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Certain Victory: The U.S. Army in the Gulf War
The official U.S. Army account of Army performance in the Gulf War, Certain Victory was originally published by the Office of the Chief of Staff, U.S. Army, in 1993. Brig. Gen. Scales, who headed the Army's Desert Storm Study Project, offers a highly readable and abundantly illustrated chronicle.
224 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 1, 1993
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About the author
Robert H. Scales
16 books5 followersRobert H. "Bob" Scales Jr. (born August 6, 1944) is a retired United States Army major general and former commandant of the U.S. Army War College. He now works as a military analyst, news commentator, and author.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
January 20, 2025
Amerikan silahlı kuvvetlerinin Körfez Harbi öncesi Vietnam sendromunu nasıl aştığını ve yeni orduyu hangi temeller üzerine inşa ettiğini anlatan güzel bir kitap. Tavsiyedir.
February 13, 2017
A tightly focused history of the US army during the Gulf war, with the activities of the other services given treatment only insofar as they related to Army operations. It presents a solid history in a format that is easy to grasp for even the novice.
The book’s narrative is heavy on command-and-control and the operations of support services. Actual combat operations are not treated in the same amount of depth. The prose is, as expected, rather dry. The publication does come off as a bit too uncritical: actual problems are never really addressed, just described as “alleged,” for example.
An interesting and smoothly written work overall.
The book’s narrative is heavy on command-and-control and the operations of support services. Actual combat operations are not treated in the same amount of depth. The prose is, as expected, rather dry. The publication does come off as a bit too uncritical: actual problems are never really addressed, just described as “alleged,” for example.
An interesting and smoothly written work overall.
October 22, 2025
The other day, I profiled Bob Scales, a leader who left an indelible impression on me from the moment I first picked up a copy of his book, 𝘊𝘦𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘝𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺: 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘜.𝘚. 𝘈𝘳𝘮𝘺 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘎𝘶𝘭𝘧 𝘞𝘢𝘳. I found the book at Ramstein Air Base while exploring the world's largest PX... and that book still rests within reach on most days.
The book is THE most comprehensive and authoritative account of the US Army’s performance during the Gulf War. Drawing from his experience as the director of the Desert Storm Study Project, Scales presented both a detailed operational history and a reflective analysis of how the Army’s doctrine, organization, and technology translated into a swift and decisive victory. Originally published in 1993, 𝘊𝘦𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘝𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 stands as both a narrative of the campaign and a case study in the evolution of modern warfare.
Scales begins by chronicling the buildup and execution of the coalition offensive against Iraq, focusing on the speed, precision, and synchronization of the ground campaign. He attributes much of the success to reforms born from the painful lessons of Vietnam, particularly the development of AirLand Battle doctrine, the embrace of realistic training at the Combat Training Centers, and investments in the "Big Five" systems that underpinned ALB. His narrative skillfully weaves together tactical vignettes with key command decisions and logistical wizardry to illustrate an Army at peak lethality.
Several key themes emerge throughout Certain Victory. First, the power of preparation — the Army’s emphasis on doctrine, training, and leadership development before the conflict was decisive once war began. Second, the integration of technology and human skill — Scales underscores that advanced systems only succeed when paired with well-trained soldiers and adaptive leaders. Third, the importance of joint and coalition warfare, noting how the Army’s ability to fight as part of a broader multinational force marked a new level of strategic competence.
The book’s most important takeaway is that military transformation is not achieved through technology alone, but through the disciplined application of doctrine, education, and leadership. Certain Victory shows that the Gulf War was won years before it was fought — in the classrooms, training grounds, and institutional reforms that reshaped the Army after 1973.
Scales captures this lesson powerfully when he writes, “Victory in Desert Storm was not an accident of circumstance or technology; it was the deliberate consequence of a professional army that had rebuilt itself from the ashes of Vietnam.” That observation remains a timeless reminder that readiness and lethality are built long before the first shot is fired.
The book is THE most comprehensive and authoritative account of the US Army’s performance during the Gulf War. Drawing from his experience as the director of the Desert Storm Study Project, Scales presented both a detailed operational history and a reflective analysis of how the Army’s doctrine, organization, and technology translated into a swift and decisive victory. Originally published in 1993, 𝘊𝘦𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘝𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 stands as both a narrative of the campaign and a case study in the evolution of modern warfare.
Scales begins by chronicling the buildup and execution of the coalition offensive against Iraq, focusing on the speed, precision, and synchronization of the ground campaign. He attributes much of the success to reforms born from the painful lessons of Vietnam, particularly the development of AirLand Battle doctrine, the embrace of realistic training at the Combat Training Centers, and investments in the "Big Five" systems that underpinned ALB. His narrative skillfully weaves together tactical vignettes with key command decisions and logistical wizardry to illustrate an Army at peak lethality.
Several key themes emerge throughout Certain Victory. First, the power of preparation — the Army’s emphasis on doctrine, training, and leadership development before the conflict was decisive once war began. Second, the integration of technology and human skill — Scales underscores that advanced systems only succeed when paired with well-trained soldiers and adaptive leaders. Third, the importance of joint and coalition warfare, noting how the Army’s ability to fight as part of a broader multinational force marked a new level of strategic competence.
The book’s most important takeaway is that military transformation is not achieved through technology alone, but through the disciplined application of doctrine, education, and leadership. Certain Victory shows that the Gulf War was won years before it was fought — in the classrooms, training grounds, and institutional reforms that reshaped the Army after 1973.
Scales captures this lesson powerfully when he writes, “Victory in Desert Storm was not an accident of circumstance or technology; it was the deliberate consequence of a professional army that had rebuilt itself from the ashes of Vietnam.” That observation remains a timeless reminder that readiness and lethality are built long before the first shot is fired.
May 15, 2007
Excellent and complete account of the US Army's participation in Desert Storm. Devotes a good amount of space to the transformation and professionalization of the US Army following the failures in Vietnam. The ground war is thoroughly described with adequate but not exhaustive discussion of the logistics required to support the armored left hook through the desert.
July 31, 2014
Traces the evolution of the drafted malcontents of Vietnam to more highly trained soldiers of Desert Storm. Includes a soldier's story to open each chapter and has maps of various battles. One fault of the work is that the maps are tinted shades of black and white that are difficult to interpret. The author also ignores the politicalization of the officer corps.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews