House by house

The city of Fallujah, with a majority Sunni population, was relatively quiet after the US military invasion of Iraq in 2003. Then, however, there were several clashes between the population and US troops, and al-Qaeda-linked insurgents took advantage of this to launch armed ambushes on Americans. The fighting then grew into two "Battles of Fallujah". The first one took place in April 2004 and killed 50 American soldiers. The second battle, which also involved British and Iraqi troops, began on 7 November and ended on 23 December 2004 with the Allied occupation of the city. Americans consider it the largest urban battle since the 1968 fighting in Hue, Vietnam. It fell in it 95 Americans, 8 Iraqis and 4 British.

The wartime memoir of one of the great heroes of the Iraq War, Staff Sergeant David Bellavia, begins with fierce urban fighting with Shiite insurgents in Diyala province. Six months later, his 3rd Platoon, part of Alpha Mechanized Infantry Company, prepares to attack the heavily fortified rebel town of Fallujah. In his book, he describes brutal actions in the death zone - in the houses of militant rebels, packed with explosive traps.

These wartime memoirs credibly describe the terrible intimacy of man-to-man fighting. Bellavia records hour after hour of battles in which his men distinguish themselves by acts of heroism and self-sacrifice. Infantry-led warfare is one of the most dramatic and also one of the harshest combat experiences. Soldiers come face to face with their opponents and witness their deaths. This requires great mental resilience, bordering on cynicism. One of the ways the soldiers can vent their frustrations in this harsh environment is by using foul language, which they do not spare. The reader will also learn details about the weapons used, the tactics of street fighting, the courage and tragic mistakes that ended in a glorious victory. It is also a remembrance of the author's fellow soldiers, not all of whom make it out of the city alive.

David Bellavia was awarded the Silver Star and numerous other decorations for his service in Iraq. He was inducted into the New York Veterans Hall of Fame in 2005.