants to know more about the Iraq War.

This is a no nonsense account of the first weeks of OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM in March 2003. The authors are former Marines, and their affection for and sense of brotherhood with the young Marines they are writing about is evident on every page. But there's no hero worship. Plenty of mistakes are recorded. What sets this book apart from the celebratory or critical media accounts of the war is its down to earth style. No ten dollar words or literary fanciness, just straightforward and often humorous relating of this compelling story. A fascinating glimpse into what military service in a modern war is about.

We in Australia don't hear very much about the US Marines in action in Iraq or Afghanistan. But this book (and Bing West's other book No True Glory) changes all of that. We are taken onto the front line and given a first hand account of the action. A fast-moving, authoritative and sometimes humorous story.

This is another account of the Iraq war from the ground, written from the perspective of the front-line troops. F.J. "Bing" West and Ray Smith are both former Marines who served in Viet Nam. West went into the civilian side of government and was an Assistant Secretary of Defense; Smith wound up commanding the 2nd Marine Division after commanding troops in combat in Grenada and Beirut. West has, in his spare time, made something of a career as a writer: the book's told in the first person, and it's his voice speaking. As a result of their careers, have pretty much unparalleled access to the inner workings of the Marines as they moved North from Kuwait to Baghdad, and while they don't reveal anything they shouldn't, they do show you how the war was fought and how the campaign, anyway, was won.

I enjoyed this book a great deal. The authors apparently have some personal opinions about the war, what was to be done about suicide bombings and that sort of thing; they manage to keep such opinions out of the book. The result is an account of the campaign that ranks with Rick Atkinson's book "In the Company of Soldiers" which follows the army's 101st Airborne,, and does essentially the same thing. This is a very good book, and I expect it'll be required reading for anyone who wants to understand the war.

This is an excellent account of the invasion of Iraq from the line of departure to the taking of Baghdad from the Marine perspective. While I disagree with the authors about the reasons for attacking Iraq (I don't think we should have) Bing West and Ray Smith have the ability to provide the Regimental Combat Team and Divisional perspective of the war and, more important to me, the perspective of the enlisted Marines and field grade officers who actually did the fighting, killing and dying. I was particularly impressed with their acknowledgement of those Marines who gave their lives. I remember the TV pundits (retired colonels and generals) who questioned a number of aspects of the effort. It was very informative to read the comments of someone who was there, on the ground. Thanks.

It's good to read something by those involved, instead of those with a political agenda.

Good writing but a bit stale...reads too much like a travelogue bu it's accurate. should have spent more time with 1st recon battalion as it's cut out of the book. Good, first-person reporting but wish they had excised themselves.

This book was a decent read. Congrats to Bing West, he gets to cash in on his reporting on the way to Baghdad. It's well written and has some guilty pleasure moments and honestly is useful in portraying small unit engagements throughout the campaign. Is it anything special? Not really. Are there better books about the road up, hell yes (One Bullet Away/Generation Kill, Cobra II even Thunder Run). West even has more thorough and awesome books about OIF including "No True Glory" (haven't read Strongest Tribe yet). Yes, it might not be about the invasion but they are better written and offer everything "The March Up" does about actual engagements as well as a more comprehensive view of what is going on.