21 Days to Baghdad: General Buford Blount and the 3rd Infantry Division in the Iraq War

The 21 Days to Baghdad is a comprehensive and authoritative military history of the U.S.

Army's 3rd Infantry Division in Operation Iraqi Freedom.

This book provides an in-depth look at the 2003 invasion of Iraq, the siege and fall of Baghdad, and the nation-building mission that followed.

Based on extensive interviews with General Buford "Buff" Blount, the U.S.

Army two-star general who led the division, this book offers a unique perspective on the conflict.

The author, Dr.

Heather Stur, provides a detailed account of the division's commitment to Kuwait, the invasion of Iraq, and the violent desert conflicts that preceded the siege and battle for Baghdad.

She also explores the complex security mission faced by the soldiers and their commanders, who had to convince Iraqi citizens that the U.S.

was there to help them while continuing to fight Saddam Hussein's elite Republican Guard, paramilitary forces, and terrorists.

The book illustrates the long reach of the U.S.

military, the limitations of nation building in the wake of war, and the tensions between policymakers in Washington, DC, and troops on the ground over the purpose and conduct of the U.S.

invasion of Iraq.

This is a must-read for anyone interested in understanding the complexities of modern warfare and the challenges faced by military leaders and policymakers.