Persian Gulf War Encyclopedia
A Political, Social, and Military History
by Spencer C. Tucker, Editor
August 2014, 607pp, 7x10
1 volume, ABC-CLIO

Hardcover: 978-1-61069-415-5
$110, £85, 96€, A151
eBook Available: 978-1-61069-416-2
Please contact your preferred eBook vendor for pricing.

Persian Gulf War was the first major military confrontation of the post-Cold War era.

Ideal for high school and college-level readers as well as students attending military academies and general audiences, this encyclopedia covers the details of the Persian Gulf War as well as the long-term consequences and historical lessons learned from this important 20th-century conflict.

This encyclopedia provides a rich historical account of the Persian Gulf War, examining the conflict from a holistic perspective that addresses the details of the military operations as well as the social, political, economic, and cultural aspects of the war. The alphabetically arranged entries chart the events of the war, provide cross references and sources for additional study, and identify the most important individuals and groups associated with the conflict. In addition, it includes primary source documents that will provide readers with valuable insights and foster their critical thinking and historical reasoning skills.

The Persian Gulf War served as the first live-combat test of much of the United States’ then-new high-tech weaponry. The war also held many lessons about the play of national interests, the process of coalition building, the need for effective communication and coordination, and the role of individuals in shaping history. This book addresses all key battles, the nations involved, strategies employed by both sides, weapon systems used, the role of the media, the role played by women, and environmental and medical issues associated with the conflict.

Features

  • Provides a thorough analysis of the Gulf War that explains its causes, course, strategy and tactics, and significance
  • Includes insightful biographies of the key individuals involved that identify the factors behind their decisions
  • Presents a chronology that clearly outlines events and helps students determine the cause-and-effect relationship between them
  • Supplies a variety of images and maps that engage readers and serve as powerful tools for visual/spatial learners
Spencer C. Tucker, PhD, has been senior fellow in military history at ABC-CLIO since 2003. He is the author or editor of 47 books and encyclopedias, many of which have won prestigious awards. Tucker's last academic position before his retirement from teaching was the John Biggs Chair in Military History at the Virginia Military Institute. He has been a Fulbright scholar, a U.S. Army captain and intelligence analyst in the Pentagon, and a visiting research associate at the Smithsonian Institution. His many published works include The United States in the Persian Gulf, Afghanistan, and Iraq Wars: An Encyclopedia; Battles That Changed American History: 100 of the Greatest Victories and Defeats; and Encyclopedia of Insurgency and Counterinsurgency: A New Era of Modern Warfare, all published by ABC-CLIO.

Reviews

"On the twenty-fifth anniversary of the war in the Persian Gulf, Tucker—a prolific military historian—has brought together an excellent resource on the event. . . . This comprehensive work includes plenty of information on prewar and postwar activity, providing a wide lens as well as a close-up view of the war. Articles cover a diverse number of topics, including discussions of women in battle, differences among the commanders, tactics and strategies, the environmental and health effects, lessons learned (and not learned), and a long entry on the earlier Iran-Iraq War. The writing is factual and balanced and is enhanced by 'Further Reading' suggestions, some published in the 2000s, at the end of each entry. Black-and-white maps, a glossary, a chronology, a bibliography, and an index further the usefulness of the work. This volume will be valuable to most public and academic libraries."—Booklist, December 1, 2014

"Summing Up: Recommended. Lower-division undergraduates and general readers."—Choice, February 1, 2015
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