Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm: Chronology and Fact Book [Hardcover]

Kevin Don Hutchison (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 30, 1995 | ISBN-10: 0313296065 | ISBN-13: 978-0313296062 | Edition: 1

"[This] book is a testament to America's crusade to protect, preserve, and perpetuate the values of democracy." From the foreword by Major General John H. Admire, USMC This is the most all-encompassing chronology and fact book yet to be published about Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm. This detailed history consolidates official U.S. records and coalition sources from around the world and provides the most complete information available about day-to-day movements and events, units, missions, equipment, and personnel. Fifty pages of biographies provide information, most of which is published in the West for the first time. Appendices include a glossary, list coalition prisoners of war and service people killed in action, and provide data about coalition ground, naval, and air forces, Iraqi forces, and key personnel. Maps, charts, and photographs clarify the text and identify key targets and bases. A bibliography and a general index further enhance this comprehensive guide for researchers in military studies, international relations, and world history.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

To many, the war waged against Iraq by the United Nations Coalition was a most successful operation, serving to liberate Kuwait and, in the U.S., engendering "a gift of pride" in ourselves and in our military leaders. Desert Storm helped heal the horrors of Vietnam, just as the one-sided Spanish American War helped unite the nation after the Civil War; or so the story goes. A review of this detailed chronology will serve to darken this picture for many users. The random deaths caused by accidents on board ships and from friendly fire and the listing of service people killed in action are part of the sobering record of this war presented by a noted military historian and author of World War II in the North Pacific: Chronology and Fact Book (Greenwood, 1994). Daily accounts follow this general plan: (a) activities of major figures, crucial events, grand strategy; (b) U.S. ground forces activity (c) U.S. naval and air force activity; (d) other coalition forces; and (e) activities of Iraq's armed forces.

The work includes a list of coalition prisoners of war, a complete list of all named or numbered military units engaged in the war, and biographical information for key U.S. and British personnel; biographical information for key figures from other countries is often limited to name, rank, and military unit. A carefully selected and constructed bibliography identifies official documents (mostly U.S.) and regimental and general historical accounts of the war. The effort made to make the glossary as complete as possible will be appreciated by users. Careful name and subject indexing makes it possible for users to locate information on total troop strength as of a certain day, tanks and aircraft destroyed, economic costs, and the death dates for individuals killed in action. Charts group statistical information. Two of three line-drawn maps show troop deployments for February 21 and 24. More detailed maps would be useful in enabling readers to follow order-of-battle details given in the text.

Order of battle for the coalition is made clear in the text; Iraq's plans cannot be outlined for lack of information. The chronology does not include coalition diplomatic efforts, U.S. congressional activities, or comments of President Bush or other world leaders. Researchers on the war will be encouraged by the complexity of the work, taking time to consult the glossary, study maps, and read background material. Laypersons wishing to find a quick understanding of events will find it too detailed for their purposes. Highly recommended for academic and large public libraries.

Review

“Researchers on the war will be encouraged by the complexity of the work, taking time to consult the glossary, study maps, and read background material. Highly recommended for academic and large public libraries.”–Booklist/Reference Books Bulletin

“...this is an invaluable reference tool. One looks foward to whatever subject Hutchinson next turns his energies.”–The Northern Mariner

“If one wants to know any factual information about the Persian Gulf War of 1991, this is the reference work to consult. It is valuable for all libraries that maintain these types of reference sources on u.S. wars.”–ARBA

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Greenwood Press; 1 edition (November 30, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0313296065
• ISBN-13: 978-0313296062
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 6.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,488,335 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars KEY BOOK FOR ANY DESERT STORM COLLECTION, November 11, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm: Chronology and Fact Book (Hardcover)

The amount of information included in this single volume is staggering! All of the official U.S. service histories are found here, along with all primary, and most secondary Coalition forces. The author also included as much Iraqi information as possible from Coalition intelligence services. If there is a weak area this understandably is it, with Saddam being uncooperative. Still, Iraqi Order of Battle information is surprisingly complete, along with many interesting facts including Iraqi officer biographies.

This book saved me a great deal of time and money in my research, and I cannot endorse it enough.

3.0 out of 5 stars Bound Version of Endnotes, December 26, 2010

By 

Kevin R. Austra (Delaware Valley, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm: Chronology and Fact Book (Hardcover)

In reviewing Hutchison's OPERATION DESERT SHIELD/DESERT STORM I have to keep in mind that it was originally published in 1995. Having collected and read dozens of other books on DESERT STORM Hutchison's volume book resembles a bound version of what you would expect to find as appendices and endnotes in larger more comprehensive studies of the subject. Still I found it refreshing to read through the chronology for some of the lesser advertised activities leading up to and occurring during the war.

This book was on my wish list for quite some time. As with many references the true value of this book is as a cue to search out and locate activities and personalities in other more detailed accounts.

4.0 out of 5 stars Chronology, December 20, 2008

By 

Daniel Cox "Gold Falcon" (Maine) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm: Chronology and Fact Book (Hardcover)

Even being a participant in the Gulf War readining this book puts the scope of the entire deployment into perspective. Amazing detail and a great purchase, not excited about the price, but worth it for the paper I was writing.