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INSIDE THE DANGER ZONE
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INSIDE THE DANGER ZONE
The U.S. Military in the Persian Gulf, 1987-1988
Harold Lee Wise
| ISBN/SKU: | 9781591149705 |
| Binding: | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages: | 272 |
| Number of Photos: | 25 |
| Number of Line Art: | 2 |
| Number of Maps: | 2 |
| Total Illustrations: | 27 |
| Date Available: | May 2007 |
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$36.95 List Price
$11.09 Clear The Decks Price *
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Meet the Author
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| Saturday, February 11, 2012 | Meet the Author & Book Signing 1:00pm, Battle of Roanoke Island Symposium, Fort Raleigh Nat’l. Historic Site, 1401 National Park Dr., Manteo, NC |
| Other Author Events | |
Description
In May 1987, an Iraqi plane fired two missiles into USS Stark, a lone U.S. Navy frigate on patrol in the Gulf. The missiles severely damaged the ship and killed thirty-seven sailors. This deadly attack, which
Inside the Danger Zone is a history of U.S. military involvement in the Persian Gulf in 1987 and 1988—a time of burning ships, air strikes, and secret missions—the prelude to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, Desert Storm, and the most recent U.S. invasion of Iraq. Based largely on first-hand accounts from veterans of that era, it is an up-close, detailed report from the front lines of "a guerrilla war at sea." Many of the dramatic incidents of this period are told in depth, with new information and details never before seen in print.
Harold Lee Wise is an adjunct history professor at Elizabeth City State University in Elizabeth City, N.C. A native of Stumpy Point, N.C., he is a graduate of the College of Albemarle (1999), East Carolina University (2002), and Sam Houston State University (2005). His thesis topic was the Iraqi attack on USS Stark. An early draft of the thesis won the Ben H. Powell writing award at Sam Houston State. He is a frequent contributor to military history encyclopedias. Wise lives in Manteo, N.C., and is married with two children.
On You Tube at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-1w_jHGkW8
"…a Tom Clancy thriller—or, rather, better." —Christopher Dickey, Newsweek's Paris-based bureau chief and Mideast editor
"By including sufficient background and detailing the strategic aims of Washington policy makers as well as the tactical moves by the on-scene commanders, Wise conveys both the complexities of U.S. operations and the fighting and dying that routinely occurred. A fast-moving page turner, Inside the Danger Zone is a must read for the naval history buff or anyone seeking to probe more deeply into the complexities of American involvement in Middle East war and politics." —Rear Adm. Harold J. Bernsen, USN (Ret.), Commander, Middle East Force, 1986-88
"Between the occupation of the U.S. embassy in Tehran in 1979 and the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in 1990, the United States Navy navigated the dangerous waters of the Persian Gulf, protecting the sea lanes and the flow of oil while Iran and Iraq slugged it out in a bloody war for supremacy in the region. Inside the Danger Zone is a clearly written and thoughtfully conceived account of naval operations there during the late 1980s. Harold Wise interviewed the key figures on the American side and has seamlessly blended their accounts with the relevant U.S. Navy documents. For anyone interested in understanding how the politics of oil, international rivalries, and naval policy intersect, Inside the Danger Zone is a must read." —James S. Olson, Distinguished Professor of History, Sam Houston State University
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Customer Reviews
Youssef Aboul-Enein 2008-01-23 
Reviewed in Nav District Washington, The Waterline
Wise writes about Kuwait?s role in securing a commitment from the United States to protect oil shipping in the Persian Gulf during the Iran-Iraq War. Kuwait played the United States and the Soviet Union against each other to ensure one superpower came to defend vital Persian Gulf sea lanes. During that time, Kuwait set a precedent of providing fuel to the allies who protected its oil shipping lanes. Understanding the political dynamics and U.S. Naval operations in the Persian Gulf of this time period offers valuable insight for our continued presence in this volatile area.
Reviewed in Nav District Washington, The Waterline
Wise writes about Kuwait?s role in securing a commitment from the United States to protect oil shipping in the Persian Gulf during the Iran-Iraq War. Kuwait played the United States and the Soviet Union against each other to ensure one superpower came to defend vital Persian Gulf sea lanes. During that time, Kuwait set a precedent of providing fuel to the allies who protected its oil shipping lanes. Understanding the political dynamics and U.S. Naval operations in the Persian Gulf of this time period offers valuable insight for our continued presence in this volatile area.
David Axe 2007-08-06 
Reviewed in Defense Technology Int'l., July/Aug 07
"The U.S. involvement in the so-called Tanker War saw the breathtaking combat debut of the Army's 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment and the first combat use of night-vision goggles by helicopter pilots. But perhaps most impressive was the rushed outfitting of a 1960s-era oil support platform as an ad-hoc 'sea base' supporting choppers, patrol boats and signals-intelligence troops. The unorthodox floating base inspired a fair amount of hand-wringing among senior Pentagon officials who felt it was too vulnerable and too weird, but the idea not only worked, it presaged the Navy's current sea-basing and "Global Fleet Station" concepts. Wise deserves kudos for highlighting this nearly forgotten, but important, naval development." "In Wise's compelling book, the tense escorts, daring special forces raids, and intelligence operations represent the tentative first steps of the reborn post-Vietnam U.S. military that would go on to trounce Iraq's army twice in 12 years and successfully invade land-locked Afghanistan with a tiny sea-based force of Marines."
Reviewed in Defense Technology Int'l., July/Aug 07
"The U.S. involvement in the so-called Tanker War saw the breathtaking combat debut of the Army's 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment and the first combat use of night-vision goggles by helicopter pilots. But perhaps most impressive was the rushed outfitting of a 1960s-era oil support platform as an ad-hoc 'sea base' supporting choppers, patrol boats and signals-intelligence troops. The unorthodox floating base inspired a fair amount of hand-wringing among senior Pentagon officials who felt it was too vulnerable and too weird, but the idea not only worked, it presaged the Navy's current sea-basing and "Global Fleet Station" concepts. Wise deserves kudos for highlighting this nearly forgotten, but important, naval development." "In Wise's compelling book, the tense escorts, daring special forces raids, and intelligence operations represent the tentative first steps of the reborn post-Vietnam U.S. military that would go on to trounce Iraq's army twice in 12 years and successfully invade land-locked Afghanistan with a tiny sea-based force of Marines."
