The Iran-Iraq War (Revised & Expanded Edition)

Volume 2 - Iran Strikes Back, June 1982-December 1986

by E. R. Hooton, Tom Cooper and Farzin Nadimi

Series: Middle East@War

Imprint: Helion and Company

112 Pages, 8.25 x 11.7 in, 120 photos, 15 artworks, 5-6 maps & 4-5 diags

Paperback
9781913118532
November 2019
Temporarily out of stock. Ships in 2-3 weeks.

$35.00

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Description
Authors
Praise

Volume 2 takes up the account after Iraq withdrew from Khuzestan and is based upon material from both sides, from US Intelligence data, British Government documents and secret Iraqi files. Iraq’s withdrawal exposed the great southern city of Basra to Iranian attack but it was shielded by fortifications based upon a huge anti-tank ditch, the so-called Fish Lake, which the Iranians tried to storm in the summer of 1982. This bloody failure left Tehran in a position where prestige prevented a withdrawal into Iran but the armed forces lacked the resources to bring the conflict to a favorable conclusion. During the next four years the Iranians tried to outflank the Fish Lake defenses initially through the marshes in the north and finally through an attack on the Fao Peninsula which increased national prestige but was a strategic failure and paved the way for Iraq’s massive victories in 1988. This followed a series of successful defensive battles in which the Iranians were driven back with great loss. This account describes the battles in greater detail than before and, by examining them, provides unique insights and ends many of the myths which are repeated in many other accounts of this conflict.

E. R. Hooton is a retired defense journalist and a member of the British Commission for military history. He has written numerous articles and books.

Tom Cooper is an Austrian aerial warfare analyst and historian. Following a career in worldwide transportation business – during which he established a network of contacts in the Middle East and Africa – he moved into narrow-focus analysis and writing on small, little-known air forces and conflicts, about which he has collected extensive archives. This has resulted in specialization in such Middle Eastern air forces as of those of Egypt, Iran, Iraq, and Syria, plus various African and Asian air forces. Except for authoring and co-authoring more than 30 books - including about a dozen of titles for Helion’s @War series - and over 1000 articles, Cooper is a regular correspondent for multiple defense-related publications.

Farzin Nadimi is a writer and researcher of the Middle Eastern and Persian Gulf defense and security affairs, with a focus on Iran-Iraq War military history, energy security and geopolitics, economic warfare, and oil and gas industries. He has a Master's degree in War Studies from King's College London and a PhD in Middle Eastern Studies from the University of Manchester. He lives in Washington, DC.

"The books themselves are large, and eighty pages long. They are full of pictures of the war, and also have a good amount of large colored side views of the of the different planes, armor, and other vehicles. These are excellent for model makers. The military and political history of the war is fascinating, and the books' writing only serves to make it that much better. These volumes are another score for Helion&Company." ~A Wargamers Needful Things

"This book is jam packed with excellent information about the Iran-Iraq War." ~Military Modelling

“Again, color and B&W photos illustrate Helion's account. Abbreviations, extended captions, maps, selected bibliography and chapter endnotes also enhance the effort. And a dozen color profiles – six AFVs and six helicopters – provide plenty of model project inspiration… Strongly recommended!” ~Cybermodeler

‘’The book makes for interesting reading while the inclusion of lots of archive images (many in colour), maps and some excellent colour profile artwork which illustrate the colours and markings on helicopters and AFVs which modellers will appreciate. The mix of Western and Soviet equipment on both sides adds to the interest.’’ ~Military Model Scene