This week, the University Press of Kentucky has released a paperback edition of Desert Redleg: Artillery Warfare in the First Gulf War by L. Scott Lingamfelter.

Artillery, of course, has traditionally been dubbed the “king of battle.” The paperback release of Lingamfelter’s work—part of the AUSA Book Program—is particularly timely given the current focus on massed fires for both sides of the Russia-Ukraine war.

Desert Redleg also centers on artillery in large-scall combat operations, highlighting the oft-overlooked role of the king of battle in the 1991 conflict in the Gulf. Most people recall Desert Storm primarily as an air war, given the weeks of television imagery showing precision bombs finding their targets at all times of day. Some remember the big left hook of the ground campaign, with armored forces sweeping the opposing flank (and fighting some of the biggest tank battles in American history) to cut off the Iraqis in Kuwait.

Lingamfelter began his 28-year military career as field artilleryman (“redleg) and retired at the rank of colonel. During the Gulf War, he served as operations officer for division artillery in the 1st Infantry Division. His book details the preparation and execution of the eight-day artillery barrage--the largest US bombardment since World War II--that opened the ground phase of the campaign.

After the fight, Lingamfelter oversaw the return of the division to the States and was the last soldier from the Big Red One to leave the theater. Drawing on original battle maps, official reports, and personal journals, Lingamfelter combines memoir with military history to provide a unique overview of the war.

Lingamfelter was a guest on the Army Matters podcast upon the publication of the hardcover edition of Desert Redleg. Our discussion can be found here: https://podcast.ausa.org/e/thought-leaders-desert-redleg/

To order a copy of Desert Redleg, please visit www.ausa.org/books.