The War in Iraq: A Photo History [Hardcover]

Regan Books (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 30, 2003

"Experience one of the most dramatic events of our time"

Operation Iraqi Freedom commanded the interest and ignited the passions of people of every political stripe around the world. "The War in Iraq," which draws on the work of dozens of international photographers -- many of whom risked their lives to get the shot -- collects 250 of the most compelling images taken during the conflict.

From the heroes braving desert combat to the demonstrations of support and protest around the world, from the eerie and blinding sandstorms of the Iraqi desert to the toppling of the statue of Saddam Hussein in Baghdad -- here are the unforgettable images that tell the story, including many that have never been published before. The result is a historic collection, a spectacular visual chronicle of every aspect of the first full-scale war of the twenty-first century: at once a journalistic record of the realities of battle, and a vivid and eye-opening portrait of the cultural turmoil -- and, in many quarters, jubilation -- that followed the fall of Saddam.

Capturing the dramatic impact of the war at every scale, from the epic to the intimate, "The War in Iraq" offers a vivid window onto Operation Iraqi Freedom in all its tragedy and triumph -- and a sterling showcase for the talented photographers who braved the battle in pursuit of truth.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

This album consists of 250 color photographs taken during the war in Iraq by more than 100 photojournalists. There are many shots of soldiers; some are in foxholes, some are holding prisoners, and others are lounging in one of Saddam Hussein's palaces. There are photos of planes in the air, badly injured Iraqis, Iraqi citizens in the streets, dead bodies, pro-war and anti-war marches around the world, Iraqi women army volunteers on parade, women weeping for lost loved ones, and looting, There also are (less interesting) photos of such figures as General Franks, President Bush, Kofi Annan, Donald Rumsfeld, and Colin Powell. Included is a section devoted to Hussein's family photos and private art collection that were discovered when American and British forces secured Hussein's palaces and safe houses--a total of 29 photographs and paintings. A four-paragraph introduction speaks of the "awesome opportunity and challenge of remaking the nation." These images vividly show the horror of war and the carnage it brings. The word "opportunity" is clearly out of place here. George Cohen
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Details

• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow (May 30, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060582863
• ISBN-13: 978-0060582869
• Product Dimensions: 11.2 x 8.8 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,317,235 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another day in the desert..., July 25, 2003

By 

John Fraser (Houston, Texas United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The War in Iraq: A Photo History (Hardcover)

This is essentially a photo album of Operation Iraqi Freedom which again proves the old adage, a picture is worth a thousand words. It dispenses with text and allows the reader to visually
experience the war on land, sea, and air. I think it is the best of the current spate of Iraq War books by photo-journalists.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Pictures, March 8, 2006

By 

Acacia A. Williams "Acacia Ojeda" (Fort Hood, TX USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The War in Iraq: A Photo History (Hardcover)

The reason I bought this book is because there was a picture of me holding my daughter in it. The picture was very clear and I wanted to keep it as a keep sake for her of her mom before leaving Iraq. She loves it.

3 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Operation: Publishing Coup, September 20, 2004

By 

N. P. Stathoulopoulos "nick9155" (Brooklyn, NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The War in Iraq: A Photo History (Hardcover)

This could be a first: a 'history' of a war that's still being fought, thougtfully released before the end of 2003. Of course, the end of 'major' combat was announced in May 2003 (during the president's impressive photo op), so it's safe to declare the 'war' over and proceed with this coffee table book.

The book looks good, certainly. It is competing with any number of other nice, big, glossy books of pictures from Operation: Bad Intelligence.

For a book on the Iraqi conflict, we'll have to wait for some time, it seems. This book has some gorgeous shots of the leadup to war, the war itself (where the Iraqi army mostly went home to get heavily armed for Iraq War II, or III, I guess), and so on. It looks like Bush's carrier landing scene was a virtual announcement to the publishers of the world that it was time to get those 'history' books rolling. There is a solitary shot of a soldier's flag-draped coffin, giving one a reminder that many more have died since. There are also shots of Saddam's palaces, and reminders of his own atrocious behavior which we were a bit late in condemning since we indeed supported it all the way. The book needs revision, as Saddam has since been captured, reminding us that he wasn't sitting in an underground lair, stroking a white cat and planning world destruction, but was threatening the American people from his spider hole with a six-month beard and bad breath.

The book barely hints at the horrors of war the way similar photographic works have. Sure, we see some battle shots, a few wounds, dusty, blown-apart buildings in Baghdad, but the book offers nothing new on the US armed forces or on this or any other war. Actually, I expect this baby to be on sale pretty soon, just in time for the publishers to push out a new book covering 'Post-War Iraq', meaning impending civil war. Perhaps it's best that the book is light on commentary...