No True Glory

By: Bing West

Narrated by: Robertson Dean

Length: 13 hrs and 25 mins

Publisher's Summary

Fallujah: Iraq's most dangerous city unexpectedly emerged as the major battleground of the Iraqi insurgency. For 20 months, one American battalion after another tried to quell the violence, culminating in a bloody, full-scale assault. Victory came at a terrible price: 151 Americans and thousands of Iraqis were left dead.

The epic battle for Fallujah revealed the startling connections between policy and combat that are a part of the new reality of war.

The Marines had planned to slip into Fallujah "as soft as fog". But after four American contractors were brutally murdered, President Bush ordered an attack on the city, against the advice of the Marines. The assault sparked a political firestorm, and the Marines were forced to withdraw amid controversy and confusion, only to be ordered a second time to take a city that had become an inferno of hate and the lair of the archterrorist al-Zarqawi.

Based on months spent with the battalions in Fallujah and hundreds of interviews at every level (senior policymakers, negotiators, generals, and soldiers and Marines on the front lines) No True Glory is a testament to the bravery of the American soldier and a cautionary tale about the complex, and often costly, interconnected roles of policy, politics, and battle in the twenty-first century.

©2005 Bing West (P)2005 Books on Tape

This is a must read book!

If you are as sick as I am of the press not providing adequate coverage of the heros still fighting in Iraq today, then you must read this book! It is well written and well read. Well worth purchasing.

9 of 9 people found this review helpful

No True Glory (Unabridged)

I got this book because I'd read The March Up by the same authors. I found the book riveting in its portrayal of the gritty details of the battle of Faluja. Anyone who has a position on the war should read this book. I found it illuminating, troubling and ultimately affirming of the character of the American fighting man. Regardless of your politics you come away recognizing the courage and sacrifice of the grunt on the ground.

6 of 6 people found this review helpful

70% Political 30% Action

This book gets 3 stars from me because it talks alot more politics and policy than true grit. I'm like more of a small unit day to day operations listener and this book doesn't cover alot of that. I think it would be a good listen for folks that like a "big picture" type story.

But thats just my opinion.

10 of 11 people found this review helpful

Excellent

Regardless of how you feel about the war, and I'm no fan, you can't help but be moved by this compelling account.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

Excellent

This was a great listen well documented account of the battle for this pivotal city in Iraq. You never hear about the brave soldiers and the intense fighting that went on. Well read and well written this is something everyone should listen to no matter what side of the issue you are on. The Author gives you a wide view of all that went into the decision making process to under take this fight.

6 of 7 people found this review helpful

Perfect Mix

This book has managed to perfectly mix the two classic methods of delivering history: telling the facts; and telling a story. West manages to lay down the critical details to understanding what, where, when and why and then intermingling real stories from the ground to show us how. This form of historical portrayal gives the reader (or listener) the ability to grasp a higher level of understanding of the situation with the high level command details and then brings you to the front lines to see how that affects the grunts. Brilliantly compiled and presented. Listened to it twice.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Excellent

This was a very enlightening read. I learned much that the press never covered. I felt frustration at the indecision that came from the Brass out of Washington DC who sat in comfort instead of the hot desert sands The narrative flows at times like a documentary and like at times like a novel but the two come together without distraction. The narration was very well done. At the limited times of 'combat conversation'' Mr. Dean did not try to give voices to each person which in this case I thought was the best approach. I thought it very well worth a credit. And at some later date will probably listen to it again just to keep the facts straight.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

The Greatest Generation

The Greatest Generation! Yes, Yes, I know that the World War II generation is know by Tom Brokaw as the "Greatest Generation". I believe that it is not that they were not, but I hear it all the time is that the current group of young people are lazy, not smart, not all there. But what I find is that a major chunk is as great or greater than anyone gives them acknowledgement for. The young Marines in this book a courageous, strong, smart and ready to be our next leaders. Bias toward this generation will be changed after this book is listened to. Great Book! Semper Fi! Ohrah!

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

great book

If you want an honest and true story, sick of the media coverage and whining, then this is the book. It has an insider's view, has a great account of all events surrounding the Battle for Fallujah and analysis of the events leading to it. It makes you proud of the men who fought for us.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Gets your heart pounding

Listening to this excellent book just gave me the chills. After setting the stage with some admittedly slower paced background, you have the outline of the events in Fallujah from the fall of Saddam through the four phases of the battle, including the two efforts to take the city from the insurgent forces. The narrator is great, the pace is quick and you end up having a great appreciation for the sheer guts and determination it takes to bust into a cement walled house and take it room by room, fighting an enemy who not only doesn't appear to fear death, but in many cases welcomes it. This is a must to get the troops' side of the story - one that you will never get off the evening news.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

A lot of infomation

Great book, has some great detail, It show you how gritty this battle was in some places.



Gives you the side of the men that had to assault the city after they (insurgents) had time to prepare, tells you about command and higher ups that failed the Marines that paid dearly for there inaction. If your into war books with information and first had accounts this is a great listen.

History Lesson

Sorry but I just could not get into this book. Persevered for 2 hours then skipped to middle to see if it improved. It was like being in a lecture room listening to a dull subject given by an equally dull lecturer although I can't blame the narrator for the material he was given. One for the historians perhaps.