Customer Reviews

Powerlift--Getting to Desert Storm: Strategic Transportation and Strategy in the New World Order

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

 

 

This is without doubt the best book written on the Gulf War thus far. It is a detailed, factual account of the logistics of moving an army from one continent to another. The degree of detail will probably deter the general reader; for the historian, it makes it an invaluable source.

Every page is crammed with facts and figures and an endless parade of abbreviations. It comes to grip with the details, while sorting them out. This book moves focuses on the big picture, cataloging the details while never getting completely lost in them. Charts and diagrams are used to make this most complex of logistical endeavours comprehensible.

This book is highly analytical and does not shrink from harsh criticism of the greed of shippers and airlines who took the US government's money when times were good and welched when the going got tough.

For anyone instrested in a real understanding of the issues, I highly recommend this book.

"Powerlift" belongs to the category of books which deserve more than 5 stars. As the author says in the introduction "logistics is the nine tenths of war" and he is absolutely right. Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm took the US Army by surprise but the massive airlift and sealift commenced in the six months following the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait was a real marvel of planning and dedication, despite the myriads of everyday problems. Mr Menarchik has written a book for the nuts and bolts of military science and produces the most convincing answers as to which military operations are feasible and which are not. Poring through the wealth of data and the numerous tables the reader can find answers to all the critical issues of the Gulf War: How much time did the US forces need to deploy a deterrent force to Saudi Arabia and why? How were aircraft and ships used to assist to the build up of the necessary military concentration? Which were the deficiencies of the US plans and how were they overcomed? How did president Bush choose the January 15th as the final day for the ultimatum to the Iraqis and what was the connection with military logistics? How did the end of the Cold War help the US forces to transfer the powerful VII Corps from Germany to Saudi Arabia? What was the capacity of airbases, ports and roads in the Saudi kingdom? What would be the consequences if the Iraqi Army had moved in early August to conquer the whole west coast of the Gulf? The book is a real gem and is higlhy recommended to every serious student of military history. I wish we will have in the future a similar thorough study for the logistics of Operation Iraqi Freedom.