The Warriors of Anbar

The Marines Who Crushed Al Qaeda - the Greatest Untold Story of the Iraq War

By: Ed Darack, James E. Donnellan - foreword

Narrated by: James Edward Thomas

A riveting, edge-of-your seat account of how a battalion of Marines faced off against the most brutal of Al Qaeda at its most desperate and vicious moment - and how the Marines decisively crushed the terrorists

When the 2nd Battalion of the 3rd Marine Regiment ("2/3") arrived in the little-known "Haditha Triad" region of western Iraq's Al Anbar Province in September of 2006, the region exploded in a storm of terrorist violence. The most battle-hardened of Al Qaeda had fled to the Triad, and, taking their last, desperate gasps for survival after years of bloody war, lashed out at the battalion with everything they could muster. The Marines sent into this firestorm of violence immediately lunged into a complex, double-edged mission: crush Al Qaeda and help the locals rebuild their terrorist-smashed lives and homes. After months of grueling, fearsome battle - and the loss of 23 of their ranks - the warriors of 2/3 stood tall in victory. This is their incredible story.

Warriors of Anbar is one of the greatest untold stories of modern war, one of grit, incredible courage, and utmost sacrifice. It is a story that illustrates the US Marine Corps at its very finest.

©2019 Ed Darack (P)2019 Da Capo Press

Critic reviews

"The Warriors of Anbar is a classic story of perseverance, deceit, frustration, ambition, loss and the search for meaning. By laying bare the tough truths, Ed Darack details how it really was in Iraq. Every time the battalion was hit, someone found a way to strike back. These thousand Marines refused to quit or to strike out in blind anger. Even when some at the top failed, the battalion improvised, absorbed punishment, adapted from beatings and hammered forward by unexpected means. This is a classic story of grit, loss and redemption." (Bing West, former assistant secretary of defense, and an award-winning, New York Times best-selling author)

"Ed Darack earned the right to tell this riveting tale the hard way, by embedding with the Marines. The Warriors of Anbar puts you right in the middle of one of the toughest, bloodiest and most vicious fights of the Iraq war." (Sean Naylor, New York Times best-selling author of Relentless Strike and award-winning reporter for Foreign Policy)

"The Warriors of Anbar is one of those intimate stories that is often lost when the sacrifices of the military are overshadowed by bad decisions and politics. Ed Darack skillfully reports the story of everyday Marines trying to complete an impossible mission." (Kevin Maurer, award-winning journalist and the best-selling co-author of No Easy Day)

Great book

This was a great read. I enjoyed the information in the book. Thanks to all those that pay the ultimate sacrifice!

Poor Performance

The narration is terribly annoying with sound effects and tone changes. Better to read the hard copy of this one.

The military experience

I have tried to join the marines for the longest time, but was denied due to medical issues. This book has allowed me to partly experience life as an infantryman. Laughing and crying with the marines in their stressful daily lives.

A Must Read to Understand OIF

The Marines in this book are well worth learning about, and if you have been there and understand it, this book is an awesome portrayal of their brutality against AQI, whilst winning the hearts and minds of the locals with COIN. They were the turning point to the region, ridding it of AQI, outsmarting them at every corner. The trials and tribulations of losing comrades and having to push through that is portrayed very well here, and and pays tribute to their service. This book is a must read if you wish to understand what our boys went through in one of the toughest deployments in the war on terror’s history.

THIS COL. CROWE, C.O. OF RCT 7 IN 05 & 06 SEEMS LIKE A POSTER BOY BLUE FALCON

WOW!! For an infantry officer, Col Crowe is portrayed as possibly one of the worst types of commanders i have ever heard of or served under! I wonder how many Outstanding, solid Marines & their careers he has screwed over & destroyed in his climb up the political ladder?! Political officers SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED INSIDE A THEATER OF WAR! These worthless, back stabbing officers (not all are officers, either) do nothing but bring hate & discontent down on the Marines doing the fighting. The very Marines they have a responsibility to protect from the bs that rolls down the chain of command. Furthermore, by Crowe constantly sticking his nose in situations he was not involved in, simply to try to keep his record shiny and point out other’s mistakes to keep eyes off of his mistakes is A FAILURE OF THE WORST KIND! His actions served the enemy more than he did the USMC! Only an ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTING MARINE OFFICER would stoop to such lows.
To the rest of my Marines whom have earned it, Semper Fidelis Warriors!!!

For Ryan Yurchison

This is an awesome recording of Combat in Iraq. We lost a nephew who was injured twice by suicide bombs. Once with a suicide vest attack. The second attack was a truck bomb which seriously injured Ryan killing three others.
Ryan never recovered from his injuries. This book honors all who served. Thank you…

I’m speechless

It took me a very long time to listen to this book as the memories feel like they were yesterday. Don’t forget us. Semper Fi.

Grateful to those who served.

This is a must read/listen book. You will feel like you are there. I caught myself holding my breath and frozen at times waiting to hear what was to unfold. In our modern society, we are often shielded from the realities of war and the sacrifices made by our military. I personally know one of the soldiers in this book and will always be in awe of what they did, experienced, and survived. I told him there were just no words to say to him after I finished the book, he as well acknowledged that it feels like a completely different life. The book is well written and narration is excellent. I highly recommend this book.

Amazing story.

I was there. This is accurate truth. 2/3 Fox Co. Barwanah, Iraq 2006-2007. Semper Fidelis

Amazingly accurate

This book hits the nail on the head. I was there, it’s about as an accurate accounting of events as you can get.