Gulf War One – Real Voices from the Front Line
Available from 11 November 2010.
Published by Ebury Press.
With a Foreword by British commanding general Rupert Smith, this book covers the Gulf crisis from August 1991 when Saddam Hussein invaded the oil state of Kuwait, the massive build-up of the largest armoured force the world has ever seen, through the unparalleled air war, the largest tank battle ever, to the unsatisfactory peace with its enormously expensive air containment and land operations against Iraq.
It’s a aural history, with interviews from people at every level: an Irish ‘human shield’ doctor held hostage in Baghdad, officers and men of the British tank forces, RAF aircrew flying special forces missions deep into Iraq, the US Marine Corps commanding general, an Iraqi freedom fighter, ministry of defence officials and the British Prime Minister.
All these voices are combined to create a smoothly-flowing narrative, of cataclysmic events that were to have such long-lasting repercussions.
Reviews
For the very first review of this book, please visit the Army Rumour Service “ARRSe” website
6 comments
Harold Davey says:
27 November 2011 at 12:40 am (UTC 0)
Hugh;
I bought your book “Falklands Commando” on 17 Nov.1985 and that book was passed around to all my unit (136 Mobile Aerial Port Squadron) officers and NCO’s and was very helpful in our mobilization & deployment for Desert Shield/Desert Storm.
I’m retired from the Texas Air National Guard now and from my airline job, but, I still keep your readiness things in mind in this difficult era.
Cheers,
Harold Davey
Hugh McManners says:
29 November 2011 at 11:37 am (UTC 0)
Hi Harold. Many thanks for getting in touch. I’m so glad that Falklands Commando was useful to you all. I wrote it in order that British non-military folks could understand that what we went through in the Falklands War of 1982 wasn’t as depicted by the many journalists who rushed out books while we were on leave trying to make some sense of it all.
It’s obviously a rather restricted view – from a captain in charge of a small team – but we were operating at a pretty high level and so had an interesting insight into many aspects of the land war. I’m particularly happy that it’s still relevant and useful. One of my worries is that we the Military in general plus in particular our political masters, don’t seem to remember the lessons of previous campaigns and so repeat all sorts of basic mistakes. As ever, it’s the troops who pick up the pieces and make it all work.
Very good luck and fortune to you all.
Hugh
Stan Sayers says:
4 August 2011 at 11:12 am (UTC 0)
Dear Hugh
Just finished Gulf One -thoroughly researched and accurate. At the time of the crisis in 1990 I was serving in HMS YORK which was alongside in Dubai when Saddam invaded Kuwait, nerve racking time sailing up the Gulf to try and obtain intelligence without being targeted ourselves!!
I spent 35 years in the Royal Navy serving in the South Atlantic in 1982, several 6 month deployments to the Gulf and Adriatic, my final ship was HMS ARK ROYAL as a WO1 and experienced first hand the landing of 40 Cdo onto the Al Fawhr Peninsula in March 2003.
We lost 7 aircrew shortly after commencement of hostilities and I was deeply involved in the recovery and repatriation of their bodies back to the UK and in the case of Tom Adams to the US the memories of this experience has remained with me since. I was diagnosed with chronic PTSD in 2005 but they haven’t been able to establish when it first started and my treatment was sporadic and ineffective and I was discharged at the end of my career in 2007.
It was truly amazing how I felt reading the book learning of other guys similar experiences. Particularly the Lance Corporal poor poor bastard, my best wishes to him and his family, would it be possible to privately email me his contact details with his permission of course.
Regards and thank you
Stan
Hugh McManners says:
29 November 2011 at 11:45 am (UTC 0)
Hi Stan,
I sent you a private email back in August, and also sent your message on to Roy Sellstrom (the lance corporal you mentioned). I hope he’s got in touch.
I also hope that you’ve got some treatment for yourself, as it needs to be done. A lot of effort which you won’t want to go through, but worth it – and necessary.
But do get in touch again if you’d like to.
With very best wishes,
Hugh
Thomas Murray says:
14 April 2011 at 9:43 am (UTC 0)
Dear Mr McManners,
Gulf War One:
Page 122. Lieutenant Colonel Mike Vickery “in the Second World War they’d gone to Iraq with Ferret” “scout cars”.
Page 138. Lieutenant Toby Masterton “Second World War Ferret scout car”.
Jane’s tank & combat vehicle recognition guide, Christoper F. Foss,
HarperCollins, 1996. “Ferret” “First prototypes completed in 1949 with production running from 1952″.
Armoured fighting vehicles of the World, Christoper F. Foss, Ian Allan Ltd,
1977, “Ferret” “First prototype completed in 1949 and delivered in 1950″ “first production” “in 1952″.
Armoured Forces, Richard M. Ogorkiewicz, Arms and Armour Press, 1970. “After the war the best of the wartime vehicles” “were retained and further development continued.” “Its outcome, by the early fifties, were 3 new vehicles : the Ferret scout car”.
The Tank Museum, Bovington, “the museum of the Royal Tank Regiment & Royal Armoured Corps”: “The Ferret Scout Car was developed after World War II”. “first prototypes delivered in 1950″ “entered production in 1951″ “first production vehicles in 1952″.
Page 166-7. Lieutenant Colonel Mike Vickery “Challenger” “750hp engine”.
Jane’s tank & combat vehicle recognition guide, Christoper F. Foss,
HarperCollins, 1996. “Challenger MBT 1″ “Engine” 1,200bhp”. “Chieftain” “MBT” “Engine” “750bhp”.
The Tank Museum, Bovington: “Challenger 1 MBT” “HP1200″. “Chieftain MBT” “750 bhp”.
Yours sincerely,
Thomas Murray.
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Hugh McManners says:
14 April 2011 at 9:47 am (UTC 0)
Dear Mr Murray,
Thanks for your comments.
I don’t if you’re an ex-tank soldier. I would however say that those of us who’ve used military kit are less concerned with models and marks – only in how they variously perform.
I dare say that some of my own recollections of weapons and equipment in war contain questionable facts. Suffice it to say by way of a general explanation for this, that professional soldiers often know more about the equipment and weapons they use than even its designers.
If two RAC officers describe the Ferret as “Second World War”, that’s their professional impression of its capabilities, which is not for me to question. I therefore can only suggest you take these questions up with the interviewees. Mike Vickery is a tank gunnery instructor with I’m sure you’ll agree impeccable experience.
I don’t quite see what you’re saying regarding Challenger’s bhp, but personally I’d hesitate to quote Janes or BTM at Mike Vickery, and take the view that he would know the power output of the MBTs with which he was fighting. It is in any case irrelevant to the fighting of the war; particularly as the higher figure you quote could be engine output bhp. The much lesser bhp quoted in my book could perhaps be as measured at the tracks – which would be he only figure relevant to the user. But I’m no expert in such esoteric numerology!
As for the Ferrets – if you’ve ever used Ferrets or Dingos, you’ll know that they’re both Second World War designs. Like the Dingo, the Ferret was also designed by Daimler, and apart from a monocoque body and larger crew compartment, was much the same. Truly new designs came later – as the UK’s defence industry took some time to recover from its wartime efforts, with the FV107. This was a light tank, in recognition of the increased firepower of modern weaponry.
Many thanks for your interest. I’m grateful that you’ve read my book so carefully.
Regards,
Hugh McManners