"Thunder Run" [The Book](outta sight!)

Atlantic Monthly Press ^ | April 9, 2004 | David Zucchino

[KC Burke]

THUNDER RUN, The Armored Strike to Capture Baghdad

By David Zucchino

Atlantic Montly Press (Link goes to Amazon)

ISBN 0-87112-911-1

From the Mark Bowden (Blackhawk Down author) forward to the book just published:

By far the most important and decisive part of the stunning American sweep of Iraq in 2003 was the suprise armored thrust into the heart of Baghdad. While pundits at home and around the world (myself included) were predicting a potentially bloody, protracted siege of Saddam Husein's capital, and while the notorious "Baghdad Bob" was before microphones in the Al Rashid Hotel denying that American forces were anywhere near the city, the Spartan Brigade of the Third Infantry Division (Mechanized), was blasting its way up the city's central avenues. It was a perfect illustration of how history is usually made, not by planners and critics, but by brave men with their boots on the ground -- or in this case, Abrams tank treads. The Spartan Brigade's thunder run became the turning point of the war both militarily and psychologically.

I have to say that I was not suprised to learn that my friend and long time colleague David Zucchino was with those men. Zook is one of the best reporters of our generation, and he's been putting himself at risk to get good stories for many years. He's smart, fearless, tenacious, and (thank God) lucky. He survived one serious brush with death covering the war, and dove right back into the action. This book will outshine and outlast the flood of embedded memoirs of that war, because of both where he was and who he is.

***********

And, as I expected, he has come back with the single best story of the Iraq War. Watching on TV, many of us had the impression that Baghdad's resistance just melted away at the approach of American forces. Thunder Run will dispell that illusion. This was the most bitterly contested moment of the war, one that left thousands dead, including some brave American soldiers. Zook's writing captures the drama, the heroism, the fear, noise, confusion, horror, and yes, the thrill of battle. It is a masterwork by a master reporter and writer. I'm proud to introduce it to you.
---Mark Bowden

[KC Burke]

Open a new browser window and go to Amazon or your normal bookseller's site.

Better yet, turn off the computer and go to the bookstore.

Buy this book.

You will be blown away by the writing and detail.

I'm halfway through this book published just a few weeks ago and I'm staying up late at night because I can't put it down.

I'd already completed about two-thirds of Rick Atkinson's In the Company of Soldiers. I've now set aside that fair book by the prize winning, reporter/historian. Atkinson, the author of An Army at Dawn the first of three volumns about American forces in WWII, which I enjoyed, injects too much of his editorializing into his embedded story of Iraq with the 101st Airborne. It is, as though, he wants to pander to his recent Washington Post co-workers and their politaical slant.

With Zucchino, there is none of that.

The urgency of the story is first and foremost. The fog of battle is the biggest foe in telling such a story and Zucchino penetrates it. You get the personal level, the unit level, the Brigade level and the overall importance of each segment of this stunning story.

Previous posters have posted threads about the initial newspaper story that Zuchinno filed and that others reported on as well, but even those great accounts pale in comparison to the full story.

Earlier thread on the newspaper account at the time

Earlier thread on the newspaper account at the time

Earlier thread on the newspaper account at the time

I'm sorry this probably comes across as a promotional vanity, but I have been disappointed in the other books I have picked up and am thrilled to find this Home Run.

[ken5050]

Just finished the book. It's everything that you say, and more....What's most interesting, and not really developed fully and examined by the author..and that's not a criticism, it wasn't the real scope of his book....is that the decision to go into Bagdad was undertaken by the field commander...it wasn't preswented to them as an option, rather a "fait accompli!"..would CHQ have signed off?

[KC Burke]

I appreciate your point about how that issue could have been developed further, other than his passing reference to the lack of utilizing forward commanders in Vietnam and how offiers trained since that era are aware of tactical trap of higher headquarters being ill equipped to always make the decision.

I have to ping a few, could you help with some you know who might find this interesting? I'll start with Race

[KC Burke]

ping

[ken5050]

Freeper Foxhole thread...they'll ping the group....

[KC Burke]

Men of Cornwall stop your dreaming;
Can't you see their spearpoints gleaming?
See their warriors' pennants streaming
To this battlefield.
Men of Cornwall stand ye steady;
It cannot be ever said ye
for the battle were not ready;
Stand and never yield! ”

[KC Burke]

Thanks, ol' friend.

[presidio9]

Thanks for this. Great book.

[Tijeras_Slim]

Thanks for the ping on this one. I know what I'm doing at lunch today!

[2nd Bn, 11th Mar]

Totally in agreement with you about Atkinson. He spent his time with the generals, and his only substantive contribution was to quote the Corps Commander, LTG Wallace, when he made comments that Washington didn't like.

Aktinson editorializes in way Ernie Pyle never even conceived.

Semper Fi,

[HiJinx]

Ping!

KC, sounds like this is going to be a great read.

[KC Burke]

My only hope for Atkinson was that he was pandering to his colleagues on the WP toilet paper. His comments were so open in their editorializing rather than the subtle spin that the true leftist propagandist has that there may still be hope for him as a reasonably fair historian.

[Soaring Feather]

helping out bump

[Khurkris]

Bump...will buy today. Thanks.

[SAMWolf]

Armor Bump

[Colonel_Flagg]

Sounds good .. many thanks for the ping!

[SAMWolf]

I've been waiting for the book. Thanks for the review.

[colorado tanker]

Thanks for the post and ping. Just in time as I'm assembling my summer vacay reading!

Sorry to hear the comments about Atkinson. I really, really liked his Army At Dawn.

[SAMWolf]

I've got his "Army At Dawn", haven't started reading it yet. Still Reading Jeff Head's books. I'm getting behind in my reading again. :-(

[68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub]

Thanks!