Bandit (Hardback)

The Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in August 1990 was condemned by the United Nations and led to a military coalition of thirty-five countries, spearheaded by the United States and United Kingdom. Bravo Company, 2nd Battalion, 70th Armor Regiment, 1st Armored Division—better known as "Bandit"—was one of nearly 200 American armor and infantry companies that were called to fight. Bandit: The Inside Story of an Abrams Tank Company during Desert Storm tells the tale of the sixty-three soldiers and ocers in this army unit. Bandit's commander and author Mark T. Gerges recounts the company's pre–Gulf War stationing in Germany in the final months of the Cold War, the unit's unexpected deployment to Saudi Arabia, and subsequent combat in Iraq. Bandit features a firsthand account of the Battle of Medina Ridge, the largest US tank battle since World War II, and uses journals, letters, and military orders to present a full snapshot of one unit during Desert Storm. Through interviews with soldiers and spouses, Gerges provides an all-encompassing view of the operation, including the costs on those at home. Bandit closely follows the experience of those who served with Gerges, providing the human story of a tank company at the end of the Cold War.