Unlike other books about the war in Iraq, this study covers both Operations Desert Storm and Iraqi Freedom, as well as all the smaller operations in between. The result is a detailed military narrative of America's fifteen-year struggle against Iraq's Ba'athists. This unique perspective sets the scene for a new and constructive critique of US military power.

A recognized authority on US military operations in the Gulf, the author was given insider access to American military and political decision-makers with hands-on experience of operations in Iraq. Drawing on twenty-seven months of interviews and research, he provides information that has never before been released, including the first unclassified accounts of such operations as Desert Strike, Desert Fox, Northern Watch and Southern Watch, and Southern Focus. He argues that Iraq operations can only be effectively analyzed if considered as a continuum. Cradle of Conflict is essential reading for anyone wishing to understand the factors and actions that limit US military power in practice rather than in theory.

Dr Michael Knights is a senior political risk consultant for Jane's Information Group, Oxford Analytica, and a wide range of other business intelligence providers. He can be contacted at michaelk@outremerconsulting.com