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NO TRUE GLORY: A Frontline Account of the Battle for Fallujah. By Bing West. Published by Bantam Books. 400 pages with photographs. Stock #0553804022. $22.50 MCA Members. $25 Nonmembers.
"Resolute men deserve resolute leaders."
-Bing West, "No True Glory"
"No True Glory" is the gripping account of the U.S. Marines' very dangerous battles for Fallujah in 2004. My first introduction to this area was in the book "The Road Past Mandalay," the personal story of John Masters in World War II. As a part of Major General Bill Sum's 10th Indian Infantry Division, the 4th Gurkhas attacked from Basra to Habbaniya, west of Baghdad, along the yellow waters of the Euphrates and within earshot of the constant rattle of Bren guns.
In the intervening 64 years, little has changed, and Fallujah has remained a very dangerous place. "No True Glory" showcases the bravery of soldiers and Marines. Bing West brings an honest look at policy, politics and a modern-day insurgency to this story.
During 2003-04, we attempted to win over the Iraqi people with support and good intentions. But little progress was made through these efforts, and the situation slowly evolved into a stalemate. When four American contractors were murdered in...