Thunder Run: US 3rd Infantry Division's Drive to Baghdad

This much anticipated book is written by the authors that was at the forefront of the 3rd Infantry Division's drive north from Kuwait to the heart of Baghdad in 2003. The 3rd Infantry Division formed the heart of the U.S. V Corps' main thrust into Iraq to topple the dictatorship of Saddam Hussein, and this book provides a firsthand glimpse of this opening assault in what is known as Operation Iraqi Freedom.

As the book's introduction states: "This book will focus on the combat history of the 3rd ID from the crossing of the Kuwait-Iraq border through to the fall of Baghdad." The natural feature of this book are the atmospheric photos of armored vehicles and equipment, beginning with the build-up and preparations in the desert camps of Kuwait, right through to the "Thunder Runs" in Baghdad and their aftermath. The name "Thunder Run" describes the U.S. reconnaissance in force that rolled boldly through the broad avenues of Baghdad despite fierce Iraqi resistance. The second of these armored Thunder Runs led to the occupation of key government facilities in the heart of Baghdad, and the crumbling of the Iraqi regime.

The photos cover such items as the bitter fighting in Najaf, penetrating the Karbala Gap, and of course the dramatic armored columns that pierced right into the heart of Saddam Hussein's capital. The book boasts numerous pictures of Abrams tanks, Bradleys and all the other support vehicles needed by a modern armored division. For either modelers or military enthusiasts, this book will prove irresistible reading, and the photos reveal all manner of interesting details about the vehicles and crews who operated them during the dramatic tactical success of March-April 2003. The accompanying text gives helpful insights into the actions and battles from the viewpoint of the combatants, and informs the reader of some of the features of the equipment used.

War photos do not come more real than this! Taken by tank crewmen engaged in the thick of battle, they lead the reader through to the climax of 5 and 7 April's Thunder Runs. This fascinating book is guaranteed to provide hours of inspiration on the most important military conflict in recent times.

Robert W. Burik and Eric R. Olson, SFC, US Army
Softcover 48 pages, 195 colour photos, 4 color plates, 2 1/35 scale plans, Concord Publications