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"Today's readers and tomorrow's historians will be most thankful that Richard devoted years of his life to ensure New Dawn not only accurately documents these battles, but also rightfully gives the credit to those young Americans whose sacrifices made success possible."---from the Foreword by Lieutenant General Thomas Metz, US Army (Ret.)
"New Dawn is a historically accurate and riveting account of the heroic struggle for Fallujah. Lowry has captured our warriors' courage, determination, and sacrifice. A must-read to understand the War on Terror."---Colonel Mike Shupp, USMC (Ret.)
"I just wanted to tell you with tears in my eyes, you are doing a great service to this nation by telling the stories of our experiences at war. Thank you."---HM2 (FMF) Juan Rubio (Ret.)
"Richard Lowry has done a great service to thousands of families with New Dawn. Our grandchildren will have this account to better understand what was lost and what was achieved in the Battles of Fallujah."---David Bellavia, author of House to House: An Epic Memoir of War
"The detailed accuracy of accounts gathered from countless interviews sets New Dawn apart and places the reader in the middle of the fight. Richard Lowry has magnificently captured history in this riveting tribute to the heroism of our American and Coalition forces."---Sergeant Jason R. Arellano, USMC, 0311
Few names conjure up as many images of blood, sacrifice, and valor as does the name Fallujah, the ancient city in Al Anbar province forty miles west of Baghdad. This sprawling concrete jungle was the scene of a protracted months-long combat operation in 2004. The fighting began with Operation Vigilant Resolve, an aborted and short-lived effort launched that April after four American contractors were killed and hung from a bridge. The second, much larger and decisive campaign, was Operation Phantom Fury seven months later. Richard Lowry's New Dawn: The Battles for Fallujah is the first comprehensive history of this decisive engagement.
A protracted house-to-house and street-to-street combat, Operation Phantom Fury began on November 7 and continued unabated for seven bloody and exhausting weeks. It was the largest fight of Operation Iraqi Freedom and the heaviest urban combat since the Battle of Hue City, Vietnam in 1968. Death and redemption were found everywhere, from narrow streets to courtyards, kitchens, bedrooms, and rooftops. By the time the fighting ended, more than 1,400 insurgents were dead, compared to 95 Americans killed and another 1,000 wounded.
Lowry (Marines in the Garden of Eden) spent years researching and writing this new battle history. In addition to archival research, New Dawn is based upon the personal recollections of nearly 200 soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines who participated in the battles for Fallujah, from the commanding generals who planned the operations to the privates who kicked in the doors. The result is a gripping, page-turning narrative of individual sacrifice and valor that also documents the battles for future military historians.
The struggle against a determined enemy at the crossroads of civilization is the story of American kids who grew up down the block from you only to fly halfway around the world to fight in the largest battle of the war. New Dawn is about their courage, their sacrifice, and their commitment to freedom. And it is a story you will never forget.
