The Warriors of Anbar: The Marines Who Crushed Al Qaeda--the Greatest Untold Story of the Iraq War

by Ed Darack, Colonel James E. Donnellan (Foreword)

A riveting, edge-of-your seat account of how a battalion of Marines faced off against the most brutal of Al Qaeda at its most desperate and vicious moment--and how the Marines decisively crushed the terroristsWhen the 2nd Battalion of the 3rd Marine Regiment ("2/3") arrived in the little-known "Haditha Triad" region of western Iraq's Al Anbar Province in September of 2006, the region exploded in a storm of terrorist violence. The most battle-hardened of Al Qaeda had fled to the Triad, and, taking their last, desperate gasps for survival after years of bloody war, lashed out at the battalion with everything they could muster. The Marines sent into this firestorm of violence immediately lunged into a complex, double-edged crush Al Qaeda and help the locals rebuild their terrorist-smashed lives and homes. After months of grueling, fearsome battle--and the loss of twenty-three of their ranks--the warriors of 2/3 stood tall in victory. This is their incredible story.Warriors of Anbar is one of the greatest untold stories of modern war, one of grit, incredible courage, and utmost sacrifice. It is a story that illustrates the U.S. Marine Corps at its very finest.

Genres: Military Fiction, Nonfiction, History, Military History

257 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 5, 2019

About the author

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I'm an author of non-fiction books, a writer of magazine feature articles, and a globally published stock and magazine photographer. Working independently, I have pursued a broad scope of interests and fascinations that includes mountaineering and adventure travel, front-line ground and air combat in Iraq and Afghanistan, aviation and space exploration, the study and beauty of the atmosphere, aesthetics throughout nature, and quantum mechanics and the exploration of the most fundamental constituent entities of the universe--among a host of other endeavors. Throughout my entire career I've worked as both a writer and creative photographer, often merging the two arts for a varitey of dynamic projects. I'm the author of the critically acclaimed Victory Point (published by the Penguin Group, New York; named a book of the year by the United States Naval Institute) and three other books (two about mountaineering and one about expedition sea kayaking). I'm currently hard at work on a number of incredibly exciting fiction and non-fiction book projects; please check the Books and Upcoming sections for more information and updates.

I've authored hundreds of feature articles for publications such as Smithsonian Air and Space, Alpinist, Weatherwise (where I'm a contributing editor), Foreign Policy (online), and many other magazines and media outlets about subjects ranging from the physical geography of Mount McKinley to witnessing and photographing a space shuttle launch, among many other topics and experiences.

My creative rights-managed stock imagery is represented by SuperStock, Getty Images, Corbis Images, and further distributed through an international network of over 100 leading specialty agencies. I'm extremely fortunate to have images of mine used on all types of visual media throughout the globe over the course of my career, including the covers and interiors of some of the world's most widely-read periodicals (and those not so widely read), the covers and interiors of an array of books--including New York Times bestsellers--on broadcast and cable television, and all forms of product advertising and packaging. Images of mine have been used by and have appeared in Smithsonian, Germany's Stern, The National Geographic Society, The Times of London, Bank of America, The Royal Bank of Scotland, Forbes Magazine, Outside, Sierra, Town and Country, Powder, Popular Science, Geo, Elle, Reader's Digest, Playboy, Canada Post, The United Nations, Random House Publishing, The Penguin Publishing Group, McGraw-Hill, Volkswagen, Discovery Channel, British Petroleum, Time Life Publications, The Guardian, IBM, ABC News, The BBC, People Magazine, New York Magazine, Time Magazine, NBC Television, The Week Magazine, Microsoft, ABC Television, Scientific American, The United States Department of State, The United States National Institute of Health, Mental Floss, American Airlines, and many other editorial, commercial, and governmental imagery users.

Thank you very much for your interest,
Ed Darack

Reviews

[Alvaro Francisco Hidalgo Rodriguez · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the few books about America’s involvement in the Middle East that actually shows some promise in what was accomplished at a very high cost.

[Candi Maloley · Rating 5 out of 5]

My brother's unit was Echo. This was an incredible read. It's amazing what these men and women accomplished.

[Cheryl Berndt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Against overwhelming odds, including prohibitions about engaging the enemy due to politics back home, the Marines defeated Al Qaeda in the Triad of Anbar Province in Iraq in 2006-7. An unbelievable story of immense dedication and sacrifice. When you read about how our Marines genuinely cared about the local population and see the things they did to protect the civilians, this will generate a proud feeling in the bottom of your gut, whether you support U.S. involvement in this conflict or not. 2nd Battalion of the 3rd Marine regiment are heroes. They are an epic example of our military standing for those who could not stand on their own. In this age we live in, too many forget that despite this country's imperfections, it is a beacon of hope to many vulnerable people of the world. This is an epic recounting of the Marine efforts to create "enduring freedom" for the people of Haditha and the surrounding areas of the Triad as Al Qaeda made its last stand to extinguish such. The story comes to us from Mr. Ed Darack who embedded with the Marines and witnessed most of what he describes. Thank you, Mr. Darack, for telling this story because without such, no one would know The Cost and The Reward of the Marine endeavors.

[Christine Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

Five stars for the men and women involved in this heartbreaking but ultimately rewarding story. Deduct one star for the writer's attempt at 'action' BOOM, CRASH, CRASH, BOOM which totally distracted from the intense personal conflict taking place. A good writer would have been able to seamlessly describe the incoming fire, the explosions of the IED's without resorting to cartoon language.
That said, the story regarding this area of the conflict, the impact on American and Iraqi lives, the arc of the battles and recovery is very good. And I cannot honor the men and women who served there with enough accolades. They were/are heroes.

[Josh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short but powerful. Ed does a really good job of conveying the true nature of the conflict in Iraq through an infantry battalion and their relationship with the local populace. I served in 2/3 years after the time period in the book, but it's cool to know what my predecessors achieved and where I came from. Also... Mackie hall is the shit.

[Arthur · Rating 2 out of 5]

An 8 hour unabridged audiobook which led to some useful insights of how the Marines skillfully molded public sentiment in their favor, leading to an increase in their efficiency of smashing AL Qaeda in that part of Iraq. I was a bit underwhelmed overall. But it was fine for what it set out to describe.

[David Engel · Rating 2 out of 5]

In spite of the gripping stories within, I found this book hard to read. "Crack!", "Zing!", " Ka-Pow!" had me revisiting comic book reads from 50 years ago. Stories were not well connected and less engaging as a result.

[Jaclyn Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written. Clear stories on amazing men who made a world of change to a dark place.
I recommend this book.

[Sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very good book

A simultaneously heart-breaking and heartening look at one of the few, often unacknowledged, strategic victories of the American war in Iraq.

[Ash · Rating 1 out of 5]

Sorry, I'm sure it's great but I couldn't get through the first 30 pages of just military jargon. I've read plenty of military book so I understood, yet the story didnt start.