Certain Victory (HARDBACK)

Certain Victory is a unique, clearest report of the US armys performance during Gulf War. It was researched and written under the authors instruction by a group of eight officers drawn from many different combat specialities and backgrounds. Most are veterans of the Gulf War. This begins by chronicling the Armys remarkable regeneration in the two decades after Vietnam - the changes that were the foundation of the Desert Storm victory. Each chapter leads off with a compelling personal combat story that brings you right into battle alongside individual soldiers and puts the conflict into human perspective. The focus of Certain Victory is the operation and tactical levels of war. The political and diplomatic decision making that resulted in the Armys deployment to the South West Asia is mentioned incidentally and only to the degree that it sets the stage for the conflict. Certain Victorys treatment of other services and other nations contribution to the defeat of Saddam Hussein intentionally focuses on those services and countries that most directly and immediately impacted on the Armys mission. Unfortunately, time and space did not permit us to include all units and key personalities. The book is a quick read and free of military jargon, offering a balanced, comprehensive account of the largest armour battle since World War II.

About the Author:

Robert H. Scales, Jr. is a retired U.S. Army Major General and former Commandant of the U.S. Army War College. He now works as a military analyst, news commentator, and author. Scales earned a Masters and PhD in History from Duke University in the early 1970s. He was a field artillery battalion commander in Korea (1982-1986), Deputy Chief of Staff for the U.S.Army V Corps in Frankfurt, Germany (1986-1988). In 1990, he commanded NCOs at the US Army Field Artillery School at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. Scales was named director of the Desert Storm Special Study Group in 1991, and authored the book,Certain Victory, the Armys official account of the first Persian Gulf War, In 1995. He became Deputy Chief of Staff for the Army Training and Doctrine Command, developing a blue print for designing future military forces. The high point of his career was his appointment as a Commandant of the US Army War College in 1997. Major General Scales retired in November, 2000 after thirty-four years of Army service. After leaving his active duty, he was named Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz Lecturer at the University of California, Berkeley in 2004. He also serves as a commentator for both NPR and Fox News,in addition to his numerous speaking engagements.