The Fires of Babylon

‘Guardia’s writing does justice to the exciting story … This is a no-holds-barred account, told as truthfully as possible. … Overall, it’s gripping stuff.’ ~History of War

‘if you’re interested in modern armored warfare and tactics then this is well worth a read.’ ~Soldier Magazine

"...a great book for those who are interested in modern tank combat, Operation Desert Storm and Army leadership when under fire...Highly Recommended ~AMPS

"Author Mike Guardia not only carefully researched the Battle of 73 Easting and Eagle Troop’s role in decisively defeating the Iraqi enemy, but also tells the story of the men of Eagle Troop and their cohesiveness as a unit which he ascribes to Capt. McMaster’s leadership and to the professionalism of the troop’s officers and NCOs....I recommend Fires of Babylon for the insight it gives into what it takes to build a well-trained and cohesive unit, and how important good leadership is to unit morale and, ultimately, performance." ~Society of 3rd Infantry Division, Watch on the Rhine

"...an engaging historical account of Eagle Troop, 2nd Squadron, 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment’s push into Kuwait as part of Operation Desert Storm in February 1991. The author links together detailed accounts of Eagle Troop’s Battle of 73 Easting derived from personal interviews and memoirs of soldiers from Eagle Troop to give a minute-by-minute account of the battle. This book is not an argumentative piece, nor does it try to persuade the reader to view events under a particular lens; it is simply a description of events as told by the soldiers who lived through the United States’ first major tank battle since World War II. The author, Mike Guardia, is a veteran of the U.S. Army and served as an armor officer from 2008 to 2014...well written and informative given the first-hand accounts and level of detail derived only from extensive research and a willingness to provide accuracy in detail. I recommend this book to casual readers interested in personal accounts of the battle and to Army leaders interested in how this battle relates to the U.S. Army Operating Concept tenets and core competencies. " ~Military Review

"Fires is a day-by-day account of Eagle Troop’s breakthrough of the Iraqi lines. The 12 American tanks –which by any calculation didn’t stand a chance – destroyed more than 50 enemy vehicles within 23 minutes and plowed a hole through the Iraqi front. America’s armored force more than proved itself able to overcome the T-72. Guardia characterizes the Battle of 73 Easting as “the largest tank battle in American history and [it] has since been regarded as ‘the last great tank battle of the [20th Century...a solid contributor to the lore on Operation Desert Storm." ~Armor Magazine