In August 1990, Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein ordered his army to occupy the oil-rich state of Kuwait - an event that triggered the First Gulf War to liberate Kuwait using military force. Although this campaign was successfully completed by 1991, tensions between Iraq and the West remained. When two hijacked airliners slammed into the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York on 11 September 2001, the world was changed irrevocably. US President George W. Bush declared a 'War on Terror' and American vengeance was swift. The Taliban regime that ruled Afghanistan was swiftly overthrown in an operation that marked the start of a long and bloody military campaign in Afghanistan. This also signalled the end of Saddam Hussein's rule and the start of a new war in Iraq, as US-led forces invaded in March 2003. In "Blood, Sweat and Steel", author Peter Darman records the personal accounts of servicemen and women who have participated in these three conflicts over the past ten years. With detailed analysis of crucial military operations, "Blood, Sweat and Steel" gives firsthand descriptions of the complexities, hardship and bravery of 20th and 21st century warfare.
Presenting a broad cross-section of experiences from a variety of nationalities and from different services, "Blood, Sweat and Steel" serves as a testimony to the bravery of those who have served in these campaigns and examines how the legacy of the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan will affect those who took part and indeed the world for many years to come.