&"; This is the face of war, which can only be described by those who have experienced it." Senator John McCain Fallujah: Iraq's most dangerous city has unexpectedly become the main battlefield of the Iraqi insurgency. Over the past 20 months, one American battalion after another has tried to quell the violence, which ultimately led to a bloody full-scale attack. Victory has paid a painful price: 151 Americans and thousands of Iraqis have died. Fallujah's epic battle has revealed the amazing link between policy and combat, which is part of the new reality of the war. The Marine Corps originally planned to sneak into Fallujah "as soft as fog". But after four American contractors were brutally killed, President Bush disregarded the advice of the Marine Corps and ordered an attack on the city. This attack triggered a political storm, forcing the Marine Corps to retreat amidst controversy and chaos, but for the second time was ordered to occupy a city that had become a hell of hate and a lair for the top terrorist, Zarqawi. Based on several months spent in the Fallujah camp and interviews with hundreds of people at all levels - senior policy makers, negotiators, generals, frontline soldiers, and Marines - 'No True Glory' proves the courage of American soldiers and serves as a cautionary story about the complex and often costly interconnected roles of 21st century policy, politics, and combat.