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Marine Corps Tank Battles in the Middle East Kindle Edition

by Oscar E. Gilbert (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 55 ratings
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In this “compelling read,” the former Marine artilleryman examines modern tank strategies through true stories of battle in Iraq and Afghanistan (Military Modelcraft International).

In the aftermath of Vietnam a new generation of Marines was determined to wage a smarter kind of war. The tank, the very symbol of power and violence, would play a key role in a new concept of mobile warfare, not seen since the dashes of World War II. The emphasis would be not on brutal battles of attrition, but on paralyzing the enemy by rapid maneuver and overwhelming but judicious use of firepower. Yet in two wars with Iraq, the tankers, as well as the crews of the new Light Armored Vehicles, quickly found themselves in a familiar role—battering through some of the strongest defenses in the world by frontal assault, fighting their way through towns and cities.
 
In America’s longest continual conflict, armored Marines became entangled in further guerilla war, this time amid the broiling deserts, ancient cities, and rich farmlands of Iraq, and in the high, bleak wastes of Afghanistan. It was a familiar kind of war against a fanatical foe who brutalized civilians, planted sophisticated roadside bombs, and seized control of entire cities. It has been a maddening war of clearing roads, escorting convoys, endless sweep operations to locate and destroy insurgent strongholds, protecting voting sites for free elections, and recapturing and rebuilding urban centers. It’s been a war in which the tanks repeatedly provided the outnumbered infantry with precise and decisive firepower. The tankers even added a new trick to their repertoire—long-range surveillance.
 
Our fights against Iraq in 1991 and in the post-9/11 years have seen further wars that demanded that unique combination of courage, tenacity, professionalism, and versatility that makes a Marine no better friend, and no worse enemy. This book fully describes how our Marine Corps tankers have risen to the occasion.
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  1. Print length
    381 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publisher
    Casemate
  5. Publication date
    November 24, 2015
  6. File size
    20393 KB
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“While Gilbert’s book is largely comprised of war stories, he enables readers to understand the Marine Corps’ challenge in projecting armored fighting systems with the Corps’ finite lift capabilities and when faced with the realities of operating in hostile austere environments… Gilbert does not oversell tanks, but provides a good argument for their relevance in the Marines’ integration of ground and air forces.”
Military Review

"The book is written at a lively place, with plenty of first-hand accounts by marines that pull no punches in highlighting the brutal nature of the war in Iraq and Afghanistan. It is well illustrated with maps and 16 pages of black-and-white photographs. It's certainly a compelling read and highly recommended to those with an interest in modern-day conflicts."
Military Modelcraft International

About the Author

Oscar E. Gilbert, PhD, is a former Marine artilleryman and is currently a geoscientist living in Texas. His previous published works include the widely acclaimed Marine Tank Battles in the Pacific, Marine Corps Tank Battles in Korea, and Marine Corps Tank Battles in the Middle East.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0169GGTIU
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Casemate (November 24, 2015)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ November 24, 2015
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 20393 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 381 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 55 ratings

About the author

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Oscar E. Gilbert

Oscar E. Gilbert

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Oscar E. "Ed" Gilbert Jr. is a native of Alabama, with B.S. and M.S. degrees in geology from The University of Alabama, and a Ph.D. in geology from The University of Tennessee. He was a Marine Corps artilleryman and NCO instructor in the Marine Corps Reserve. After early work in government service, minerals exploration, and university teaching, Ed retired after twenty-eight years in domestic and international petroleum exploration, primarily in Southeast Asia, the Middle East, sub-Saharan Africa, southern Asia, and Latin America.

Ed was presented the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation's 2016 General Wallace M. Greene Jr. Award for outstanding non-fiction for "Tanks In Hell: A Marine Corps Tank Company On Tarawa". He also holds the non-profit Presidential Service Center's Distinguished Service Medal for "Patriot Militiaman In The American Revolution 1775-82" and "True For The Cause Of Liberty: The Second Spartan Regiment In The American Revolution."

As a military historian, Ed has also written for veterans', historical, and hobby magazines, and served as a technical and historical advisor on film and television projects. He has appeared on CNN, and several episodes of the cable television series Greatest Tank Battles.

His primary interests are the history of the US Marine Corps, and the state militias in the American War of Independence, the Red Stick War (Creek War of 1813 - 1814), and the War of 1812. The emphasis of his work is on understanding military history from the bottom up, the personal experiences of enlisted men and junior officers too often ignored in history books.

Ed and his wife and sometime co-author Catherine divide their time between homes in Katy Texas and in rural Texas.

Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
4.2 out of 5
55 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

History Nut
5.0 out of 5 stars Very thought provoking read.
Reviewed in the United States on April 7, 2017
Verified Purchase
This book covers quite a time span of the history of Marine armor deployment in the general Middle East area and not just the Gulf War/Iraq use. The author goes in to more than sufficient detail regarding not only individual tank/unit actions but also enough background to provide the setting of their use. Some of the information included was fairly shocking in the descriptions of how unprepared many units were when deployed and how underequipped they were before being combat. If true, some of these claims are a serious indictment of not only Marine/Navy leadership but overall DOD support for the services. This book is both informative and thought provoking. I am very glad that I purchased it.
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Larry
4.0 out of 5 stars These Are Marines At Their Best
Reviewed in the United States on October 8, 2015
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I really enjoyed the book and think the author does a really good job in describing Marine tank combat. All the acronyms are difficult to remember because I am reading it electronically and cannot easily get back to the page (s) that explain them. It is a great picture of American excellence, initiative, ability to improvise in the face of ever-evolving combat situations. It gives me a great feeling of pride in our Marine combat capabilities. Gen, Kelly's quote is up a among there with Churchill and other great quotes. May God bless our military.
2 people found this helpful
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Scott Bailey
5.0 out of 5 stars ... is a book I did not expect to be like. I would have thought by the title it ...
Reviewed in the United States on February 4, 2016
Verified Purchase
Marine Corp Tank Battles in the Middle East is a book I did not expect to be like. I would have thought by the title it would show battles being fought around the Middle East. This book surprised me a lot of information on tank unit’s deployment and each individual tank movement and issues that happened. I was particularly interested in the communication chatter and issues with equipment. Excellent book after the first few pages I could not put it down. Book has a few pictures and is easy to follow along with and understand.Very good read
4 people found this helpful
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rrs000
5.0 out of 5 stars Absorbing Marine Corp History
Reviewed in the United States on December 14, 2016
Verified Purchase
This is an extremely interesting document which records not only the record of Armoured operations in both Iraq & Afghanistan, but also the history leading up to the decisions to intervene in both countries.
Oscar Gilbert provides a narrative which includes, armoured vehicle specifications, Marine Corp establishment details, geographical/country history & detailed combat events.
Thank you Oscar, for your effort & dedication in both researching & recording these important aspects of Marine Corp history.
One person found this helpful
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TeeJay
3.0 out of 5 stars More Than Tank Battles
Reviewed in the United States on March 17, 2015
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Before reading Oscar Gilbert's very opinionated but factual description of Marine Corps armored engagements in the Middle East, I had never encountered an author who shouted at full volume from the preface to the epilogue. Now I have. I found it fascinating because he reminded me of most of the Master Gunnery Sergeants I encountered during my active duty service with the Marine Corps as an officer. Were I able to find a non-combative agenda in this missive, it would have received five stars.
2 people found this helpful
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Jess Tolfree
4.0 out of 5 stars Armoured forces do battle
Reviewed in the United States on June 27, 2015
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An insight into the unique capabilities of tanks and other armoured vehicles. How these devastating vehicles are incorporated into the Marines battle forces is fascinating. Overall the book lacks some personal details but achieves the intended story well.
2 people found this helpful
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hughie
5.0 out of 5 stars Marine Tanks
Reviewed in the United States on February 26, 2015
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Another excellent book in the history of Marine Corps Tanks.The author, Ed Gilbert,refers to it as the last volume in his series.Hang around another 5-10 yrs.,Mr.Gilbert ;,with the world situation volume 5 or 6 may be needed before to long.
9 people found this helpful
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steven
4.0 out of 5 stars Imformative
Reviewed in the United States on July 1, 2015
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I think the author was very close to the action. He was able to make the non veterAn understand the problems that face the Marin core in the every day task of controlling the area.
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Top reviews from other countries

James Michaluk
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in Canada on October 17, 2015
Verified Purchase
Excellent Book. Gritty. Shows why the Marines are the Best US Fighters who receive the Worst Equipment.
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Mr PP Hanley
4.0 out of 5 stars Good addition to the literature on armour in the Middle ...
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 31, 2015
Verified Purchase
Good addition to the literature on armour in the Middle East; I have the other USMC armour books by Ed Gilbert and this completes his study of WW-2, Korea, Vietnam and the Middle East. May have needed some more technical drawing/description at certain points, but overall a good read!
One person found this helpful
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