Takedown: The 3rd Infantry Division's Twenty-One Day Assault on Baghdad

We in the military have learned to ignore most things reporters write, but the policy of allowing embedded journalists in the Iraq war may change that. This author was embedded as a reporter for a national news magazine. He tells the tale of an amazing performance by the 3d Infantry Division from the inside, but with an outsider's perspective. He intersperses his own observations with accounts from interviews with officers and men of the Third, and even occasionally with the reaction of Iraqi officers to the Third and other U.S. units. Well worth buying. Highly recommended.

Before reading this book I was afraid that it would be another dry account of operation "Iraqi Freedom", stuffed with so much first hand talk that it would be boring and repetitive in the process. It turned out to be a very nice surprise instead! With the help of numerous maps, Lacey explains in a simple but absorbing way all the operational and tactical aspects of the 21-day drive to Baghdad, balancing perfectly his story with extremely interesting material from the Iraqi side, especially that of the Republican Guard top leadership. The short chapters deal with every stage of that lightning campaign, using impressive first hand accounts wherever it is needed, but also fine analysis in order to give the reader a more in-depth knowledge of how a modern heavy division plans, moves and fights. Highly recommended to anyone interested in the Iraq war!

I read this book in a single sitting. At critical moments in the battle the author really makes you feel as if you are watching events right over the shoulders of the troops doing the fighting. At the same time I was impressed at the scope of the book and loved reading the Iraqi side of the fight.

An utterly fascinating account of the invasion of Iraq!!! I got an advanced copy of this book and finished it in a single day. I had already read a number of books about the invasion of Iraq and thought I had a clear understanding of what happened. I was wrong. Takedown was full of insights and told a story I had never heard before. What the 3rd Infantry Division accomplished was simply incredible and I am surprised that this has remained such an untold story for so long. If you have an interest in military history or current events, then this book is a must read.

This is easily the most interesting account of the invasion of Iraq yet written and it covers not only the American perspective on the fighting, but also the Iraqi's viewpoint (based on interviews with Iraqi generals). Virtually every other history I have read has totally overlooks the contribution the 3rd Infantry Division made to the fight and until now they were in danger of being the forgotten piece of the war. This is a bit surprising since the 3rd ID did most of the fighting on the march up - far surpassing the amount of contact the Marines faced (though their performance was also spectacular). No matter what you may think of the right or wrong of our involvement in Iraq or what has happened since the invasion, there is no doubt that the actual assault from Kuwait to Baghdad was brilliantly executed and deserves to be recorded as one of the greatest military operations in American history. Takedown tell this story in magnificent fashion and captures this often harrowing fight in incredible detail. I walked away from it with a new respect for the American soldier and our Army.... A great read that I recommend to all!