Tip of the Spear: U.S. Marine Light Armor in the Gulf War [Hardcover]

G. J. Michaels (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1998

Images of U.S. Marines assaulting Pacific beaches in World War II have stereotyped the service's roles and personnel for more than fifty years. This frank firsthand account of Marines sweeping over sands of a different sort in fast armored vehicles retires that popular legend and recasts the Corps as the modern, professional fighting force it was in Desert Storm. Battling a savage environment, an unknown enemy brandishing threats of nuclear, gas, and biological attacks, and a host of technological and tactical snafus, Alpha Company of the 1st Light Armored Infantry Battalion pushed forward at the "tip of the spear" past burning oil fields, hundreds of Iraqi tanks and vehicles, and heartrending friendly casualties to help liberate Kuwait City and drive the Iraqis back to Baghdad. Here G. J. Michaels, a section leader and vehicle commander, provides a vivid, personal chronicle of events as they unfolded. Michaels further draws on his thirteen years of LAV experience to examine lessons learned from the war as well as its controversies, including the confusion over use of the LAV as both recon scout and infantry support and the lack of effective identification/friend-or-foe systems.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Gregory J. Michaels enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps in 1984. After serving in the Gulf War, he became an instructor in the LAV Leaders course at Camp Pendleton. He is now a master sergeant with the Recruiting Command in Indiana. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: Naval Institute Press (May 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1557505993
• ISBN-13: 978-1557505996
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,452,516 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding memoir of a Marine NCO on the modern battlefield, July 6, 1998

By 

W. Weber (Atlanta, GA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Tip of the Spear: U.S. Marine Light Armor in the Gulf War (Hardcover)

It is seldom that students of war get a coherent, literate account of the life of a non-commissioned officer in a combat zone. This is just such an account, and, as such, it is required reading for anyone who is interested in small-unit leadership. As the 2nd Platoon Commander in the author's company during the Gulf War, I can testify to the overall accuracy of his account. I have only minor criticisms. First, the author is too kind to some of the leaders of our battalion, men who deserve to be excoriated for their role in the friendly-fire deaths of eleven of our Marines. Second, in several areas of the book he writes with a naive simplicity about the political realities that led to the war. These are minor complaints, however, and they do not detract at all from the important heart of the book. The author admirably captures the difficulties of operating in the desert and the anxieties of a combat leader for the life of his troops. It is full of lessons that any military leader needs to learn, chief among them to train to the limits of endurance and to trust your troops. More than anything, though, the book is a testament to the skill, daring, and courage of the backbone of the Marine Corps: the Marine NCO. Tip of the Spear is much more than a moving and entertaining memoir of the Gulf War. It is a textbook for small-unit leaders. Read it.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding Version of Events, December 16, 1999

By 

Ken Lieuwen - See all my reviews

This review is from: Tip of the Spear: U.S. Marine Light Armor in the Gulf War (Hardcover)

I was in the author's unit as well. He depicts the events so realistically it brought back many memories once thought forgotten. I enjoyed the book and think it should be a 'must read' for all those interested in the Gulf War as well as any who served 'over there' specifically in 1st LAI Bn. Check my member page for information in seeing my seb site, lots of LAI Bn photo's.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Charlie Company perspective, April 4, 2000

By 

Craig Tomko (Atlanta) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Tip of the Spear: U.S. Marine Light Armor in the Gulf War (Hardcover)

As a member of Charlie Company, it is my opinion that the author was overly critical of Charlie Company. And I did notice one major discrepancy with the participants and their roles in one specific event. However, having said that, it was also a refreshing reminder of names and places I thought I would never forget, but had. I also think it's encouraging to see an NCO take the initiative of publishing something like this, and am curious as to how this reflects on his current enlistment. I really give the book a 4 but felt obligated to defend Charlie.