In this expansion of their widely acclaimed The Iraq War: A Military History, Williamson Murray and Robert Scales once again boldly enter the theatre of conflict while the struggle still rages. From the missteps of civilian strategists at the highest levels, to the grinding toll on an over-extended force of soldiers, marines and reservists, the United States' uncertain performance during the occupation of Iraq receives intense and critical assessment from two of America's most respected military historians. With an authoritative new chapter, Murray and Scales analyse the flawed efforts of military and political leaders to combat the insurgency between September 2003 and the Iraqi election of January 30, 2005. And in an extension of their lucid essay on lessons learned from the war, they focus on crucial cultural factors, which, if unaddressed, can wreck the best-laid military plans.