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

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 mission: 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.

Ed Darack is the author of six previous books, including the critically acclaimed Victory Point about Operations Red Wings and Whalers, and The Final Mission of Extortion 17, the story behind the single deadliest day for US troops in the War in Afghanistan. He has embedded with US forces four times in Afghanistan and twice in Iraq, where he did the field work for Warriors of Anbar. Darack is the author of hundreds of feature articles on a broad spectrum of topics for publications including the New York Times Magazine, Newsweek, Smithsonian's Air & Space (where he's a contributing editor), Leatherneck, Marine Corps Gazette, Proceedings of the United States Naval Institute, Foreign Policy, Weatherwise (where he's a contributing editor), and many others.