Essential Ally: America & Britain from Gulf War to Iraq War - Hardcover

World War I, World War II, and the entire Cold War period were dominated by the principle of 'building and maintaining alliances.' Two countries, the United States and the United Kingdom, understood the art of alliance-building more than any other nation. During the final decade of the 20th century up to the war in Iraq, the world witnessed a series of historical events: the Cold War ended, Russia disintegrated, the Gulf War was won by a US-led alliance, NATO's future was clouded, the issue of Ireland erupted, the crises of Kosovo/Bosnia-Herzegovina/Yugoslavia deepened, the tragedy of 9/11 occurred, and the subsequent Afghanistan and Iraq Wars began. During these eventful years, the US and the UK stood together to shape the course of history. Their mutual alliance was essential for both countries, and included many successful objectives. This book chronicles the successes (and the failures) of the US/UK alliance.