Shield and Sword

"Shield and Sword: The United States Navy and the Persian Gulf War" by Edward J. Marolda offers a detailed and authoritative account of naval operations during one of the most significant military campaigns of the late twentieth century. Marolda, a respected naval historian who served for many years with the Naval Historical Center, brings a wealth of institutional knowledge and access to primary sources that few other writers on this subject can match. The result is a book that stands as one of the more comprehensive treatments of the Navy's role in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm.

The book traces the buildup of naval forces in the Persian Gulf and surrounding waters following Iraq's invasion of Kuwait in August 1990, through the coalition's eventual liberation of Kuwait in early 1991. Marolda examines how the Navy contributed to the overall coalition effort, from establishing a maritime presence that helped enforce the international embargo against Iraq to conducting strike operations, mine countermeasures, and logistical support that proved essential to the campaign's success. He pays particular attention to the complexities of coordinating naval assets across multiple carrier battle groups, surface combatants, submarines, and amphibious forces, all while working within a joint and coalition command structure that included forces from numerous allied nations.

One of the strengths of this work is Marolda's ability to explain technical and operational details without losing readers who may not have a military background. He walks through the logistics of carrier operations, the challenges posed by mine warfare in the Gulf's shallow waters, and the strategic considerations behind naval gunfire support and cruise missile strikes. These sections are handled with clarity, making the book accessible to general readers interested in military history while still offering enough depth to satisfy those with more specialized knowledge of naval affairs.

Marolda also addresses some of the less celebrated aspects of the campaign, including the vulnerabilities exposed by Iraqi mine warfare, which damaged several U.S. Navy vessels and highlighted gaps in mine countermeasure capabilities at the time. This willingness to discuss shortcomings alongside successes lends the book a balanced quality that avoids simple triumphalism. The author situates the Gulf War within the broader context of post-Cold War naval strategy, noting how the conflict served as an early test of how naval forces would operate in a new global environment following the collapse of the Soviet Union.

The book benefits from Marolda's access to official records, after-action reports, and interviews with participants, which lend the narrative a level of authority that secondary accounts often lack. His prose is straightforward and methodical, prioritizing accuracy and clarity over dramatic storytelling. Readers looking for a fast-paced narrative in the style of popular military history may find the tone more measured, but those interested in a thorough and well-documented institutional history will appreciate the rigor Marolda brings to the subject.

Photographs, maps, and appendices supplement the text, helping to illustrate the geography of the Gulf theater and the scale of naval forces involved. These visual aids are particularly useful for readers unfamiliar with the region or the specific vessels and aircraft mentioned throughout the narrative. The organization of the book, moving chronologically through the buildup, the air campaign, and the ground war phases, allows readers to follow the Navy's evolving role as the conflict progressed.

While the book focuses specifically on naval operations, it does not exist in isolation from the broader joint effort. Marolda regularly references how naval actions supported and were supported by Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps operations, providing useful context for understanding the interservice cooperation that characterized the Gulf War. This integrated perspective helps readers appreciate the Navy's contributions without overstating its role relative to other branches.

Overall, "Shield and Sword" serves as a valuable resource for anyone seeking a detailed understanding of naval involvement in the Persian Gulf War. Its combination of scholarly rigor, clear explanation, and balanced assessment makes it a worthwhile addition to the literature on this conflict. Students of military history, naval professionals, and general readers with an interest in the Gulf War will find much to learn from Marolda's careful and well-researched account.