Thunder in The Desert

From CNN’s Gulf War military affairs analyst comes the first comprehensive, in-depth history of the war’s military operations, drawn from those who directed the battles and those who fought them.

James Blackwell became a familiar and trusted figure worldwide during the Gulf War as he gave his authoritative analysis of military tactics and events for CNN. Now, with the war’s end, Blackwell provides the first real history of the conflict’s military aspects. As deputy director of a Washington strategic think-tank and a former officer, Blackwell has unique access to the Pentagon and the field commanders of the U.S., Saudi, Kuwaiti, and Iraqi forces.

From the dangerous early days when the Iraqis could have swept Allied forces into the sea to the war of supplies and logistics, from the commando raids to special “psyops,” and from the “Hail Mary” tank race to the Marine landing feint, Thunder in the Desert covers all in accessible, authoritative fashion. Blackwell shows the planning, the buildup, and the execution of the momentous Allied air-ground attack from both the tactical and operational perspectives.

He also explains why this war will be studied for centuries to come as a seminal example of brilliant military strategy.

Blackwell’s skills as a journalist teamed with his unmatched perspective and knowledge of the military, we make this the one book on the Gulf War that everyone—from generals to lay readers—will use to understand funny what happened and how it will affect warfare and the world in the future.

James Blackwell is a former Army major and is currently deputy director for political-military studies and senior fellow in international security studies at CSIS, a strategic think-tank. He graduated from West Point in 1974 and is known to millions from his work on CNN during the war.