THE IRAN-IRAQ WAR VOLUME 1

The Battle for Khuzestan September 1980-May 1982

Series : Middle East@War #23

Author : Tom Cooper, E R Hooton, Farzin Nadimi

General - Pages : 88 | Images : 48 colour photos, 80 b/w photos, 18 colour profiles, 7 maps, 6 table

Paperback - Date of Publication : October 2019 | Edition : Revised & Expanded Edition | Size : 297mm x 210mm | ISBN : 9781913118525 | Helion Book Code : HEL1179

Revised Edition This new edition features new colour aircraft and vehicle profiles from Tom Cooper and Radek Panchartek, as well as revised and updated text.

The Iran-Iraq War was one of the bloodiest conflicts of the 20th century and accidentally created the current nightmare of Islamic fundamentalist terrorism. There have been many books on the conflict, but this is the first detailed military history using materials from both sides, as well as materials obtained from US intelligence circles and British governmental archives. It provides a unique insight into a war which began through miscalculation and rapidly escalated into the longest conventional conflict in the post-Second World War era. The first volume looks at the background and describes in detail how Saddam Hussein decided to invade, but hamstrung, the Iraqi Army to restrict its greatest success to a narrow strip of territory in Iran’s southern province of Khuzestan. This left the Iraqis unable to either advance or withdraw, and exposed them to ever greater and more successful Iranian counter-strokes which drove them out in May 1982 in the ferocious Battle of Khorramshahr.

Reviews taken from 1st Edition:

"this book is jam packed with excellent information about the early stages of the Iran-Iraq War and I look forward to seeing future volumes." Military Modelling

"I suspect that this volume could literally be a game-changer for the 1980s enthusiast…Inspirational, and excellent value, richly deserving of one of the editor's medals." Miniature Wargames

"I don't believe we were ever told in the western press just how horrific this two-year stretch of the war actually was, and it falls to authors such as E R Hooton to remind and educate us in that regard." Books Monthly

"Photos, text and profile images will give you an idea on how to paint and weather your model in order to achieve a nice finish. Moreover, publication has great educational value, and I am sure you will know more about the beginning of the conflict and the reasons why it gradually evolved into such big war." Detail Scale View

“Interesting and authoritative…well worth a read.” Classic Military Vehicles

“The books 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 Wargamer’s Needful Things

"This book is a valuable addition to the Middle East War series and deserves a place in the collection of anyone interested in the military conflicts of the region. Modellers will be rewarded with a valuable visual reference, as well as an inspiring read which will have you poking around in your stash, looking for a suitable kit to build from the conflict. Highly recommended.” Britmodeller.com

“ … Color and B&W photos illustrate Helion's account. Abbreviations, extended captions, maps, selected bibliography and chapter endnotes further season the study. And color profiles nicely sample participating warplane and armor livery… the book conveniently chronicles the war's initial phases.” Cybermodeler