Fallujah Awakens tells the story of the remarkable turnaround that followed the battle. Journalist Bill Ardolino explains how local tribal leaders and U.S. Marines forged a surprising alliance that helped secure the famous battleground. It is one of the few books to recount events from both American and Iraqi perspectives. Based on more than 120 interviews with Iraqis and U.S. Marines, Ardolino describes how a company of reservists, led by a medical equipment sales manager from Michigan, succeeded where previous efforts had stalled. Circumstance combined with smart, charismatic leadership enabled Americans to build relationships with members of a Sunni tribe--once written off as dangerous and intractable-- who pushed al Qaeda and other insurgents from their notoriously rebellious area. -- From the publisher.

Introduction --Dark -- Chasing shadows -- COIN -- Alliance -- The Diya -- Pulling threads -- Adilah -- Civil affairs -- Wasta -- A Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade -- Down by the river -- Hawa -- Score -- "Because the language they use is killing": al Qaeda and the Sunni insurgency -- Gas -- MassCas -- Endgame -- Afterword: a note on COIN. Introduction -- Dark --Chasing shadows --COIN -- Alliance -- The Diya -- $t Pulling threads -- Adilah -- Civil affairs -- Wasta -- A Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade -- Down by the river -- Hawa -- Score -- "Because the language they use is killing": al Qaeda and the Sunni insurgency -- Gas -- MassCas -- Endgame -- Afterword: a note on COIN.