Military historian O'Donnell (Into the Rising Sun) embedded himself in the 1st Platoon of Lima Company, 1st Marine Regiment. His book describes its training and deployment to Iraq in 2004, where the platoon patrolled, fended off guerrilla attacks and finally "fought bravely and died in the Iraq War's fiercest battle" in Fallujah.

Includes index. Originally published: 2006. Includes maps of: Iraq and Fallujah; Initial Assault into Fallujah - 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines (Lima Company), Operation Al Fajr, Nov. 8-10, 2004; Into the Heart of Fallujah, Nov. 11-15; Lima's Final Push into Queens, Nov. 16-19. Includes bibliographical references and index.

1Boots -- 1 -- 2 A Grunt's Grunt -- 13 -- 3 Into the Cauldron -- 29 -- 4 Trojan Horses -- 41 -- 5 Feints -- 49 -- 6 Die Is Cast -- 61 -- 7 "I'm Gonna Take You to Hell" -- 79 -- 8 "Steel Rain" -- 93 -- 9 "Allahu Akbar"-God Is Great -- 103 -- 10 Back into the Fray -- 115 -- 11 A Whiter Shade of Pale -- 131 -- 12 "So Far Together" -- 145 -- 13 Full Circle -- 155 -- 14 Wolves of Islam -- 165 -- 15 D9s -- 183 -- 16 Rest -- 195 -- 17 Requiem -- 205 -- 18 Home -- 211 -- Afterword: Why I Went to Iraq and Wrote this Book -- 217 -- Chronology-1st Platoon and the Battle of Fallujah -- 225 -- Where They Are Now -- 227.