Irregular or guerrilla forces and warfare Books

Book SynopsisA Times Political Book of the Year 2022A powerful and revelatory eyewitness account of the American collapse in Afghanistan, its desperate endgame, and the war's echoing legacy.Elliot Ackerman left the American military ten years ago, but his time in Afghanistan and Iraq with the Marines and, later, as a CIA paramilitary officer marked him indelibly. When the Taliban began to close in on Kabul in August of 2021 and the Afghan regime began its death spiral, he found himself pulled back into the conflict. The official evacuation process was a bureaucratic failure that led to a humanitarian catastrophe. Ackerman was drawn into an impromptu effort to arrange flights and negotiate with both Taliban and American forces to secure the safe evacuation of hundreds. These were desperate measures taken during a desperate end to America's longest war, but the success they achieved afforded a degree of redemption: and, for Ackerman, a chance to reconcile his past with his present.The Fifth Act is aTrade Review PRAISE FOR THE FIFTH ACT ‘Both an intellectual and a man of action… [Ackerman] tells the story of the ‘clusterf**k’ unfolding as he holidays in Venice with his children. This conjunction of banality and evil is very striking’ The Sunday Telegraph ‘[Ackerman] writes with power and raw honesty about how combat leaves no-one untouched and the survivors guilty… Ackerman takes this story far beyond the wars he fought and focuses on the changes the US has been through in 20 years…The Fifth Act is not just about collapse abroad, but a warning about collapse at home’The Times, Tom Tugendhat, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee ‘During the chaotic US ‘fighting retreat’ from Kabul in August 2022, the writer, a former Marine, desperately tried to extract Afghan interpreters and others who had served with the US military and diplomatic corps…The stories of the evacuation attempts …are extraordinarily affecting’TLS ‘The quality of the writing stands out. . . . part of a distinguished and growing literature by American veterans trying to understand the experience of those who served. . . . The Fifth Act’s contribution to understanding the war lies foremost in passages of reflection and well-chosen quotes . . . They give pause and offer a window into deeper thought’ Washington Post ‘[Ackerman] has a unique ability to center his and his comrades’ lived experience within the larger historical continuum’ Washington Review of Books ‘The Fifth Act is among the best books about war that I've ever read’Michael Morell, former Director, CIA ‘The American betrayal of Afghanistan took twenty years. Elliot Ackerman, a participant and witness, tells the story with unsparing honesty in this intensely personal chronicle’George Packer

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Book SynopsisTHE STORY OF BRITAIN''S LEADING FORENSIC EXPLOSIVES SCIENTIST, WHO FOR NEARLY THREE-DECADES INVESTIGATED SOME OF THE MOST PROMINENT NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL BOMB ATTACKS IN HISTORY.Cliff Todd devoted his life to bringing bomb makers to justice. He and his colleagues at the Ministry of Defence''s Forensic Explosives Laboratory are the unsung heroes of terrorist bomb attacks - the men and women in white suits who piece together who planted the bombs, what a device consisted of and how the perpetrators might give themselves away.They played a pivotal role in uncovering the secrets behind some of the world''s most horrifying terrorist outrages. Explosive tells the stories of these high-profile cases and details, for the first time, the contribution Todd and his team made in tracking down bombers during a time when Britain was under attack first by the IRA and then by Islamic extremists inspired by al-Qaeda.Explosive takes thTrade ReviewCliff Todd devoted his life to bringing bomb makers to justice. He and his ingenious colleagues at the MoD's Forensic Explosives Laboratory played a pivotal role in uncovering the secrets behind many of the world's most horrifying terrorist outrages. From Lockerbie, through 7/7, to the Shoe Bomber and beyond, this elite band of unsung heroes did their duty without fanfare, and often at great personal cost. They are the technicians in white coats who stand behind the men in black, but are themselves no strangers to the killing zone. Explosive tells their fascinating and deeply moving story. * Major Chris Hunter, QGM, bestselling author of Eight Lives Down and Extreme Risk *Gripping! A fantastic insight into a world only few understand * Kim Hughes GC, author the Sunday Times bestseller Painting The Sand *An incredible story about the government unit who allowed us (the SAS) to do our job * Mark’ Billy’ Billingham, SAS veteran and Sunday Times bestselling author of The Hard Way. *Command is a stunning achievement. This is a book that sucks you in from the first page. Deeply incisive, each paragraph brings a new revelation. Al Murray's writing is as original and his conclusions as controversial as the generals he depicts. At the end of each chapter, you are left exhaling with a sense of "I didn't expect that." -- Peter Caddick-Adams

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Book SynopsisDescribes and illustrates the full range of Dutch resistance groups and German and collaborationist counter-resistance groups during the Nazi occupation in 1940-45.The Nazi occupation of the Netherlands was a complex, varied and bloody affair. Well- documented is the initial capture by the Gestapo of a secret Dutch Special Operations Executive radio-operator who thereafter lured several parachuted agents to their deaths, but, the actual scope and complexity of the occupation was much greater than this. Large-scale civil resistance against the occupation began as early as February 1941, and 1943 saw assassinations, reprisals, and the development of various resistance groups the LKP National Assault Teams and some ''wild'' armed groups: the left wing RzV and the conservative OD. In addition, several overlapping Dutch organizations amalgamated in September 1944 into the NBS: ''Netherlands Interior Forces''. In return, the Germans created the collaborationist Landwacht sTrade ReviewThe story of the country's occupation is not a subject widely covered and this book redresses that in a highly informative way that goes beyond what the reader may think they already know. -- John Norris * Gun Mart & Militaria Mart magazine *I found this taught me a lot that I had not known before, so a good value addition to your references, and with artwork which is likely to attract many modellers with the inspiration/reference of some less familiar uniforms to try. -- Robin Buckland * Military Model Scene *'An abundance of books has been written about resistance and collaboration in the Netherlands during the Second World War, but not too many of them in English. Klaas Castelein from Duiven and Michel Wenting from Doesburg did write about it in English.' 'We realized that most books about resistance and collaboration had been written in Dutch. As a result, foreigners cannot disclose any information about this, yet its history is incredibly fascinating.' Wenting and Castelein sketch a balanced view: 'In some parts of the country the Resistance seriously contributed to the liberation, but in other parts they got passionately engaged in exacting vengeance on Germans and collaborators'. -- Piet Venhuizen * De Gelderlander *Table of ContentsFASCISM IN THE PRE-WAR NETHERLANDS Nationaal-Socialistische Beweging (NSB, National Socialist Movement) Nationale Jeugdstorm (NJS, National Youth Force) Nationaal-Socialistische Nederlandse Arbeiderspartij (NSNAP, National Socialist Netherlands Workers’ Party) Zwart Front (ZF, Black Front) and Nationaal Front (NF, National Front) Grauwe Vendels (GV, Grey Banners) THE MILITARY OCCUPATION, 1940–45 THE SECURITY APPARATUS General Commission for Security Local security forces: Nazification of the Dutch police Wachtmannen (Watchmen) Kontroll-Kommando (KK, Control Guard) Nederlandse Landwacht (LW, Home Guard) Landstorm Nederland (LSN, Territorial Defence Force) GROWTH OF THE RESISTANCE, 1940–44 Continuing the fight from Great Britain The ‘England Game’ Emergence of the first resistance movements: Communistische Partij Nederland (CPN, Netherlands Communist Party) Geuzen (‘Beggars’) Ordedienst (OD, Order Service) CS-6 Raad van Verzet (RVV, Resistance Council) Three women RVV fighters Landelijke Organisatie voor Hulp aan Onderduikers (LO, National Organizationfor Help to People in Hiding) The decisive general strike, April–May 1943 Landelijke Knokploegen (LKP, National Assault Teams) Prison raids OPEN WARFARE, FROM SEPTEMBER 1944 ALLIED LIBERATION OPERATIONS, 1944–45 GLOSSARY AND ABBREVIATIONS SELECT BIBLIOGRAPHY INDEX

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Book SynopsisThe author is among the few to have witnessed at first hand the devastating reality of life in the failed and desperate state of Somalia. In this book, he takes us to the heart of the struggle, meeting everyone from politicians, pirates, extremists and mercenaries to aid workers, civilians and refugees.Trade ReviewOne of the best narratives of discovery I have read for years. The sense of place is acute, the characters and landscapes vivid ... rivals Ryszard Kapuscinski and Robert Byron at their best. -- Robert Fox * Evening Standard *Fergusson has a talent for shedding light in dark places. While most reporters have opted to stay away, Fergusson has risked his life to cover the ground and, an even greater achievement, succeeded in making the Somali mess understandable and relevant. It is this insight, alongside his harrowing account of life in the grief zone that gives Fergusson's book its power. -- Anthony Sattin * Observer *Essential reading for those who seek to counter the menace. With ingenuity and no little courage he has travelled far and wide, within Somalia and among the Somali diaspora in Britain and America, delving into the soul of a ravaged community. * The Economist *What [Fergusson] has done, with heroic tenacity and no little courage, is to spend much of the last two years wandering from one end of the country to the other, interviewing politicians and presidents, fighters and pirates, foreign advisers and security guards, and above all scores of ordinary Somalis, whose lives have been destroyed by 20 years of carnage and whose tales he eloquently recounts. An elegant writer, with a scholarly understanding of history, he brings to terrible light the catastrophe that is Somalia. -- Caroline Moorehead * The Spectator *Fergusson's book is an honest, illuminating and surprisingly funny account of his travels through a lawless land in which the lure of terrorism all too often proves irresistible. * Mail on Sunday *A perceptive and engaging account. * Guardian *Excellent. -- Mark Doyle * Observer *If you meet James Fergusson on your travels, look out, you are most definitely in the wrong place. The writer has earned something of a reputation as a specialist on the dark side of the troubled world in which we live. From the Balkans to Afghanistan and the modern-day hell that is sub-Saharan Africa, the adventurous journalist and best-selling author has put his life on the line to become a global authority on Al Qaeda, the Taliban, boy soldiers in Somalia - and the worst aspects of human behaviour in the most inhospitable and dangerous regions. -- Jim McBeth * Daily Mail *This book is one of the most detailed and illuminating books I have ever read. Comprehensive, detailed, and filled with information, this is an excellent read. Read this book. * Army Rumour Service (ARRSE) *Coruscating reportage... Fergusson is a great journalist, and such truly brilliant investigative work offers the seeds, the suggestions of remedies for the contagion beneath the reporter’s microscope. -- Roger Hutchinson * Scotsman *Riveting ... Fergusson rounds out this invaluable work by noting the glimmers of hope appearing * Publishers Weekly *[A] fine book... With his usual insouciant courage – for this country is not for the faint-hearted – Fergusson takes us on an invigorating journey through Somali life and history... wide-ranging and fascinating. -- Frank Ledwidge * RUSI journal *Exceptional... Fergusson vividly recounts the grotesque horrors of the endless war in Somalia while leavening his account with the gallows humor of some of the war’s participants. -- Nicolas van de Walle * Foreign Affairs magazine *

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Book SynopsisIt Had to Be Tough tells the fascinating story of the origins of the Commandos (Britain's first Special Service troops and the forerunners of today's Parachute Regiment, the SAS and the SBS). The Commandos were raised on the specific and personal orders of Winston Churchill in the dark days of the summer of 1940 when these islands faced the real threat of a Nazi invasion. It was a bold, but typically Churchillian, decision.This engaging book traces the formation of the Commandos and the extreme and often unorthodox training methods and techniques used to prepare the volunteers from all branches of the British Army for subsequent world-wide operations. These ground-breaking operations included the 'great raids' on Norway and France, and the full scale invasions of North Africa, Sicily, Italy, Normandy and Burma.Arguably the Army Commandos were disbanded too hastily after the War but their legacy, traditions and fighting spirit live on in those artillery, engineer and corps troops who today win their coveted 'Green Berets' and serveTrade ReviewThis book tells the story of the origins of the Commandos, a unit raised on the specific and personal orders of Winston Churchill. The author James Dunning, was himself a member of No 4 Commando during WW2 and took part in a number of it's raids before becoming an instructor. His account concentrates on all aspects of training, and provides a fascinating insight into principles and techniques that still apply today. - Classic Military Vehicle The Commandos developed an approach to warfare which was the complete antithesis to the conventional and defensive mindset of the British infantryman of 1940. Trained to fight in complete isolation and to make rapid and aggressive progress with only their small arms and personal determination and initiative to assist them, they evolved into a truly elite fighting force which was capable of causing mayhem and destruction out of all proportion to their size. James Dunning does not dwell upon the numerous raids which made them famous, instead he explores the unorthodox and notoriously gruelling training regime through which every Commando had to pass; a regime which would tolerate nothing less than the keenest, fittest, most self-disciplined and capable soldiers that Britain could produce. Covering every aspect of this system, from physical training to rehearsals for large-scale amphibious operations, "It Had to be Tough" reveals what it was which shaped each individual Commando and so made possible their legendary achievements. - Pegasus Archive

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Book SynopsisIn The Beekeeper of Sinjar, the acclaimed poet and journalist Dunya Mikhail tells the harrowing stories of women from across Iraq who have managed to escape the clutches of ISIS. Since 2014, ISIS has been persecuting the Yazidi people, killing or enslaving those who won't convert to Islam. These women have lost their families and loved ones, along with everything they've ever known. Dunya Mikhail weaves together the women's tales of endurance and near-impossible escape with the story of her own exile and her dreams for the future of Iraq. In the midst of ISIS's reign of terror and hatred, an unlikely hero has emerged: the Beekeeper. Once a trader selling his mountain honey across the region, when ISIS came to Sinjar he turned his knowledge of the local terrain to another, more dangerous use. Along with a secret network of transporters, helpers, and former bootleggers, Abdullah Shrem smuggles brutalised Yazidi women to safety through the war-torn landscapes of Iraq, Syria, and Eastern Turkey. This powerful work of literary nonfiction offers a counterpoint to ISIS's genocidal extremism: hope, as ordinary people risk torture and death to save the lives of others.Trade ReviewIt is not for the faint-hearted, but they should read it anyway. We should all read it. -- Peter Stanford * Observer *Remarkable ... With this short book, the tragedies and the heroism of this time of horror will survive intact. -- Louise Callaghan * Sunday Times *Rare and powerful ... Mikhail has created a searing portrait of courage, humanity and savagery, told in a mosaic of voices. ... [her] gifts as a poet infuse these narratives with unexpected beauty * The New York Times *Mikhail bears witness to women in war-torn Iraq, women who have scarcely known peace throughout their lives. That she is a poet is clear on each page. * Kirkus Reviews *

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Book SynopsisTwice a year, 150 anxious recruits gather at SAS headquarters in the UK, their minds focused on one objective: to become SAS soldiers in one of the world’s most elite regiments. Yet between arriving and receiving the famous winged dagger badge, stands nearly four months of the toughest military selection process in the world. Could you rise to this exceptional challenge of mind and body? How to Pass the SAS and Special Forces Selection Course shows you how. Beginning with essential preparation, the book covers fitness training, navigation skills and the four-week selection course itself. Find out how to keep the instructors happy, how to deal with exhaustion during Test Week, and how to survive disaster strike on bleak mountains. But having been selected, there’s still training. Learn how the recruits acquire the skills of an SAS soldier, from hostage rescue to handling foreign weapons, from parachute training to surviving jungle courses, from escape and evasion to resistance and interrogation. Illustrated with black-and-white photographs and instructive artworks and including first-hand accounts, How to Pass the SAS and Special Forces Selection Course is an exhaustive, lively guide to the process of becoming one of the world’s best soldiers.Table of ContentsChapter One: The Regiment Chapter 2. Application and Preparation Chapter 3. The Skills Required Chapter 4. Selection Chapter 5. Continuation Training Chapter 6. Combat Survival Training Chapter 7. Life in the Regiment SAS Chronology SAS Organization Index

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Book SynopsisA Times Political Book of the Year 2022A powerful and revelatory eyewitness account of the American collapse in Afghanistan, its desperate endgame, and the war's echoing legacy.Elliot Ackerman left the American military ten years ago, but his time in Afghanistan and Iraq with the Marines and, later, as a CIA paramilitary officer marked him indelibly. When the Taliban began to close in on Kabul in August of 2021 and the Afghan regime began its death spiral, he found himself pulled back into the conflict. The official evacuation process was a bureaucratic failure that led to a humanitarian catastrophe. Ackerman was drawn into an impromptu effort to arrange flights and negotiate with both Taliban and American forces to secure the safe evacuation of hundreds. These were desperate measures taken during a desperate end to America's longest war, but the success they achieved afforded a degree of redemption: and, for Ackerman, a chance to reconcile his past with his present.The Fifth Act is aTrade Review PRAISE FOR THE FIFTH ACT ‘Both an intellectual and a man of action… [Ackerman] tells the story of the ‘clusterf**k’ unfolding as he holidays in Venice with his children. This conjunction of banality and evil is very striking’ The Sunday Telegraph ‘[Ackerman] writes with power and raw honesty about how combat leaves no-one untouched and the survivors guilty… Ackerman takes this story far beyond the wars he fought and focuses on the changes the US has been through in 20 years…The Fifth Act is not just about collapse abroad, but a warning about collapse at home’The Times, Tom Tugendhat, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee ‘During the chaotic US ‘fighting retreat’ from Kabul in August 2022, the writer, a former Marine, desperately tried to extract Afghan interpreters and others who had served with the US military and diplomatic corps…The stories of the evacuation attempts …are extraordinarily affecting’TLS ‘The quality of the writing stands out. . . . part of a distinguished and growing literature by American veterans trying to understand the experience of those who served. . . . The Fifth Act’s contribution to understanding the war lies foremost in passages of reflection and well-chosen quotes . . . They give pause and offer a window into deeper thought’ Washington Post ‘[Ackerman] has a unique ability to center his and his comrades’ lived experience within the larger historical continuum’ Washington Review of Books ‘The Fifth Act is among the best books about war that I've ever read’Michael Morell, former Director, CIA ‘The American betrayal of Afghanistan took twenty years. Elliot Ackerman, a participant and witness, tells the story with unsparing honesty in this intensely personal chronicle’George Packer

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Book SynopsisIn this fully illustrated introduction, acclaimed historian Dr Aaron Edwards provides a concise overview of one of the most difficult and controversial actions in recent history. Spanning 38 years of the Troubles', the British Army's deployment in Northern Ireland (codenamed Operation Banner) was one of the most difficult and controversial in its recent history. Over 10,000 troops were on active service during much of the campaign, which saw armoured vehicles, helicopters and special forces deployed onto the streets of Ulster. In this book, Dr Aaron Edwards considers the strategic, operational and tactical aspects of Operation Banner, as the Army's military objectives morphed from high-profile peacekeeping into a covert war against the IRA. Using personal testimony from both sides of the sectarian divide, as well as insights from the soldiers themselves, he presents an authoritative introduction to the Army's role in the Troubles, providing expert analysis of OperaTable of ContentsIntroduction Background to War Warring Sides Outbreak The Fighting The World Around War How the War Ended Conclusion and Consequences Chronology Further Reading Index

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Book SynopsisFilmed as The Sea Wolves, this is the story of the secret exploit in WW2. A group of civilian bankers, merchants and solicitors , the remains of an old territorial unit called The Calcutta Light Horse, were tasked to sink German ships in the neutral harbour of Goa which were guiding U-boats against Allied shipping in the Indian Ocean.

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Book SynopsisThe US-backed Kurdish YPG/SDF fought on the front line of the war against Islamic State for five years. This study reveals how they developed their own armored force using captured tanks, homebuilt armor and technicals and the role they played in the defeat of Daesh.The emergence of the armored force of the YPG (People''s Protection Units), later renamed the Syrian Democratic Forces during the Syrian Civil War is one of the major developments of this conflict. The YPG/SDF employed a range of vehicles against Daesh during 2014-19 and this study identifies, as far as possible which vehicles took part in major battles, such as Kobane, Manbij and Raqqa. While the YPG was frequently outgunned by the so-called Islamic State (ISIS), it was able to rely on United States air support after 2015. Nonetheless, AFVs formed part of the fighting units and were important in both the fighting and propaganda war.The title covers the original sources of Kurdish tanks and other aTable of ContentsINTRODUCTION THE ROLE OF ARMOURED FORCES IN SYRIA ARMED GROUPS IN THE SYRIAN CIVIL WAR The YPG/YPJ The Islamic State in Iraq and Syria The Syrian Democratic Forces IMPROVISED ARMOURED FIGHTING VEHICLES Improvised tanks Improvised armoured cars Improvised armoured support vehicles Improvised armoured personnel carriers AFV SOURCES: SYRIAN ARMY, ISIS AND COALITION SUPPLIED Soviet armour BRDM-2 scout vehicles Armoured personnel carriers M1117 armoured security vehicle The US Army Humvee Other US-supplied wheeled vehicles 'TECHNICALS' 12.7mm heavy machine guns 14.5mm KPV 23mm cannon 57mm recoilless rifles and multiple rocket launchers UNIT STRUCTURE AND TACTICS THE YPG/SDF WAR AGAINST ISIS Initial ISIS attacks (2013–14) The battle of Kobanê (15 September 2014–26 January 2015) The al-Hasakah offensives (21 February–17 March 2015 and 6 May–31 May 2015) The Tell Abyad offensive (31 May–10 July 2015) The battle of Sarrin (18 June–27 July 2015) The battle of al-Hasakah (23 June–1 August 2015) The al-Hawl offensive (31 October–30 November 2015) Tishrin Dam (23–30 December 2015) The al-Shaddadi offensive (16–24 February 2016) The Manbij offensive (31 May–21 August 2016) The Raqqa campaign (6 November 2016–20 October 2017) Setbacks and victory over ISIS (2017–19) CONCLUSION BIBLIOGRAPHY INDEX

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Book SynopsisIn 1945, John Randall was the first Allied officer to enter Bergen-Belsen – the concentration camp that would reveal the horrors of the Holocaust to the world. Randall was one of that league of extraordinary gentlemen handpicked for suicidally dangerous missions behind enemy lines in North Africa, Italy, France and Germany throughout the Second World War. He was a man of his class and of his times. He hated the Germans, liked the French and was unimpressed by the Americans and the Arabs. He was an outrageous flirt, as might be expected of a man who served in Phantom alongside film stars David Niven and Hugh Williams. He played rugby with Paddy Mayne, the larger-than-life colonel of the SAS and winner of four DSOs. He pushed Randolph Churchill, son of the Prime Minister, out of an aeroplane. He wined and dined in nightclubs as part of the generation that lived for each day because they might not see another.This extraordinary true story, partly based on previously unpublished diaries, presents a different slant on that mighty war through the eyes of a restless young man eager for action and adventure.Trade Review‘The man who stumbled on HELL: His place in history has never been revealed. His memoir recounts how he uncovered the horrors of Belsen’ * Daily Mail *

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Book SynopsisOne small East African country embodies the battered history of the continent: patronised by colonialists, riven by civil war, confused by Cold War manoeuvring, proud, colorful, with Africa''s best espresso and worst rail service. Michela Wrong brilliantly reveals the contradictions and comedy, past and present, of Eritrea.Just as the beat of a butterfly's wings is said to cause hurricanes on the other side of the world, so the affairs of tiny Eritrea reverberate onto the agenda of superpower strategists. This new book on Africa is from the author of the critically acclaimed In the Footsteps of Mr Kurtz.Eritrea is a little-known country scarred by decades of conflict and occupation. It has weathered the world''s longest-running guerrilla war, and the dogged determination that secured victory against Ethiopia, its giant neighbour, is woven into the national psyche. Fascist Italy wanted Eritrea as the springboard for a new, racially-pure Roman empire, Britain sold off its industry for scrap, the US needed headquarters for its state-of-the-art spy station and the Soviet Union used it as a pawn in a proxy war.Michela Wrong reveals the breathtaking abuses this tiny nation has suffered and, with the sharp eye for detail that was the hallmark of her account of Mobutu''s Congo, she tells the story of colonialism itself. Along the way, we meet a formidable Emperor, a guerrilla fighter who taught himself French cuisine in the bush, and a chemist who arranged the heist of his own laboratory. An arresting blend of travelogue and history, I Didn''t Do It For You' pierces the dark heart of our colonial history.Trade ReviewPraise for I Didn’t Do It For You: ‘Contemporary history on the grand scale. I was entertained, informed and angered. Wrong has given us another essential contribution to the post-colonial scramble for Africa.’ John le Carre ‘Vivid, penetrating, wonderfully detailed. Michela Wrong has written the biography of a nation and more – she has excavated the very heart and soul of the Eritrean people and their country.' Aminatta Forna ‘If you thought Eritrea was some exotic flower you heard mentioned on a gardening programme this book will tell you something different. It tells the tale of a small group of Africans so despised and trampled by successive foreign occupations that they fought back and after 30 years of war, they became a nation. It is an astounding story packed with tales of the worst – and the best – of human behaviour.’ Richard Dowden, President of the Royal African Society 'This is a wonderful, readable and illuminating book. Michela Wrong is an enormously talented writer…thoroughly researched and deeply engaging and honest.' Clare Short – New Statesman 'Impressive … Wrong offers an uplifting testament to the resilience of the human spirit. Eminently readable and full of fascinating detail, this is a book that deserves and needs to be read' Guardian '[A] corker … fascinating and tragic. Wrong's writing flows so smoothly that it is only after 100 pages or so that you notice how much legwork she has put in [and] she tracks down a startling array of characters' Daily Telegraph 'A lyrical, intensely intelligent and wonderfully readable history of Eritrea … beautifully written' Independent

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Book SynopsisThe Special Boat Squadron was Britain''s most exclusive Special Forces unit during World War II. Highly trained, totally secretive, and utterly ruthless, the SBS was established as an entity in its own right in early 1943, having previously operated under the auspices of the SAS during the war in North Africa. Unlike its sister unit, which numbered more than one thousand men, the SBS never comprised more than one hundred. Led by men such as the famed Victoria Cross recipient Anders Lassen, the SBS went from island to island in the Mediterranean, landing in the dead of night in small fishing boats and launching savage hit-and-run raids on the Germans. By the end of the war they had served in Italy, the Balkans, and mainland Greece, and following the cessation of hostilities, their deeds were airbrushed out of history by an establishment that had never warmed to their piratical exploits. Through unrivaled access to the SBS archives and interviews with the surviving members ofTable of ContentsDedication /Acknowledgements /Introduction /Chapter 1. Birth of the Boat Service /Chapter 2. From Service to Squadron /Chapter 3. Sick in Sardinia /Chapter 4. A Close Call in Crete /Chapter 5. Armistice and Uncertainty /Chapter 6. The Germans Fight Back /Chapter 7. Defeat in the Dodecanese /Chapter 8. New Recruits for a New Year /Chapter 9. Piracy on the High Seas /Chapter 10. Turkish Deceit for the SBS /Chapter 11. Caught, Questioned, Vanished /Chapter 12. Vengeance /Chapter 13. Germany on the Run /Chapter 14. Into the Balkans /Chapter 15. The Nazis’ Greek Tragedy /Chapter 16. Adriatic Offensive /Chapter 17. Andy Lassen’s Big War /Chapter 18. The End of the Odyssey /Glossary /Notes /Bibliography /Index

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Book SynopsisDavid Kilcullen is one of the world's foremost experts on guerrilla warfare. His vision of war has been enormously influential, through his service as senior counterinsurgency adviser to General David Petraeus during the Surge in Iraq, as special adviser to the United States Secretary of State, and as a current adviser to the United States, British, Australian and other allied governments. This brief book distills that vision in an easily readable and practical format, through a completely revised and updated edition of his 2006 cult classic "The Twenty-Eight Articles", a field practitioner's guide to the fundamentals of counterinsurgency, which has become the essential handbook for generations of allied military officers and civilian officials in Iraq and Afghanistan, has become part of the course of instruction at military academies and counterinsurgency schools worldwide, and has been translated into Arabic and Spanish. This edition presents a fully updated and expanded version, including a new introduction, annotated tactical case studies, and an appendix on the key principles of the hugely successful Surge campaign of 2007 in Iraq. Issued as a rugged, pocket-sized field handbook, this modern classic will be an indispensable aid to a new generation of field officers, as well as a concise and accessible primer for students and the general reader.Trade Review'Kilcullen's valuable advice to ground any analysis of counter-insurgency in an understanding of the political nature of war leads to his call to view the problem in Afghanistan as a crisis of governmental legitimacy... His recommendations are sound and will be of particular value to those charged with developing and implementing counter-terrorism policy and strategy.' * Survival *David Kilcullen may be the most influential theorist of counter-insurgency alive today. … an enlightening and important book.’ * Asian Affairs *Table of ContentsPreface Introduction Twenty-Eight Articles: Fundamentals of Counterinsurgency Warfare Multi-National Force Iraq Counterinsurgency Guidance Afghanistan: Fundamentals of Best-Practice Counterinsurgency Measuring Progress in Counterinsurgency

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Book SynopsisAn illustrated study of how coalition armor in Iraq in 200306 handled a unique multi-threat environment, from enemy armor to IEDs.On 20 March 2003, Coalition forces launched the invasion of Iraq on a massive scale. Their armored fighting vehicles (AFVs) faced an uncertain level of resistance, and soon had to overcome a wide range of enemy threats. These included tank vs tank clashes during the first days of the invasion (most famously at Basra and Mahmoudiyah), and subsequently the dangers posed by enemy rocket-propelled grenades, cannon fire, antitank guided missiles, and improvised explosive devices.This vital new study covers both the opening clashes between opposing AVFs and the tactics developed by Iraqi insurgents seeking to neutralize Coalition superiority. Featuring full color photos, battle scenes, weaponry, and tactical illustrations, it draws upon first-hand accounts and official post-battle analyses to examine how Coalition forces responded to the Table of ContentsIntroduction Chronology Design and Development Technical Specifications The Combatants The Strategic Situation Combat Statistics and Analysis Aftermath Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisWaged across an inhospitable terrain which varied from open African savannah to broken mountain country and arid semi-desert, the Anglo-Boer wars of 188081 and 18991902 pitted the British Army and its allies against the Boers'' commandos.The nature of warfare across these campaigns was shaped by the realities of the terrain and by Boer fighting techniques. Independent and individualistic, the Boers were not professional soldiers but a civilian militia who were bound by the terms of the ''Commando system'' to come together to protect their community against an outside threat. By contrast the British Army was a full-time professional body with an established military ethos, but its over-dependence on conventional infantry tactics led to a string of Boer victories. This fully illustrated study examines the evolving nature of Boer military techniques, and contrasts them with the British experience, charting the development of effective British mounted tactics from the fi

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Book SynopsisAn acknowledged expert investigates the clashes between Soviet partisans and their German and locally recruited opponents on the Eastern Front during World War II.The savage partisan war on the Eastern Front during World War II saw a wide variety of forces deployed by both sides. On the Soviet side, civilian partisans fought alongside, and in co-operation with, Red Army troops and Red Army and NKVD special forces. On the German side, German Army security divisions, with indigenous components including cavalry, fought alongside SS police and Waffen-SS units and other front-line troops employed for short periods in the anti-partisan role. In addition to providing the background history of the forces of both sides, this study focuses upon three examples of German anti-partisan operations that show varied success in dealing with the Soviet partisan threat. Notably, it covers a major operation in north-west Russia during the spring of 1943 -- Operation Spring ClTable of ContentsIntroduction / The Opposing Sides / Combat 1 / Combat 2 / Combat 3 / Analysis / Aftermath / Unit Organizations / Bibliography / Index

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Book SynopsisThe greatest French Resistance disaster of the Second World War told in its entirety for the first time.Trade ReviewThe truth emerges, leaving the honour of Suttill senior enhanced and giving reminders of the rules of clandestine operations.

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Book SynopsisThe Partisan's Companion was produced by the Red Army to train partisans to fight the Nazi invader. Its usefulness outlived World War II, as it was later used to train Third World guerrillas in their wars of national liberation during the 1950s–70s, and even the Fedayeen guerrillas who fought US and coalition forces in Iraq.By the end of 1942, it was obvious that Germany was losing the war. The partisan ranks grew as did the training requirements for partisan commanders. The 1942 edition of The Partisan's Companion helped quickly train new guerrillas to a common standard. Besides field craft, it covers partisan tactics, German counter-guerrilla tactics, demolitions, German and Soviet weapons, scouting, camouflage, anti-tank warfare and anti-aircraft defense for squad and platoon-level instruction. It contains the Soviet lessons of two bitter years of war and provides a good look at the tactics and training of a mature partisan force. The partisans moved and lived clandestinely, harassed the enemy, and supported the Red Army through reconnaissance and attacks on German supply lines. They clearly frustrated German logistics and forced the Germans to periodically sideline divisions for rear-area security. The partisans and their handbook were clearly part of the eventual Soviet victory over Germany. This pocket manual puts The Partisan's Companion in context, explaining its importance.

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Book SynopsisSince the earliest recorded military history, scouting and reconnaissance have been key tools employed by military commanders to obtain a picture of the tactical situation and make informed decisions. Scouts known as sciritae were deployed by the Spartans and had a privileged position in their order of battle. The Spartans were so aware of the advantage their scouting operations gave them that they went to great lengths to keep them secret. As military tactics, weapons and equipment developed over the centuries, methods of scouting and reconnaissance evolved and adapted but always remained true to the spirit of the scout – light on their feet, taking only what they need and returning with the information that could turn potential defeat into victory. Military Reconnaissance provides a concise but revealing picture of the art of military scouting and reconnaissance from the highly toned Spartan warriors, the scouts employed by Julius Caesar, through the middle ages to the Napoleonic Wars to the role of the scout in modern warfare.Trade ReviewIf you are looking for an introduction to the evolution of military reconnaissance, the technology, and tactics employed to maximise the recce capability on the battlefield, this would be a good place to start your own recce of the subject area. * Royal Anglian News 19/07/2021 *…fills a significant gap by telling the fascinating story of the highs and lows of military reconnaissance in an entertaining and comfortably well-researched book. […] Military Reconnaissance is a welcome addition to military history and is strongly recommended. * Intelligence Expert and Author 21/06/2021 *Table of ContentsIntroduction; Timeline; Ancient Warfare; Medieval Warfare; Napoleonic Wars; The American Wars; The Anglo-Afghan Wars; The Matabele and Boer Wars; First World War; Second World War; The Modern Age

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Book SynopsisSet in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, this romantic tale unfolds against a background of political unrest and tenant agitation in Ireland. The poet William Butler Yeats is a central figure in the Irish literary revival, while Maud Gonne, a political activist, is passionately involved in the struggle for Irish independence. But this is not a dissertation about Yeats’ work, nor is it about the history of the day or the political involvements of Maud Gonne. It is a love story, containing some of the most poignant poems ever written.

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Book SynopsisIn the history of European revolutions, the barricade stands as a glorious emblem. Its symbolic importance arises principally from the barricades of Eric Hazan's native Paris, where they were instrumental in the revolts of the nineteenth century, helping to shape the political life of a continent.The barricade was always a makeshift construction (the word derives from barrique or barrel), and in working-class districts these ersatz fortifications could spread like wildfire. They doubled as a stage, from which insurgents could harangue soldiers and subvert their allegiance. Their symbolic power persisted into May 1968 and, more recently, the Occupy movements.Hazan traces the many stages in the barricade's evolution, from the Wars of Religion through to the Paris Commune, drawing on the work of thinkers throughout the periods examined to illustrate and bring to life the violent practicalities of revolutionary uprising.Trade ReviewHazan's account combines some fine vignettes about particular revolutionary episodes with a telling eye for detail; the maps of the different insurrections are also handy. -- Sudhir Hazareesingh * Times Literary Supplement *Indeed, until I read Eric Hazan's fascinating book, I too used to think that it was only during the French Revolution that the barricade stopped being a purely civilian object,designed primarily "to prevent admittance," like a modern swing-beam-type barrier or a turnstile. I was wrong. I feel like quoting endlessly from this revealing compact book, which, on top of everything else, is beautifully written and no-less beautifully translated. The idea of tracing centuries of tempestuous European history by looking just at one significant engineering object strikes me as brilliant. This little volume will find a prominent place in the 'golden shelf' of my favourite books of all time. -- Vitali Vitaliev * E&T Magazine *Hazan's short sharp book rises and falls like a battle cry and a keen of mourning both at once (...) For all the twilittonalities of Hazan's book, there is something joyous about it. It affirms that one of the options available to common people, one chosen over and over in the most desolate situations, is fighting back. -- Joshua Clover * LA Review of Books *

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Book SynopsisA gripping tour de force reveals the inside story of the secret war in Northern Ireland, from one who was there, at the very heart of the darkness. A riveting, insightful, rollercoaster read. Truly revelatory.' Damien Lewis, Sunday Times No. 1 Bestselling AuthorSOUTH ARMAGH, NORTHERN IRELAND, 1983. Will Britten, 23, has just qualified as an agent handler for the British Army's ultra-secret Force Research Unit. He and a fellow agent handler complete the detailed paperwork following a covert meet with one of the Detachment's most important agents, who has successfully infiltrated Mad Dog' McGlinchey's INLA Active Service Unit.A few days later, there is a phone call. The draft Contact Form wasn't put in the burn bag. Both PIRA and INLA now know his real name.What would you do?The Deadly Game is the memoir of a military intelligence officer with the FRU a unit so secret that the rest of the army barely knew it existed. Their role was to infiltrate terrorist cells on both sides of the Troubles, to gather intelligence and disrupt them from the inside. Will Britten provides a unique insight into one of the most successful intelligence units of all time, and the part they played in ultimately bringing Republican terror to the negotiating table.

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Book SynopsisIn his third book, David Kilcullen takes us out of the mountains: away from the remote, rural guerrilla warfare of Afghanistan, and into the marginalised slums and complex security threats of the world's coastal cities, where almost 75 per cent of us will be living by mid-century. Scrutinising major environmental trends - population growth, coastal urbanisation - and increasing digital connectivity he projects a future of feral cities, urban systems under stress, and increasing overlaps between crime and war, internal and external threats, and the real and virtual worlds. Informed by Kilcullen's own fieldwork in the Caribbean, Somalia, the Middle East and Afghanistan, and that of his field research teams in cities in Central America and Africa, Out of the Mountains presents detailed, on-the-ground accounts of the new faces of modern conflict - - from the 2008 Mumbai terrorist attacks, to transnational drug networks, local street gangs, and the uprisings of the Arab Spring.Trade Review'The foundation of "Out of the Mountains" is Mr. Kilcullen's "theory of competitive control," which zooms in on the insurgent networks that other theories glance at from a bird's-eye perspective. The theory suggests that "populations respond to a predictable, ordered, normative system, which tells them exactly what they need to do, and not do, in order to be safe." Remove that normative system, and chaos could easily ensue - The answers to the questions Mr. Kilcullen poses will evolve over time. But his insistence that it is "time to drag ourselves - body and mind - out of the mountains" serves as a reminder that complacency remains one of the most serious threats to U.S. national security.' * Wall Street Journal *'Kilcullen is a natural storyteller with a sharp and sympathetic mind. His first-hand experiences in Somalia, Afghanistan and elsewhere carry added credibility given his track record as a senior adviser to David Petraeus, the star US general in Iraq, and later to Nato in Afghanistan. Thankfully, he does not limit himself to dire warnings. He broaches solutions. It would be a start, he contends, if policymakers and security strategists approached the world's mega-cities as living entities to be analysed in their own right, not fixed locations, or part of a nation state. We have to keep up with the pace of their transformation.' * The Daily Telegraph *'A wide-ranging, astute and squirm-inducing evaluation of the future of military operations. - Kilcullen delivers a lucid, important study that American leaders should read.' * Kirkus Reviews *'Kilcullen has a rare ability to combine serious theory with the insight of an experienced practitioner - [and] brings his narrative to life by using contemporary examples, including the recent revolts in Libya and Syria and the 2008 terrorist attacks in Mumbai.' * Lawrence D. Freedman, Foreign Affairs *'This is the mature work of someone who's thought long and hard about conflict. Out on the Mountains deserves to be read (and argued about) by anyone who is interested in the war or the shape of the modern world [and] every officer needs to be familiar with its arguments.' * Sydney Morning Herald *'This is a brilliant book by the most unfettered and analytically acute mind in the military intelligentsia. Kilcullen unflinchingly confronts the nightmare of endless warfare in the slums of the world.' * Mike Davis, author of Planet of Slums *'At a time when many Western militaries are slashing defence budgets while increasing investments in high-tech weapons, Kilcullen's book provides an argument for reassessing defence priorities - This is an important book. ' * H.R. McMaster, Survival *'Soldiers and scholars both listen to Kilcullen - and now the development community should as well - He comes out of the mountains and plunges head first into the teeming megacities of the developing world. It is well worth following him there.' * International Affairs *'David Kilcullen brilliantly illuminates a coming dystopian urban world, part Blade Runner and part Minority Report. He cogently argues that we must rapidly find a way to build our own security networks to prepare for the coming age of urban guerrillas. Out of the Mountains crystallizes this sadly probable future in vivid and practical terms.' * Admiral James Stavridis, USN (Ret), Former Supreme Allied Commander at NATO and Dean, The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University *'Out of the Mountains is a wide-ranging, thought-provoking book that draws on and synthesises concepts and arguments from geography, ecology, political science, sociology and military strategy - it will spawn ideas, and pull our attention to the emerging megacities of the world and their assorted urban guerrillas.' * Shashank Joshi, Global: The International Briefing *'Drawing on a lifetime's practical and theoretical expertise in counter-insurgency and irregular warfare, David Kilcullen considers the security problems likely to be posed by the growth of littoral megacities where governments will find their authority challenged by a range of non-state armed groups. As this book eloquently argues, dealing with the insecurities that will inevitably arise from such situations will require militaries to adopt very different approaches and to work within a framework in which many different civilian skills are brought to bear. Anyone who has responsibilities for international security or who cares about the future of governance in an increasingly over-crowded and resource-stressed world needs to read this book.' * Nigel Inkster, former director of operations and intelligence for the British Secret Intelligence Service *'There is no better guide to the future of warfare than David Kilcullen. Surveying the scene from Mumbai to Mogadishu, and Syria to San Pedro Sula, Kilcullen persuasively argues that conflict will increasingly be in "crowded, coastal, and connected cities." This is a gripping and essential read.' * Theo Farrell, Head of War Studies, King's College London *'David Kilcullen has given us a definitive analysis of the characteristics of much recent conflict with its overlapping mix of terrorism and insurgency, gangsterism and racketeering, legitimate and criminal business, tribal and gang rivalries and perverse economic incentives. He draws striking lessons from the difficulties of providing security and governance in those circumstances and projects them into the ever more crowded slums of the mega-cities now sprawling along the coastlines of the developing world. His sombre conclusions should be essential reading.' * Sir David Omand, former UK Security and Intelligence Coordinator *

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Book SynopsisIn this completely revised and updated book, T. Ryle Dwyer, offers a fresh perspective on Collins' activities. With new information about his role in organising the IRB in London in his youth right through to his death in 1922, Dwyer's analysis supports the case for Collins as the chief architect of the Irish victory over the British Empire. Michael Collins co-ordinated the sweeping Sinn Féin election victory of 1918 and put structure on the organisation of the IRA. He was the prototype of the urban terrorist and the architect of the war against the Black and Tans. While many have questioned whether Collins ever fired a shot at an enemy of Ireland, he did order the deaths of people standing in his way, and he even advocated kidnapping a US President.

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Book SynopsisYezidi survivors speak out in this important history of persecution and genocideTrade Review'A comprehensive, indispensable work' -- 'Südwind''The discrimination, exclusion and persecution of the Yezidis did not just begin in 2014 with the so-called Islamic State. Thomas Schmidinger shows with great dedication the anatomy of a subtle genocide against the Yezidis in last two hundred years' -- Professor Jan Ilhan Kizilhan, Director of the Institute for Genocide and Peace Studies, Stuttgart'An important book delving into the history and recent memory of the community, a vivid reminder of how the past and present of the Yezidis continue to be painfully intertwined' -- Nelida Fuccaro, Professor of Modern Middle Eastern History at the New York University Abu Dhabi'Thomas Schmidinger is one the best experts on the region. This book is a must read' -- Josef Weidenholzer, former MEP and Professor Emeritus, University of Linz, Austria'Fills a void in the literature. Through impressive first-hand documentation, the book explains the culture and history of this unique community in sympathetic terms and details the rapacious genocidal aggression of ISIS to obliterate this ancient Mesopotamian community' -- Tareq Y. Ismael, Professor of Political Science, University of Calgary, CanadaTable of ContentsAcknowledgements Preface to the English edition Timeline Abbreviations Maps Introduction Part I History of Sinjar and the genocide 1. The Sinjar Mountains as a natural space 2. Sinjar in ancient times 3. From the Islamic conquest to the periphery of the Ottoman Empire 4. The religion of the Êzîdî 5. Social order and religious office-holders of the Êzîdî 6. The tribal society in Sinjar 7. Sinjar in the late Ottoman Empire 8. The British occupation and protectorate 9. The Êzîdî in Iraq 10. Resentments against the Êzîdî 11. Ethno-confessional groups in the Sinjar region: Êzîdî, Christians, Jews and Muslims 12. Sinjar under the rule of the Ba’th Party 13. After the fall of Saddam Hussein: between Baghdad and Erbil 14. The massacre of 14 August 2007: the 73rd firman? 15. Encircled by jihadists 16. The IS genocide in August 2014 17. Genocide 18. The reintroduction of slavery and sexual violence 19. Struggle for liberation: regional conflicts in the smallest spaces 20. The life of the displaced 21. Regional conflicts: Sinjar in the crosshairs of Turkey and Iran 22. Marginalised and instrumentalised: is there a future for the Êzîdî in Iraq? Part II Photographs Part III Interviews Notes Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisThis book, first published in 1962, was the first systematic study of partisan war, investigating questions thrown up by the success of guerrillas in the Second World War, where they were never decisively beaten by regular armies. Drawing on lessons from Soviet Russia and China in particular, areas with especially active and large partisan forces, this book evolves a doctrine of guerrilla war in modern conditions, with an analysis of partisans in post-war Malaya, Kenya, Cyprus, Vietnam, Algeria, Cuba and Laos.Table of Contents1. The Birth of a Partisan Movement 2. The Chances of Survival 3. The Chances of Success: Strategic Aspects 4. The Chances of Success: Operational Aspects 5. Guerrilla and Anti-Guerrilla Tactics 6. Guerrilla and Anti-Guerrilla Techniques 7. Relations with the Regular Army 8. The Air Force in Guerrilla Warfare 9. Guerrillas and Nuclear Warfare 10. The Treatment of Guerrillas and the Population 11. On Whose Side Victory? 12. Appendix: On Partisan Warfare in World War II

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Book SynopsisThroughout history, conflicts have given rise to unconventional forms of warfare, often propelled by personal, religious, tribal, or national ambitions. Historian David Rooney highlights pivotal figures such as the Maccabees, Napoleon, the Boer Wars, Michael Collins, Mao Tse Tung, T. E. Lawrence, Castro, Guevara, the Guerrillas of World War II, and Al Qaeda''s Osama Bin Ladenhighlights pivotal figures such as the Maccabees, Napoleon, the Boer Wars, Michael Collins, Mao Tse Tung, T. E. Lawrence, Castro, Guevara, the Guerrillas of World War II, and Al Qaeda''s Osama Bin Laden, illustrating the evolution of guerrilla theories. In today''s era of swiftly forsaking convention and tradition for immediate results, the adoption of unconventional strategies by twenty-first-century warriors appears more prevalent than ever. Public discourse surrounding this topic is vibrant, and understanding its evolution is vital for increased awareness.Dive into the riveting exploration of unconventional

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Book SynopsisThis highly illustrated title traces the development of mercenary soldiering from individuals and small units in the African wars of the 1960s90s to today''s state-employed corporate military contractors.The phenomenon of mercenary soldiering has constantly recurred in the news since the 1960s and has always attracted lively interest. The concept of mercenaries' began in the former Belgian Congo during the 1960s when men such as Mike Hoare and Bob Denard assembled hundreds of military veterans to ''do the fighting'' for a particular leader or faction. This idea soon evolved into small teams of individuals training and leading local forces with varying success; wars in Rhodesia and on South Africa''s borders attracted foreign volunteers into national armed forces, and veterans of these conflicts later sought employment elsewhere as mercenaries. The wars in the former Yugoslavia also attracted foreign fighters inspired as much by political and religious motives as by pay. TTable of ContentsINTRODUCTION AFRICA -Katanga and the Congo: 1960–68 -Rhodesia: 1964–79 -Angola: 1975–76 -South Africa’s border war: 1966–89 INDIAN OCEAN -Comoros and Chad: 1978–95 -Operation Anvil, Seychelles: 1981 SOUTH AMERICA -Suriname: 1986–91 -Operation Phoenix, Colombia: 1988–91 THE BREAK-UP OF YUGOSLAVIA -1991–95 WAR IN THE 21ST CENTURY -Private military companies -Iraq and Afghanistan DEALING WITH THE FALL–OUT SELECT BIBLIOGRAPHY INDEX

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Book SynopsisTHE STORY OF BRITAIN''S LEADING FORENSIC EXPLOSIVES SCIENTIST, WHO FOR NEARLY THREE-DECADES INVESTIGATED SOME OF THE MOST PROMINENT NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL BOMB ATTACKS IN HISTORY.Cliff Todd devoted his life to bringing bomb makers to justice. He and his colleagues at the Ministry of Defence''s Forensic Explosives Laboratory are the unsung heroes of terrorist bomb attacks - the men and women in white suits who piece together who planted the bombs, what a device consisted of and how the perpetrators might give themselves away.They played a pivotal role in uncovering the secrets behind some of the world''s most horrifying terrorist outrages. Explosive tells the stories of these high-profile cases and details, for the first time, the contribution Todd and his team made in tracking down bombers during a time when Britain was under attack first by the IRA and then by Islamic extremists inspired by al-Qaeda.Explosive takes thTrade ReviewCliff Todd devoted his life to bringing bomb makers to justice. He and his ingenious colleagues at the MoD's Forensic Explosives Laboratory played a pivotal role in uncovering the secrets behind many of the world's most horrifying terrorist outrages. From Lockerbie, through 7/7, to the Shoe Bomber and beyond, this elite band of unsung heroes did their duty without fanfare, and often at great personal cost. They are the technicians in white coats who stand behind the men in black, but are themselves no strangers to the killing zone. Explosive tells their fascinating and deeply moving story. * Major Chris Hunter, QGM, bestselling author of Eight Lives Down and Extreme Risk *Gripping! A fantastic insight into a world only few understand * Kim Hughes GC, author the Sunday Times bestseller Painting The Sand *An incredible story about the government unit who allowed us (the SAS) to do our job * Mark’ Billy’ Billingham, SAS veteran and Sunday Times bestselling author of The Hard Way. *Command is a stunning achievement. This is a book that sucks you in from the first page. Deeply incisive, each paragraph brings a new revelation. Al Murray's writing is as original and his conclusions as controversial as the generals he depicts. At the end of each chapter, you are left exhaling with a sense of "I didn't expect that." -- Peter Caddick-Adams

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Book SynopsisExamining both brigandage and irredentism in Greece since the War of Independence, this work traces the links between the two, their impact on Greek politics and statecraft, and their influence on the modern Greek state. It aims to separate reality from myth in examining the forces and factors involved in turning brigands into national heroes.Trade Review'outstanding study ... Koliopoulos traces in meticulous detail the ebb and flow between internal brigandage and external irredentism ... In terms of originality, the use of a wide array of little known sources, and the clarity of his argument, John Koliopoulos has shown he has no superior among historians of modern Greece.' Times Higher Education Supplement

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Book SynopsisThe Law of Non-International Armed Conflict brings together and critically analyses the disparate conventional, customary, and soft law relating to non-international armed conflict. All the relevant bodies of international law are considered, including international humanitarian law, international criminal law, and international human rights law. The book traces the changes to the legal framework applicable to non-international armed conflict from ad hoc regulation in the nineteenth and early twentieth century, to systematic regulation through the 1949 Geneva Conventions and 1977 Additional Protocols, to the transformation of the law in the mid-1990s. Armed conflicts ranging from the US civil war, the Algerian War of Independence, and the attempted secession of Biafra, through to the current conflicts in the Colombia, the Philippines, and Sudan are all considered.The identification and analysis of the law is complemented by a consideration of the practice, allowing both violations of, Trade Review[Professor Sandesh Sivakumaran] examines the genesis of this novel, interdisciplinary body of law and the way ahead, thereby contributing with a major piece of work in a field . . . that greatly needed further research. * Roberta Arnold, Israel Law Review *The Law of Non-International Armed Conflict is an essential contribution to an area much in need of clarification. In addition to offering a comprehensive elaboration of the current law in this area, it also explores the more foundational questions that will be of interest to any general international lawyer, such as the methodology of customary law formation and the varied sources of the relevant norms. It is to be hoped that Professor Sivakumarans proposal of a new instrument to bind non-state armed groups can be taken forward, with a view to achieving greater compliance with the law in situations that all too often witness the most violent fratricidal clashes. * Lawrence Hill-Cawthorne, Australian Year Book of International Law *...the book of our time on the law of non-international armed conflict. * Claus Kreß, British Yearbook of International Law *This is a rich and lengthy book. It is also courageous: Sivakumaran does not shy away from discussing some of the most debatable issues in international humanitarian law. * Noam Zamir, Cambridge Journal of International and Comparative Law *Table of ContentsPART I: REGULATING NON-INTERNATIONAL ARMED CONFLICTS; PART II: THE SUBSTANTIVE LAW OF NON-INTERNATIONAL ARMED CONFLICT; PART III: MOVING FORWARD

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Book SynopsisTom Barry: IRA Freedom Fighter chronicles the action-packed life of the Commander of the Third West Cork Flying Column, including the decisive Kilmichael ambush and the controversy regarding sectarianism during the 1920–22 period. Author, Meda Ryan, details his involvement on the fringes of the Treaty negotiations; his Republican activities during the Civil War; his engagement in the cease-fire/dump-arms deal of 1923; his term as the IRA’s Chief of Staff and his participation in IRA conflicts in the 1930s, 1940s, 1950s and right up to his death in 1980. Includes an extensive body of primary source material, including Tom Barry’s papers,

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Book SynopsisAlmost a century ago a small body of men engaged in combat with the armed forces of an Empire. Militarily they were weak. Their strength lay in their faith in their cause and in the unflinching support of a civilian population which refused to be cowed by threats or by violence.This new edition of Kerry's Fighting Stories features stories and reports from every aspect of the conflict, from the formation of the Volunteers in Kerry early in the twentieth century, through the first casualties as the Easter Rising took its toll and on to the campaigns in the East and West of the county during the war of Independence itself. With barracks attacks, ambushes, shootings and even engagements with warships, it brings to life a conflict that is fading from the collective memory of the county and country.Kerry's Fighting Stories offers a fascinating perspective on the struggle for independence in Kerry directly from the men who took part in the actions themselves.

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Book SynopsisLimerick's Fighting Story offers eye witness and first hand accounts of the struggle for independence in Limerick city and county.When the Truce was declared in the War of Independence in July 1921, each of Limerick's brigade areas, west, mid and east had flying columns in the field. While the challenge of city fighting and urban guerrilla tactics were high on the list of concerns for the mid brigade, the east and west flying columns were active raiders and ambush artists.This new edition of the classic Limerick's Fighting Story features stories and reports from every aspect of the conflict in Limerick from the Limerick Heroes of 1916, through the nights of terror and violence in Limerick city as Tans killed residents, to the exploits of the women of Cumman na mBan.

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Book SynopsisOriginally published by The Kerryman in 1947, this is one of the four titles in the Fighting Stories Series. It records the events of the War of Independence in the words of the people who fought it and those who wrote about it at the time. The book features reports on the Cork City Volunteers, the ambushes at Tureengarriffe, Clonbanin, Rathcoole, Tureen and many others, the murder of Tómas MacCurtain, the disastrous battle of Clonmult and the campaigns of the flying columns around the county from Mitchelstown to Blarney.With a selection of original pictures from the conflict and reports from both Kilmichael and Crossbarry, Rebel Cork's Fighting Story is a treasure trove of information and intriguing detail.

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Book SynopsisAudley End House in Essex - or Station 43 as it was known during the Second World War - was used as the principal training school for SOE''s Polish Section between 1942 and 1944. Polish agents at the stately home undertook a series of arduous training courses in guerilla warfare before being parachuted into occupied Europe.In 1943, Audley End was placed exclusively under polish control, a situation unique within SOE. The training was tough and the success rate low, but a total of 527 agents passed through Audley End between 1942 and 1944. Ian Valentine has consulted a wide range of primary sources and interviewed Polish instructors and former agents who trained at Audley End to write the definitive account of this Essex country house and the vital but secret part it played in defeating Hitler.He examines the comprehensive training agents at Audley End and describes the work undertaken by Station 43''s agents in Europe, set against the backgrou

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Book SynopsisIn late 1940 a group of five young Australian soldiers set out on a secret mission: one of the Second World War’s most daring operations and the first for Britain’s legendry Special Operations Executive.

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Book SynopsisIn September 2014, Azad Cudi became one of seventeen snipers deployed when ISIS, trying to shatter the Kurds in a decisive battle, besieged the northern city of Kobani. In LONG SHOT, he tells the inside story of how a group of activists and idealists withstood a ferocious assault and, street by street, house by house, took back their land in a victory that was to prove the turning point in the war against ISIS. By turns devastating, inspiring and lyrical, this is a unique account of modern war and of the incalculable price of victory as a few thousand men and women achieved the impossible and kept their dream of freedom alive.Trade ReviewA book to marvel at, learn from, and return to again and again -- John le CarréSimply outstanding . . . powerful * BOOKLIST *Profoundly affecting . . . There are horrors but also humanity - inspiration, even, alongside the tragedy. A surprisingly lyrical tribute to a much-put-upon people and to fallen comrades in arms that deserves a wide audience -- Fergal Hallahan * IRISH NEWS *Vivid * DAILY MIRROR *Striking and memorable * WALL STREET JOURNAL *A propulsive memoir that captures the grim reality of small-scale conflict and reveals the fragmented politics of the Middle East today * KIRKUS *Gripping . . . His story, elegantly told, will resonate long after the final ISIS fighter falls * PUBLISHERS WEEKLY *

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Book Synopsis'The way I look at it is this...When you're behind the line and get yourself into trouble, you've got to get your bloody self out irrespective of anybody else. That's why I like it.'Scottish-born but a Queenslander to the bone, Jock McLaren was a true Australian hero. As a prisoner he escaped twice, first from Changi and later from the infamous Sandakan POW camp in Borneo. After paddling a dugout canoe across open sea, he fought for two years with American-led Filipino guerrillas, his exploits so audacious the Japanese put a price on his head.At the helm of his 26-foot whaleboat, the Bastard, McLaren sailed brazenly into enemy-held harbours, wreaking havoc with his mortar and machine guns before heading back out to sea. In early 1945 he joined Australia's secretive Z Special Unit, parachuting into Borneo to carry out reconnaissance and organise anti-Japanese resistance ahead of Allied landings. He cheated death on numerous occasions and saved his own life by removing his appendix without anaesthetic, using 'two large dessert spoons' and a razor blade.Drawing on Allied and Japanese wartime documents, Bastard Behind the Lines brings the story of a courageous digger vividly to life and throws light on a rarely explored aspect of Australia's Pacific war.

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Book SynopsisThe Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), founded as a small guerrilla movement in 1974, became the leading party in the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF). After decades of civil war, the EPRDF defeated the government in 1991, and has been the dominant party in Ethiopia ever since. Its political agenda of federalism, revolutionary democracy and a developmental state has been unique and controversial. Drawing on his own experience as a senior member of the TPLF/EPRDF leadership, and his unparalleled access to internal documentation, Mulugeta Gebrehiwot Berhe identifies the organisational, political and sociocultural factors that contributed to victory in the revolutionary war, particularly the Front's capacity for intellectual leadership. Charting its challenges and limitations, he analyses how the EPRDF managed the complex transition from a liberation movement into an established government. Finally, he evaluates the fate of the organisation's revolutionary goals over its subsequent quarter-century in power, assessing the strengths and weaknesses the party has bequeathed to the country. 'Laying the Past to Rest' is a comprehensive and balanced analysis of the genesis, successes and failings of the EPRDF's state-building project in contemporary Ethiopia, from a uniquely authoritative observer.Trade Review‘A sharp and ultimately excruciating critique of the party to which [Mulugeta Gebrehiwot Berhe] once dedicated his life.’ -- Foreign Policy'A sympathetic yet thoughtful critical analysis … a remarkable case study.’ -- CHOICE‘Essential reading for anyone who wishes to understand contemporary Ethiopian politics … a remarkable work of scholarship.’ -- H-Africa‘This book deserves to be a reference book for everyone interested in the history of TPLF/EPRDF in Ethiopia … It is a highly illuminating book, filling a serious gap in the discourse about the TPLF/EPRDF.’ -- World Peace Foundation‘[The book is] a highly useful and relevant intellectual work [with] incisive insight and sound arguments.’ -- Addis Standard‘Will become required reading for academics studying rebellion, institutional development, transitions, and Ethiopian history and politics.’'Mulugeta's book draws uniquely on first-hand accounts of key politico-military junctures, a treasure trove of primary documents and incisive personal memories to tell the story of one of Africa's most remarkable state-building projects. A much-awaited and much-needed memoir of an important actor.' -- Harry Verhoeven, Associate Professor at the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University, and author of 'Why Comrades Go To War: Liberation Politics and the Outbreak of Africa's Deadliest Conflict''Celebrated or demonised, but rarely understood: the EPRDF is central to Ethiopia's contemporary history. Mulugeta Berhe provides the crucial missing element to that story. A true insider's account of how a rural revolution triumphed, transformed the country, and lost its way. Empirically rich, theoretically cogent, and incisively critical.' -- Alex de Waal, Executive Director of the World Peace Foundation and Research Professor at The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University'A rare, first-hand, yet critical assessment of the TPLF/EPRDF's military victory and subsequent transition to government in Ethiopia. This book makes an important contribution to understanding a crucial period in Ethiopian history, with much wider implications for Africa as a whole.' -- Christopher Clapham, Professor Emeritus of African Studies, University of Cambridge'An absorbing and critical account of the rise of the TPLF/EPRDF, animated by the internal perspective of an author who fought in and served the liberation movement. Essential reading for students of Ethiopia, liberation movements, and democratic transitions in a post-communist world.’ -- Andreas Eshete, UNESCO chair for Peace, Human rights, and Democracy, and former President of Addis Ababa University'A poignant, critical and expert study of the TPLF/EPRDF through the eyes of an insider. Essential reading not only for students of liberation fronts, Ethiopia, and democratic transitions, but also for current and former members of the TPLF/EPRDF.' -- Abay Tsehaye, one of the founders, longest serving leaders and former chairman of the TPLF

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Book SynopsisAmerica's wars after the 9/11 attacks were marked by a political obsession with terrorist 'sanctuaries' and 'safe havens'. From mountain redoubts in Afghanistan to the deserts of Iraq, Washington's policy-makers maintained an unwavering focus on finding and destroying the refuges, bases and citadels of modern guerrilla movements, and holding their sponsors to account. This was a preoccupation embedded in nearly every official speech and document of the time, a corpus of material that offered a new logic for thinking about the world. As an exercise in political communication, it was a spectacular success. From 2001 to 2009, President George W. Bush and his closest advisors set terms of reference that cascaded down from the White House, through government and into the hearts and minds of Americans. 'Sanctuary' was the red thread running through all of it, permeating the decisions and discourses of the day. Where did this obsession come from? How did it become such an important feature of American political life? In this new political history, Michael A.K.G. Innes explores precedents, from Saigon to Baghdad, and traces how decision-makers and their advisors used ideas of sanctuary to redefine American foreign policy, national security, and enemies real and imagined.Trade Review'In Streets Without Joy, Michael Innes combines applied history and theory to explore how the dominant discourses of rebel "sanctuaries" and terrorist "safe havens" shaped the way in which the US waged war in the 9/11 era. The writing is compelling, and the author's constant attention to methodology and sense of time and place are deeply impressive. Not only is this intellectually ambitious book a fitting tribute to Bernard Fall, whose life and work inspired the author's own journey from practitioner to scholar; it is a singular achievement in its own right, one that demands the attention of every scholar of modern warfare.' -- Joe Maiolo, Professor of International History, King's College London'Innes' important book explores an understudied element of American foreign policy discourse. The author illustrates that the post-9/11 rhetoric about enemy sanctuaries in Afghanistan and Iraq was far from new; instead it drew on a long history that was both deeply embedded in and had a significant impact on policymaking.' -- Andrew Priest, Department of History, University of Essex'Extremely readable, lucidly stated and focused, Innes' analysis is enhanced by a sharp eye for concrete situations and an ear for the voices of people he has met up with in the course of his career. This book not only traces the history of sanctuaries since the Second World War it also offers a penetrating analysis of our own world of frontlines, "back alleys" and "safe" and "not-so-safe" spaces that defy sovereign jurisdiction.' -- Christopher Coker, Director of LSE IDEAS'Michael Innes provides an authoritative investigation into the origins, multiple meanings, use and abuse of America´s post-9/11 sanctuary discourse. Original and compelling, this book provokes numerous trains of thought that will serve to fertilise many new fields of War on Terrorism scholarship' -- Jeffrey Michaels, Senior Fellow, Barcelona Institute of International Studies‘In the aftermath of 9/11, the US military and CIA launched an unprecedented, 20 year “sanctuary denial” campaign that saw hundreds of thousands of troops and operatives deployed across the globe. But, even as CIA drone fleets wiped out Al Qaeda and Special Forces hunted ISIS insurgents in the “ungoverned spaces” of distant deserts, islands, and mountains, it became apparent to political scientist Michael Innes that the Pentagon had not begun to truly understand the underlying basis for America’s entire war and counter-terrorism effort; the concept of sanctuary. It is with the aim of chronicling, for the first time, the fundamental notion of sanctuary in America’s wars that Innes takes readers on a truly ground-breaking and riveting journey into the history of this concept that launched the superpower’s longest conflict. This story begins unexpectedly in the jungles of Vietnam in the 1960s and extends all the way to the hallways of power in Trump’s Washington D.C.’ -- Brian Glyn Williams. Author of Counter Jihad and former CIA Counter-Terrorism Center analyst‘Soldier-scholar Michael Innes’ Streets Without Joy is an especially timely and important contribution to the literature. His first-hand experience coupled with his grasp and analysis of the historical salience of this issue as well as its relevance to contemporary conflicts, is as original as it is insightful.’ -- Bruce Hoffman, Professor at Georgetown University and author of Inside Terrorism‘A timely, policy-relevant work that performs a tremendous service by arguing that rhetoric matters when it comes to war. In a series of insightful case studies, Innes perceptively examines how policymakers and military leaders define “terrorist sanctuaries” and “safe havens,” often in ways that undermine their own national security objectives.’ -- Gregory A. Daddis, USS Midway Chair in Modern U.S. Military History, San Diego State University'Despite their critical importance in armed conflicts, wartime sanctuaries rarely receive the scholarly scrutiny the topic deserves. In this highly readable book, Innes connects the dots with his fine analysis of half a century of US wartime sanctuary discourses, offering much new insight into a highly policy-relevant theme.’ -- Brynjar Lia, Professor of Middle East Studies, University of Oslo‘Michael Innes’ book on sanctuaries is an indispensable guide to an issue that has been central to the wars and security debates of the past generation – and will continue to be in future.’ -- Anatol Lieven, author of Pakistan: A Hard Country.'Michael Innes perceptively illuminates a construct that shaped the last twenty years of war, with tragic implications for millions of people, but which few have ever heard of. If you want to understand how the War on Terror went so awry, read this book.' -- David Kilcullen, author of The Dragons and the Snakes

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Book SynopsisAn examination of four recent military interventions by the international community: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Somalia, Cambodia, and Rwanda. The mixed record of partial successes, failures, and counterproductive interventions suggests a need to develop a framework for future policy choices.Trade ReviewThis volume is a must for anyone interested in the management of ethnic conflicts as it does a good job of highlighting the difficulties and dilemmas that have to be overcome if interventions are [sic] be more successful in the future than they have been in the past. -- Peter Viggo Jakobsen, University of Copenhagen, Denmark International AffairsTable of ContentsPart One Civil War and Insecurity 1. Civil War and the Security Dilemma, by Jack Snyder and Robert Jervis 2. Designing Transitions for Violent Civil War, by Barbara F. Walter Part Two Case Studies 3. Bosnia and Herzegovina: How Not to End Civil War, by Susan L. Woodward 4. Military Intervention in Rwanda's "Two Wars": Partisanship and Indifference, by Bruce D. Jones 5. Somalia: Civil War and International Intervention, by David D. Laitin 6. War and Peace in Cambodia, by Michael W. Doyle Part Three Comparative Analyses 7. When All Else Fails: Evaluating Population Transfers and Partition as Solutions to Ethnic Conflict, by Chaim D. Kaufmann 8. The Rationality of Fear: Political Opportunism and Ethnic Conflict, by Rui J. P. de Figueiredo, Jr., and Barry R. Weingast 9. Conclusion, by Barbara F. Walter Index

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