The Gulf conflict, 1990-1991 - Lawrence Freedman

This is a definitive chronicle of the Gulf War, stretching from the prelude to Saddam's invasion of Kuwait to his defeat by the US-led coalition and beyond. In their well-organised and dispassionate account of the war, the authors aim to answer the many questions that remain about the events of late 1990 and early 1991. Why did Saddam invade? Was a combination of sanctions and diplomacy a viable alternative to war? Was the air campaign really precise? And how was Saddam able to survive such a catastrophic defeat?