One of the better Iraq books ( )

The last chapter alone is well worth a read as Col. Collins sums up his view on the conflict in Iraq.
The Royal Irish's time spent in Northern Ireland seems to have stood it in good stead for their time in Iraq e.g. the ability to sense trouble almost "in the air", how quickly an apparently mundane scene such as a crowded marketplace can turn into something much more unpleasamt and how not to unduly aggravate and/or alienate the local people whilst attempting to encourage the various factions to co-operate and bring about at least a semblance of law & order.
Reading this book now while the debate continues as to whether or not Iraq is undergoing a "civil" war, the role of the Fedayeen seems to be rarely mentioned in contemporary reports. It is clear from the book that the Fedayeen had been well prepared prior to the invasion of Iraq for waging a guerrilla war. It's doubtful that the Fedayeen have disbanded or have disappeared yet they are rarely mentioned, the media being far more interested in "insurrectionists" from abroad. Not that the book ignores either the sunni vs shia tensions or the jihaadi element. The author recounts a scene where the tanks of the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards were unsuccesfully attacked by suicidal foreign fighters during the early days of the invasion.
One thing certainly seems to be clear and that is the wholesale failure of the politicians to have contingency plans for the immediate aftermath of the invasion. ( )