Warfare and defence Books

Book SynopsisThe captivating account of how Clint Lorance, a soldier who became a scapegoat for a corrupt military hierarchy, was falsely charged with war crimes, imprisoned, and eventually pardoned by President Trump. While out on patrol in Afghanistan, Clint Lorance learned that two men, both suspected suicide bombers, were speeding toward a crowded city on motorcycles. Lorance couldn't see them, but his men on the ground had clear shots. After a split second, he gave the order to shoot, killing both men. In the months that followed, Lorance was arrested by the military and put on trial for war crimes. Prosecutors claimed that the order he gave constituted an act of premeditated murder, and they sentenced him to twenty years in prison. In Stolen Honor, Lorance finally tells the story of this event and the trial it led to -- how the prosecutors declined to admit clear-cut evidence that would have exonerated him, how the men in his unit turned on him, and why he still believes he was right to give the order to shoot. It is a story that stretches from small-town America to the deserts of Afghanistan, from the White House to the tiny jail cell where Lorance spent six years waiting on his exoneration, which finally came when President Trump pardoned him in 2019. The book also discusses Lorance's plans to attend law school and help reform the broken military justice system.

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Book SynopsisSince the end of the Cold War, the idea of human rights has been made into a justification for intervention by the world's leading economic and military powers-above all, the United States-in countries that are vulnerable to their attacks. The criteria for such intervention have become more arbitrary and self-serving, and their form more destructive, from Yugoslavia to Afghanistan to Iraq. Until the U.S. invasion of Iraq, the large parts of the left was often complicit in this ideology of intervention-discovering new "Hitlers" as the need arose, and denouncing antiwar arguments as appeasement on the model of Munich in 1938. Jean Bricmont's Humanitarian Imperialism is both a historical account of this development and a powerful political and moral critique. It seeks to restore the critique of imperialism to its rightful place in the defense of human rights. It describes the leading role of the United States in initiating military and other interventions, but also on the obvious support given to it by European powers and NATO. It outlines an alternative approach to the question of human rights, based on the genuine recognition of the equal rights of people in poor and wealthy countries. Timely, topical, and rigorously argued, Jean Bricmont's book establishes a firm basis for resistance to global war with no end in sight.

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Book SynopsisTwo armies prepare for war. Thor, surrounded by crackling lightning, leads the assault of a horde of Viking berserkers. Preparing to receive this charge stands a wall of grim-faced, determined Spartan hoplites, commanded by Ares himself… Of Gods and Mortals is a skirmish wargame that gives players the opportunity to command the greatest heroes, warriors and monsters of legend – and the gods and goddesses that ruled over them. Whether you want to lead the forces of Greek, Egyptian, Celtic or Norse mythology to battle, or build your own pantheon, Of Gods and Mortals presents everything you need. Each player takes control of a god, a handful of legendary characters and a number of mortal troops, forming a warband that must work in harmony to succeed. Although the gods are incredibly powerful, they are only as strong as the faith of the mortals who follow them – if their worshippers are cut down, gods become weaker, and if a deity is vanquished in combat, its followers may flee the field of battle. Success lies in employing a strategy that uses all your troops, from the mightiest to the most humble, as effectively as possible.Table of ContentsIntroduction/ Rules/ The Pantheons

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Book SynopsisAfter the British garrison of Fort William Henry in the colony of New York surrendered to the besieging army of the French commander Marquis de Montcalm in August 1757, it appeared that this particular episode of the French and Indian War was over. What happened next became the most infamous incident of the war – and one which forms an integral part of James Fenimore Cooper’s classic novel The Last of the Mohicans – the ‘massacre’ of Fort William Henry. As the garrison prepared to march for Fort Edward a flood of enraged Native Americans swept over the column, unleashing an unstoppable tide of slaughter. Cooper’s version has coloured our view of the incident, so what really happened? Ian Castle details new research on the campaign, including some fascinating archaeological work that has taken place over the last 20 years, updating the view put forward by The Last of the Mohicans.Table of ContentsOrigins of the campaign /Chronology /Opposing commanders /Opposing armies /Orders of battle /Opposing plans /The campaign /Aftermath /The battlefields today /Further reading /Index

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Book SynopsisThe war on drugs has failed, but consensus in the international drug policy debate on the way forward is missing. Amidst this moment of uncertainty, militarised lenses on the global illicit drug problem continue to neglect the complexity of the causes and consequences that this war is intended to defend or defeat. Challenging conventional thinking in defence and security sectors, Transforming the War on Drugs constitutes the first comprehensive and systematic effort to theoretically, conceptually, and empirically investigate the impacts of the war on drugs. The contributors trace the consequences of the war on drugs across vulnerable regions, including South America and Central America, West Africa, the Middle East and the Golden Crescent, the Golden Triangle, and Russia. It demonstrates that these consequences are 'glocal'. The war's local impacts on human rights, security, development, and public health are interdependent with transnational illicit flows. The book further reveals how these impacts have influenced the positions of governments across these regions, with significant ramifications for the international drug control regime. Crucially, it shows that, at a time when global order is in flux, critically evaluating the regime's securitisation through the war on drugs provides key insights into other global governance realms.Trade Review'A comprehensive and timely assessment which consolidates the various strands of the drug policy debate from both security and development perspectives. Engaging with regions which have not been thoroughly investigated, it is innovative, ambitious and original.' -- Sasha Jesperson, research analyst, Royal United Services Institute, and author of 'Militarised Responses to Transnational Organised Crime: The War on Crime''With important analyses, plausible theoretical insights, and a multifaceted assessment of the current "state of play," this book is a valuable contribution to the literature. Required reading for those wishing to acquire a comprehensive view of the current International Drug Control Regime.' -- William B. McAllister, Chief of the Special Projects Division, State Department Office of the Historian, and author of 'Drug Diplomacy in the Twentieth Century''An essential collection that not only highlights the true costs of the overly securitized global War on Drugs, but more importantly, offers urgently needed new perspectives in the debate over what could, and should, come next.' -- Peter Tinti, Senior Research Fellow, Global Initiative Against Transnational Organised Crime'An enlightening, engaging effort to unpack the complexities of policymaking on drugs and nurture collective reflection on the need for more nuanced, people-centred and development-oriented approaches to drug policies. A must-read in a critical moment for the drug policy debate and beyond.' -- Deborah Alimi, independent consultant, Daleth research, and researcher, Université Paris 1 Panthéon Sorbonne

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Book SynopsisAn original contribution to international ethics and humanitarian intervention, Westphalia From Below draws on history and IR theory to offer a fresh analysis of an insufficiently understood subject. This new history of the lead-up to 1648 exposes the mythical and problematic nature of the Peace of Westphalia and its implications for international politics, questioning the impoverished visions of this landmark treaty that influence IR theory and humanitarian protection to this day. IR is infused with perspectives from the humanities based on reconstructions of the mentalities of the Thirty Years' War. Scholars tell us that the Westphalia settlement instituted an absolutist understanding of sovereignty as a right and a strict principle of non-intervention, which was only later displaced by the 'radical innovation' of humanitarian intervention—but Thomas Peak exposes this myth as a fabrication that cannot sustainably be upheld as a normative precept. He shows from the ground up that, in fact, Westphalia established an order grounded in human dignity, in which sovereignty and intervention were not opposed. This true legacy of Westphalia has important and valuable connections with recent conceptions of international politics, particularly the legitimacy of intervention on humanitarian grounds. Peak's study is as relevant as it is refreshing.Trade Review'Finally, International Relations is laying nonsensical ideas of a "Westphalian System", allegedly based on post-1648 principles of European state-sovereignty, to a peaceful rest. A satisfying book for historians, and a ground-breaking one for the rest of the bunch.' -- Martin Wrede, Professor of Early Modern History, Grenoble Alpes University, and author of The Thirty Years' War: The First European Conflict'Challenging received wisdom that Westphalia's emphasis on internal sovereignty is incompatible with humanitarian intervention, Peak's argument is interesting, original and compelling. His analysis of "dignity" is insightful and, in turn, the argument that a state's failure to preserve dignity undermines its claim against intervention in its affairs is persuasive.' -- Cécile Fabre, Professor of Political Philosophy, University of Oxford'In this beautifully written book, Thomas Peak shows that Westphalia sought to establish an order grounded not in absolute sovereignty, but the securing of human dignity. His argument for how this vision of dignity can reshape humanitarian intervention debates today is compelling.' -- Luke Glanville, author of Sharing Responsibility: The History and Future of Protection from Atrocities'A compelling and enlightening read for anyone who has been reflecting on sovereignty and its effect on international responses to mass atrocities. With its learned approach to history, this book provides a refreshing perspective on humanitarian intervention, challenging conventional wisdom on the normative underpinnings of sovereignty.' -- Federica D’Alessandra, Executive Director, Programme on International Peace and Security, University of Oxford

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Book SynopsisIn a 1965 letter to 'Newsweek', French writer and academic Bernard Fall (1926-67) staked a claim as the 'Number One Realist' on the Vietnam War. This is the first book to study the thought of this overlooked figure, one of the most important experts on counterinsurgency warfare in Indochina. Nathaniel L. Moir's intellectual history analyses Fall's formative experiences: his service in the French underground and army during the Second World War; his father's execution by the Germans and his mother's murder in Auschwitz; and his work as a research analyst at the Nuremberg Trials. Moir demonstrates how these critical events shaped Fall's trenchant analysis of Viet Minh-led revolutionary warfare during the French-Indochina War and the early Vietnam War. In the years before conventional American intervention in 1965, Fall argued that--far more than anything in the United States' military arsenal--resolving conflict in Vietnam would require political strength, willpower, integrity and skill. 'Number One Realist' illuminates Fall's study of political reconciliation in Indochina, while showing how his profound, humanitarian critique of war continues to echo in the endless conflicts of the present. It will challenge and change the way we think about the Vietnam War.Trade Review‘More than a biography, this is a meticulous, painstaking, deeply detailed account of 30 years of Vietnam’s agony at the hands of both the French and the Americans.’ -- Asia Sentinel'Moir has done the field of Vietnam War history a service by providing such a thorough treatment of Fall’s important and fascinating life … Soldiers and scholars can better understand the capabilities needed to succeed in these kinds of wars by reading this book.' -- Strategic Studies Institute'Moir shines with this timely, relevant appraisal of Bernard Fall, the most perceptive critic of French and American political-military operations in Southeast Asia during the Cold War era. A superb evaluation of Fall and his influential scholarship on revolutionary warfare.' -- Gregory A. Daddis, USS Midway Chair in Modern U.S. Military History, San Diego State University'Original and exceptionally well-researched, this will be popular amongst scholars and readers of the Second World War and the Cold War.' -- Craig Whiteside, Associate Professor of National Security Affairs, U.S. Naval War College, and a co-author of The ISIS Reader'Moir's book illuminates the contributions of a very influential figure and fills a major gap in the historiography of the Vietnam War, the history of military thinking on Revolutionary Warfare. Enlightening.' -- Sophie Quinn-Judge, author of Ho Chi Minh and The Third Force in the Vietnam War'Bernard Fall remains one of our foremost up-close analysts of the long struggle for Vietnam. In this superb study he gets the nuanced and incisive treatment he deserves.' -- Fredrik Logevall, Professor of History, Harvard University'"To win the military battle but lose the political war could well become the U.S. fate in Vietnam," observed Bernard Fall in 1962. In Number One Realist, Nathaniel Moir gives us a superbly rich biography, combined with an illuminating history of irregular and revolutionary warfare, subjects on which Fall was one of the twentieth century’s pioneering authorities. This is much more than a contribution to the history of that long and complex war in Indochina, the end of which Fall did not live to see. It is a profound study of war as a perennial human phenomenon and how best to think and write about it.' -- Niall Ferguson, Milbank Family Senior Fellow, Hoover Institution, Stanford, and author of Kissinger, 1923-1968: The Idealist

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Book SynopsisDespite attracting headlines and hype, insurgents rarely win. Even when they claim territory and threaten governmental writ, they typically face a military backlash too powerful to withstand. States struggle with addressing the political roots of such movements, and their military efforts mostly just 'mow the grass'; yet, for the insurgent, the grass is nonetheless mowed--and the armed project must start over. This is the insurgent's dilemma: the difficulty of asserting oneself, of violently challenging authority, and of establishing sustainable power. In the face of this dilemma, some insurgents are learning new ways to ply their trade. With subversion, spin and disinformation claiming centre stage, insurgency is being reinvented, to exploit the vulnerabilities of our times and gain new strategic salience for tomorrow. As the most promising approaches are refined and repurposed, what we think of as counterinsurgency will also need to change. The Insurgent's Dilemma explores three particularly adaptive strategies and their implications for response. These emerging strategies target the state where it is weak and sap its power, sometimes without it noticing. There are options for response, but fresh thinking is urgently needed--about society, legitimacy and political violence itself.Trade Review'[A] thoughtful history … with an impressive range of examples.' -- Foreign Affairs‘Contributes to the understanding of contemporary terrorism and would form an essential component of any curriculum for understanding both insurgency and counterinsurgency.’ -- Parameters‘Readers interested in the future of insurgency, disinformation, and contemporary challenges to democratic nation-states will find this a valuable study.’ -- Air University Press'[The book] sets the stage for further academic, policymaker and military debates. This work is relevant for diverse readers.' -- International Peacekeeping'One of the most important books on insurgency and political violence to appear in decades. Ucko's analysis, based on historical vignettes, is clear and compelling. This book will help readers understand how to think about insurgent and terrorist organizations as the first step toward developing strategies in response to them.' -- H.R. McMaster, former US National Security Advisor and author of 'Battlegrounds: The Fight to Defend the Free World'.'Iraq and Afghanistan may be past, but the threat of insurgency remains and will be weaponized by adversarial states. Ucko provides a strategic blueprint for how to defeat the twenty-first-century insurgent, challenging orthodox assumptions. Groundbreaking.' -- Sean McFate, Adjunct Associate Professor, Center for Security Studies, Georgetown University, and author of The New Rules of War'Insurgents are very agile in adapting to changing circumstances; in his masterful analysis, Ucko outlines the most likely adaptations we can expect in insurgent strategy and for which we need to prepare urgently. An absolute must-read!' -- Isabelle Duyvesteyn, Professor of International Studies and Global History, Leiden University'Required reading for both scholars of insurgency and counterinsurgency strategists. After decades of stasis, the analytical literature on insurgency is experiencing a renaissance, driven by major shifts in the security environment and innovation by insurgent actors. Erudite, persuasive, and an important contribution.' -- Steve Metz, Professor of National Security and Strategy, US Army War College'This book puts insurgency into a much wider strategic context, offering an analysis that ought to make readers think carefully about what leads to success in twenty-first-century irregular warfare.' -- Matthew Ford, Senior Lecturer in International Relations, University of Sussex; founding editor of the British Journal for Military History; and author of Weapon of Choice and Radical War'An important new entry into the ongoing debate in military and strategic studies over the last twenty or more years. This is a useful exercise in rethinking the nature of insurgencies and counter-insurgency, especially with its discussion of state theory' -- Paul B. Rich, consultant for TRENDS Research & Advisory and author of Cinema and Unconventional Warfare in the Twentieth Century'A brilliant effort. David Ucko has produced a compelling account of emerging trends in insurgency, as guerrillas adapt to changing social and political norms and technologies in an increasingly urban and connected world. For anyone interested in the future of insurgency, and in the evolving strategic approaches that insurgents are pioneering, this book is a must-read.' -- David Kilcullen, co-author of The Ledger: Accounting for Failure in Afghanistan.

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Book Synopsis'These things happened. They were glorious and they changed the world,' said Charlie Wilson, of America's role backing the anti-Soviet mujahideen. 'And then we fucked up the endgame.' With no support for Afghanistan after that war, the vacuum was filled by the Taliban and bin Laden. 'The Ledger' assesses the West's similarly failed approach to Afghanistan after 9/11--in military, diplomatic, political and developmental terms. Dr David Kilcullen and Dr Greg Mills are uniquely placed to reflect backwards and forwards on the Afghan conflict: they worked with the international mission both as advisers and within the Arg, and they have considerable experience of counterinsurgency and stabilisation operations elsewhere in the world. Here these two experts show that there is plenty of blame to go around when explaining the failure to bring peace to Afghanistan after 9/11. The signs of collapse were conveniently ignored, in favour of political narratives of progress and success. Yet for Afghans, the war and its geopolitical effects are not over because NATO is gone--Afghanistan remains globally connected through digital communications and networks. This vital book explains why and where failings in Afghanistan happened, warning against exceptionalist approaches to future peacebuilding missions around the globe.Trade Review'[The Ledger] is a clear-eyed analysis made with the surgical precision of two insiders who saw, firsthand, the legion of small ways that the war was lost when it could have been won.' -- The Sunday Times‘A failure to understand the ties that bind Afghanistan and its people underpins the west’s 20-year struggle there, a history whose first draft is masterfully captured in The Ledger.’ -- Financial Times'The Ledger is not a book of dread and sensationalism. It is a cool and forensic dissection of what a disaster the search for Al-Qaeda following the attack on their Afghan hosts, the Taliban, was to become. […] More than a mere polemic, this is a fine book.' -- The Scotsman'[Written] by authors with deep knowledge and great expertise in their subjects, The Ledger [is] very useful in understanding how we got where we are.' -- The Independent

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Book Synopsis'A landmark work on perhaps the essential question of our time' - David Wallace-Wells, author of The Uninhabitable Earth In this ground-breaking book, environmental journalist, Peter Schwartzstein, takes the reader on the first on-the-ground exploration of climate change's contribution to global conflict.

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Book SynopsisNigeria is the most dynamic country on the African continent. Yet the legacy of colonialism, deep-rooted corruption, exposure to climate change and the proliferation of small arms have created a precarious security situation that holds back the country’s potential for peace and prosperity. Security in Nigeria explores the many security threats facing Nigeria and assesses the government’s responses to date. With contributors spanning three continents, it provides an original and comprehensive analysis of ‘old’ and ‘new’ security threats and offers original solutions to address the crisis.Trade ReviewIn this remarkably fine volume, Caroline Varin and Freedom Onuoha have assembled a stellar cast of contributors to shed important light on the complexities of security in Nigeria. This august group reveals a variety of critical challenges facing this important African nation and provides cogent insights into their causes and implications. Security in Nigeria is a most significant contribution to an informed understanding of these crucial topics and should be essential reading for scholars, and general readers alike. * William A. Taylor, Associate Professor, Angelo State University *Table of ContentsTable of Contents Acknowledgements List of Acronyms Biographies Introduction – Caroline Varin 1.Colonial Legacy as Foundation of Insecurity in Nigeria – Michael I. Ugwueze 2.Corruption: a root cause of insecurity in Nigeria – Leah Wawro 3.Nowhere to Run: Climate Change and Security Challenges in Nigeria – Okoye Anthony Chukwuebuka 4.Small Arms Proliferation – Freedom Onuoha & Gerald Ezirim 5.Human Trafficking - Olusesan Ayodeji Makinde and Deborah Fry 6.Maritime Piracy – Dirk Siebels 7.Militants of the Niger Delta – Jude Cocodia 8.Guns and Deaths – The Conflict between Farmers and Herders – Chris Kwaja 9.Boko Haram and Islamic Extremists – Dauda Abubakar 10.Secessionist Movements and Structural Determinism in Nigeria - Usman A. Tar and Bashir Bala 11.Internally Displaced Persons and Security in Nigeria - Olajumoke Yacob Haliso and Michael Ihuoma 12.Informal Security Sector and Security Provisioning in Nigeria: Trends, Issues and Challenges – Ufiem Maurice Ogbonnaya Conclusion – Caroline Varin and Freedom Onuoha Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisIn June 1944, an elite unit of British paratroopers was sent on a daring and highly risky behind-the-lines mission, which was deemed vital to the success of D-Day. Dropping ahead of the main Allied invasion, 9 PARA were tasked with destroying an impregnable German gun battery. If they failed, thousands of British troops landing on the beaches were expected to die. But their mission was flawed and started to go wrong from the moment they jumped from their aircraft above Normandy. Only twenty per cent of the unit made it to the objective and half of them were killed or wounded during the attack. Undermanned and lacking equipment and ammunition, the survivors then held a critical part of the invasion beachhead. For six bloody days, they defended the Breville Ridge against vastly superior German forces and bore the brunt of Rommel's attempt to turn the left flank of the Allied invasion.The Manner of Men is an epic account of courage beyond the limits of human endurance, where paratroopers prevailed despite intelligence failures and higher command blunders, in what has been described as one of the most remarkable feat of arms of the British Army and the Parachute Regiment during the Second World War.Trade ReviewDeftly captures the agonising way in which everything went wrong * The Spectator *Told in elegant and evocative prose . . . The Manner of Men is one of those rare books - one that actually manages to bring to life the reality of a desperate mission behind enemy lines. This former soldier writes superbly well * Damien Lewis, author of Zero Six Bravo *If you have any interest in military history this is a must - I'll be reading it more than once. A fascinating story - couldn't be any less than five stars * Soldier Magazine *

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Book Synopsis'Superbly written and gripping' Daily ExpressThe thrilling true account of Hitler's first defeat.In the summer of 1940, the Nazi war machine was at its zenith. France, Denmark, Norway and the Low Countries were all under occupation after a series of lightning military campaigns. Only Britain stood in the way of the complete triumph of Nazi tyranny. But for the first time in the war, Hitler did not prevail. The traditional narrative of 1940 holds that Britain was only saved from German conquest by the pluck of RAF Fighter Command during the Battle of Britain. The image of Dad's Army recruits training with broomsticks is a classic symbol of the nation's supposed desperation in the face of the threat from Operation Sealion, as the German plan for invasion was code-named. Yet as Leo McKinstry details, the British were far more ruthless and proficient than is usually recognised. The brilliance of the RAF was not an exception but part of a pattern of magnificent organisation. In almost every sphere of action, such as the destruction of the French naval fleet or the capture of German spies, Britain's approach reflected an uncompromising spirit of purpose and resolution. Using a wealth of primary materials from both British and German archives, Leo McKinstry provides a ground-breaking new assessment of the six fateful months in mid-1940, beginning with Winston Churchill's accession to power in May and culminating in Germany's abandonment of Operation Sealion.Trade ReviewIn his immaculately researched and gripping work Leo McKinstry paints a vivid picture . . . [He] strikes a balance through reinforcing what the average reader is likely to be aware of and coming up with revelatory nuggets . . . stirring and passionate * Daily Express *If we had lost the Battle of Britain, all that stood between us and a fascist future was the Home Guard, a Dad's Army of oldsters armed with broomsticks. Leo McKinstry's engrossing, forensic review of the evidence challenges that idea and exposes some myths along the way . . . McKinstry's admirable book sets the record straight * Daily Mail *An enthralling story which confirms, should anyone still doubt it, that this really was our 'Finest Hour' * Mail on Sunday *A pacey, readable history of Britain's resistance to the bogeyman across the Channel * The Spectator *Fans of Leo McKinstry will know what to expect from his superbly written and gripping historical books and the unashamedly patriotic and unputdownable Operation Sealion . . . one of his best yet * Daily Express *[A] fascinating, original study * Daily Mail *Masterly narrative * BBC History Magazine *

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Book SynopsisMaritime security covers many issues including disputes over ownership of the continental shelf and of the boundaries of Exclusive Economic Zones, as well as protecting citizens from ballistic missile attacks using sea-based platforms and the introduction of non-native marine species to new aquatic habitats. Loss of key habitats and species may harm tourism and the wider economy while illegal fishing and smuggling often degrade the maritime environment. Nor should we forget that the sea is a favoured means of transit for trans-national terrorist and criminal groups, and smuggling of drugs, people and weapons remains a perennial concern for governments and their agencies trying to police the seas. Even today, however, the threat of conventional naval warfare has not receded entirely: rivalries over the ownership of the continental shelf, in areas such as the Spratley and Paracel Islands and the Lomonosov Ridge, could well be the harbinger of future conflict. Securing access to an ever-dwindling source of oil and gas may also threaten conflict on a worldwide basis as navies confront each other to secure economically vital sea lanes of communications in a time when energy security concerns are high on political the political agenda. Sloggett's book deals with this fascinating range of issues in a comprehensive manner also provides a blueprint for the development of maritime security, an integrated solution based around creating accurate and timely maritime domain awareness and sharing this with both military and commercial users of the sea.Trade Review[A] major reference point in the debate on how the complexity of Maritime security can be managed. -- International Affairs, December 2014A most timely, comprehensive and relevant study of the challenges and considerations surrounding Maritime Security. -- Sym Taylor, former Commander, Royal NavyDr Sloggett provides a thought-provoking analysis of the relevance of the classic theories of Alfred Mahan and Julian Corbett to today's maritime scene, leading again to the conclusion that there are eternal verities of maritime power which we ignore at our peril. ... we should heed his warning. -- Sir Jeremy Blackham, Editor, The Naval Review.The world's oceans are a highway for world trade, a source of vital protein and the last great energy frontier. That also makes them the target for criminals, terrorists and rogue states. Dave Sloggett has done a formidable job in analysing, describing, and defining a subject that must be of interest to all those who depend on secure oceans - everyone, that is. -- Martin Murphy, Senior Fellow, Atlantic Council of the United States and author of Somalia, the New Barbary? Piracy and Islam in the Horn of AfricaSloggett has written a book all too seldom found in private security; a serious and weighty yet newsy look, with a long and international perspective. -- Professional Security

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Book SynopsisWhile the 'New Taliban' looms large in the global media, little is known about how it functions as an organisation. How united is it? Are its structures relatively strong, or surprisingly brittle? Are personal relations and networking based on traditional ties of kin and ethnicity the sum total of its organisational capabilities, or are efforts underway to build more institutionalised chains of command? How united is the New Taliban, and how does it maintain whatever degree of unity it has, given the attrition it has suffered in the field? And to what extent is its leadership able to impose switches in strategy among the rank-andfile, given Afghanistan's difficult geography and poor communications? These are among the questions answered in this book by a renowned cast of practitioners, journalists and academics, all of whom have long field experience of the latest phase of the New Taliban's insurgency in Afghanistan. Decoding the New Taliban includes a number of detailed studies of specific regions or provinces, which for different reasons are especially significant for the Taliban and for understanding their expansion. Alongside these regional studies, the volume includes thematic analyses of negotiating with the Taliban, the Taliban's propaganda effort and its strategic visionTrade Review'An outstanding and important collection - just the sort of locally specific, openly debatable, scholarly analysis ... that will be required more and more if the international community is ever to understand the insurgents and divine how to prevent a second Taliban revolution... as up-to-date as scholarship can be.' -- Steve Coll (Pulitzer Prize-winner), The New Yorker'Some evidence that the Taliban have moved on since they were in power is provided by Antonio Giustozzi, who has edited a collection of essays entitled Decoding the New Taliban... Giustozzi argues that the Taliban realise their old position on education was self-defeating and lost them support, and the line is now being reversed. In Lashkar Gah, the capital of Helmand, according to Tom Coghlan, one of Giustozzi's contributors, people in September 2008 'reported a strikingly less repressive interpretation of the Taliban's social edicts.' They no longer ban TV, music, dog-fighting and kite-flying; nor do they insist on the old rule that men grow beards long enough to be held in the fist.' -- Jonathan Steele, London Review of BooksProvides a nuanced micro-level view of the country... One of the most significant contributions ... is the insight into the modus operandi of the insurgency.' -- Foreign Affairs'Far removed from the usual clichés and hasty generalisations, Decoding the New Taliban offers the reader a keen, first-hand sense of field research in Afghanistan, with all its uncertainties and contradictions. the authors, working on different regions or themes, offer new data and thought-provoking analyses. this book is an important step in understanding our failure in the current war.' -- Gilles Dorronsoro, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and author of Revolution Unending: Afghanistan 1979 to the PresentAntonio Giustozzi has succeeded in drawing together an excellent collection of perceptive essays from eminent and distinguished contributors. The focus on developments in diverse Afghan localities ensures that there is much in the volume that is novel, and instructive for both specialist and general readers. I would strongly recommend that it be published, and given the exceptional topicality of its subject-matter, the sooner the better.' -- Professor William Maley, author, Rescuing AfghanistanA valuable collection . . . [that] offer[s] important clues that could help to answer some of the most pressing foreign policy questions now confronting the Obama administration.' -- David Rohde, The New Republic'This well-researched book contains valuable insight on the command and control of the Taliban.' -- Military Review'Decoding the New Taliban is a serious and comprehensive collection of essays written by authorities on their subject matter that will directly benefit those who find themselves on the ground with the Afghan people and among the still evolving Neo-Taliban.' -- Middle East Quarterly'Decoding the New Taliban is one of the only sources where one can find concrete, specific, and up-to-date information on the structure, strategy, and operations of the Taliban insurgents. Along with Giustozzi's earlier book, Koran, Kalashnikov, and Laptop, Decoding the New Taliban is essential reading for anyone interested in the challenges facing the United States in bringing stability to this crucial region of the world.' -- Professor David B. Edwards, Willliams College, author of Before Taliban: Genealogies of the Afghan Jihad

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Book SynopsisWar in Afghanistan will never be understood without getting to grips with the small places - the provinces, districts, and villages - where most of the fighting occurred, away from the cities, in hundreds of hamlets, valleys, and farms amid a vast landscape. Those small places and their people were the frontlines, and it is only there that we can truly find answers to the questions that lay at the heart of the war: why people supported the Taliban, whether intervention brought peace, whether a better outcome was ever possible. Garmser is a small place that has seen much violence; a single district within one of Afghanistan's 34 provinces. Its 150,000 people inhabit a fertile strip along the Helmand River no more than 6 miles wide and 45 miles long. Carter Malkasian spent years in Garmser district as the political officer for the US Department of State. He tells the history of thirty years of war, from 1979 to 2012, explaining how the Taliban movement formed in Garmser; how, after being routed in 2001, they re- turned stronger than ever in 2006; and how Afghans, British, and Americans fought with them between 2006 and 2012. He describes the lives of Afghans who endured and tried to build some kind of order out of war. While Americans and British came and went, they carried on, year after year, inhabitants of a small place.Trade Review'War Comes to Garmser explores the war in Afghanistan from an explicitly provincial Afghan point of view, where foreigners (and even Kabul officials) are marginal actors rather than the centre of the story. Malkasian presents what is in effect a fifty-year oral history of a single district in volatile southern Afghanistan, illustrating the truism that all politics is local. - Even those with little interest in the politics cannot help but be drawn into the lives of the vivid characters Malkasian skilfully sketches.' * Times Literary Supplement *'Afghan officials and US commanders credit Malkasian with playing a critical role in the transformation of Garmser from one of the country's most violent, Taliban-infested districts to a place so quiet that some Marines wish they had more chances to fire their weapons.' * Washington Post *'... represents the kind of detailed study of Afghanistan that has been badly missing: Most people associated with the international military and development missions here come in for six-month or one-year stints. ... One mark of Malkasian's analytical mettle is that he presents, more so than any other writer I've read, a clear and fair picture of the Taliban and why they enjoyed so much support in the south. * New York Times *'The twelve years of this "Decade of War" have produced many good books on counterinsurgency. Carter Malkasian's War Comes to Garmser: Thirty Years of Conflict on the Afghan Frontier will be ranked among the best of them. Indeed, the value of this book extends beyond the case in question. It speaks to the unchanging nature of war and the complex, changing character of war in the information age.' * Parameters, Strategic Studies Institute, US Army *'There have been very few books about America's longest war, and even fewer good ones. ... To this short list can now be added another great book on the Afghan war, Carter Malkasian's War Comes to Garmser.' * John Nagl, Professor, US Naval War College *'In the aftermath of the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan, Malkasian spent two years in Garmser as a State Department political officer. His rich, shrewdly constructed history of the area shows how tribal elders used the United States and the Taliban as resources in their own turf battles [ - ] Malkasian's gem of a concluding chapter - which analyses the opportunities the United States missed during the early years of the war and offers specific recommendations on what could and should be done now - is best appreciated after a close reading of the preceding chapters. The effort will be amply repaid.' * John Waterbury, Foreign Affairs *'Add Malkasian - a brave, brilliant and practical man - to the names Lawrence, Galula, Lansdale and Vann. This is the definitive work on counterinsurgency at the district level. An absorbing detective story that answers the questions, "how does the Taliban take power at the village level, and how can they be defeated?"' * Bing West, author of The Village and The Wrong War: Grit, Strategy and the Way Out of Afghanistan *'War Comes to Garmser is a brilliantly written, minutely detailed and rigorously honest political-military history. A microcosm of the war in Afghanistan, it is evocative of opportunities missed and possibilities yet to exploit. A must-read for those who want understanding that is more than headline deep.' * Ronald E. Neumann, former United States Ambassador to Afghanistan (2005-2007), now president of the American Academy of Diplomacy *'In the nineteenth century Britain employed political officers on the troubled frontiers of its empire. They immersed themselves in their localities, learnt about the inhabitants and heard their stories. Carter Malkasian is an American twenty-first century political officer. Outwardly his deeply revealing book is about Afghanistan's experience of war over three decades, but it is also a mirror on the US itself. His message is clear: deep historical and cultural understanding is at the heart of good strategy.' * Hew Strachan, Chichele Professor of the History of War, Oxford University *

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Book SynopsisThe burgeoning of global connectivity in recent decades is without historical parallel and the 'wiring up' of the world continues apace, even in the poorest regions. Flux and ever-quickening change are the leitmotifs of the 'information age' across a swathe of human enterprise from industry and commerce through to politics and social relations. This is no less the case for the patterns of war, where change has been disorientating for soldiers and statesmen whose confidence in the old, the traditional, and the known has been shaken. David Betz's book explains the huge and disruptive implications of connectivity for the practice of warfare. The tactical ingenuity of opponents to confound or drop below the thresh- old of sophisticated weapons systems means war remains the realm of chance and probability. Increasingly, though, the conflicts of our time are less contests of arms than wars of hearts and minds conducted on a mass scale through multimedia communications networks. The most pernicious challengers to the status quo are not states but ever more powerful non-state actors.Trade Review'In this challenging and imaginative book, David Betz explores the interaction of violent conflict with the connectivity that defines the modern world, and shows the confusion this causes to those who still prefer to think of war in terms of regular armies fighting decisive battles.' * Sir Lawrence Freedman, Emeritus Professor of War Studies, King's College London, author of Strategy: A History *Table of ContentsDavid Betz is a senior lecturer in the Department of War Studies at King's College London. He is the author, most recently (with Tim Stevens) of Cyber- space and the State: Toward a Strategy for Cyberpower (IISS, 2011).

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Book SynopsisThe Improbable War explains why conflict between the USA and China cannot be ruled out. In 1914 war between the Great Powers was considered unlikely, yet it happened. We learn only from history, and popular though the First World War analogy is, the lessons we draw from its outbreak are usually mistaken. Among these errors is the tendency to over-estimate human rationality. All major conflicts of the past 300 years have been about the norms and rules of the international system. In China and the US the world confronts two 'exceptional' powers whose values differ markedly, with China bidding to challenge the current order. The 'Thucydidean Trap' -when a conservative status quo power confronts a rising new one-may also play its part in precipitating hostilities. To avoid stumbling into an avoidable war both Beijing and Washington need a coherent strategy, which neither of them has. History also reveals that war evolves continually. The next global conflict is likely to be played out in cyberspace and outer space and like all previous wars it will have devastating consequences.Such a war between the United States and China may seem improbable, but it is all too possible, which is why we need to discuss it now.Trade ReviewChristopher Coker takes aim at what he considers a dangerous liberal misconception: that today's world of complex, interlocked economies and shared interests has made war between major powers, such as China and the United States, irrational and therefore unlikely. . . . As Coker explains, ideology and emotional appeals to 'national purpose' have just as much influence on states as sober cost-benefit assessments of the national interest. He stops short of predicting a Sino-American war, but he convincingly argues that the rise of China will be as disruptive to the U.S.-led international order as the rise of Germany after 1870 was to the British-led order of that era. * Foreign Affairs *This is a brilliant book that, despite its brevity, is far superior to its more alarmist counterparts that seem to get published far too frequently these days. * Survival *Christopher Coker has put forward a challenging argument: not that conflict between the US and China is inevitable, but that it is possible, and that both sides will have to sharpen their understanding of one another to avoid it. Coker draws richly on history, philosophy, and international relations theory to make his case. This is a highly stimulating account by a major thinker on one of the most important geopolitical questions of our time. -- Rana Mitter, Professor of the History and Politics of Modern China at the Institute for Chinese Studies, Oxford University, and author of China's War With Japan, 1937-1945Provides an exceptionally clear and succinct discussion of what may well be the most important question of our age: does war between major states have a future, and, if so, what will it be like? -- Martin van Creveld, author of 'The Culture of War' and 'The Changing Face of War: Lessons of Combat from the Marne to Iraq''The Improbable War' is a fresh, original book of great insight that advances a deeply troubling scenario. At issue is whether Beijing's attempt to dictate the terms of US-China relations will so destabilise East Asia as to make conflict unavoidable. Christopher Coker asks if past is prologue. We must believe that it is not. A brilliant book, and a great read. -- Stefan Halper, Director of American Studies at the Department of Politics and International Studies, University of Cambridge and author of 'The Beijing Consensus: Legitimizing Authoritarianism in Our Time'Christopher Coker is one of a kind among scholars of international relations. In this sobering and stimulating book he opens a fascinating window on a looming confrontation, after which nothing will ever be the same again. -- Brendan Simms, Professor of the History of International Relations, University of Cambridge

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Book SynopsisDoes technology kill distance? Does the 'globalisation' of the world make the US and its allies vulnerable to violence, terrorism or cyber-assault? 'Globalism'-- the belief that changes in information, transport and communications are dangerously shrinking the world -- is a reigning assumption amongst security elites. It makes the United States and its allies feel perpetually insecure, haunted by rumours of chain reactions and the domino effect. At the same time, the vision of instant and borderless warfare can be seductive, making Westerners believe they must strike first, with new powers to tame a chaotic world. Under the shadow of Globalism, disastrous wars are fought, civil liberties are threatened and hysteria replaces sober debate about foreign policy. In 'The Global Village Myth', Patrick Porter demonstrates through studies of Al-Qaeda's global terror network, military tensions in the Taiwan Strait, drones and cyberwar, that Globalism is wildly overstated. Technology may accelerate movement and compress physical space. But it does not necessarily shrink strategic space, the ability to project power affordably across the earth.If distance is created by humans exploiting technology and terrain, the world in important ways is getting larger, not smaller. This makes us less powerful, but more secure, than we think. Porter offers an alternative outlook to lead policymakers toward more sensible responses and a wiser, more sustainable, grand strategy.Trade ReviewThis challenging book takes aim at 'globalist' thinking . . . to show that territoriality, geography and state power still matter. [It] reminds readers that even in the age of drones and cyberwarfare, it is still difficult for most countries or nonstate groups to project power across great distances. * Foreign Affairs *In an era when Russia warns us that it is a 'minority stakeholder in globalisation' and China warns that global civil society is a 'moral threat to the values of Chinese society', Patrick Porter has produced a disturbing and timely wake-up call. A masterful refutation of the moral fantasies about global politics that have gone unchallenged for far too long. -- Christopher Coker, Professor of International RelationsPatrick Porter has written a brilliant book about projecting military power in the modern world. In particular, he shatters the widely held belief that globalisation has shrunk the planet, making it easy for bad guys everywhere to strike at the United States and its allies. One hopes that at least some of the many threat inflaters who populate the West will take the time to read 'The Global Village Myth'. They would learn a lot. -- John Mearsheimer, R. Wendell Harrison Distinguished Service Professor of Political ScienceIn an era when foreign policy is too often driven by cliches, Patrick Porter reminds us in 'The Global Village Myth' of the enduring limits to military power and geopolitical influence. This timely analysis by one of the world's leading strategic thinkers deserves to be read by policymakers, scholars and citizens alike. -- Michael Lind, author of 'The American Way of Strategy'This fascinating and well-researched book demolishes the widespread belief that modern technology both exposes the United States to unprecedented dangers and enables it to control distant lands at little or no cost. With clear-eyed logic, Patrick Porter explains why distance, borders, and other key elements of geopolitics remain highly relevant in the era of drones, cyber-technology, and decentralised terror networks. His arguments are nuanced and clear, his criticisms of the conventional wisdom are compelling, and the implications for national security policy are profound. -- Stephen Walt, Robert and Renee Belfer Professor of International Affairs'The Global Village Myth' is a short, tightly-argued body blow to contemporary American security policy. In it Patrick Porter takes on an important but often overlooked aspect of strategy--physical distance--and critiques the popular notion that technology has diminished its importance or even rendered it irrelevant. This is a seemingly simple idea with big implications. * Parameters, the US Army War College Quarterly *With good empirical data and conceptual sophistication, Patrick Porter convincingly debunks the related claims that the world is now a more threatening place because of technology's ability to overcome physical distance, but that paradoxically, the same technology allows wars to be fought in an increasingly stand-off manner. In line with classical realist thinking, he contends that great powers become their own worst enemies when they exaggerate threats, minimise their costs of dealing with them, but at the same time demand that success requires suspension of the rules governing domestic and foreign relations. For this reason, globalism is possibly more threatening than anti-communism and deterrence were during the Cold War. -- Richard Lebow, Professor of International Political Theory

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Book SynopsisPresident Obama was elected on an anti-war platform, yet targeted killings have increased under his command of the 'War on Terror'. The US thinks of itself as upholding the rule of international law and spreading democracy, yet such targeted killings have been widely decried as extra-judicial violations of human rights. This book examines these paradoxes, arguing that they are partially explained by the application of existing legal standards to transnational wars. Critics argue that the kind of war the US claims to be waging - transnational armed conflict - doesn't actually exist. McDonald analyses the concept of transnational war and the legalinterpretations that underpin it, and argues that the Obama administration's adherence to therule of law produces a status quo of violence that is in some ways more disturbing than the excessesof the Bush administration.America's interpretations of sovereignty and international law shape and constitute war itself, with lethal consequences for the named and anonymous persons that it unilaterally defines as participants.McDonald's analysis helps us understand the social and legal construction of legitimate violence in warfare, and the relationship between legal opinions formed in US government departments and acts of violence half a world away.Trade Review'A thoroughly researched, balanced, and well-written constructivist work that has utility for the student of war. It has immediate relevance for military officers and defense community scholars who must grapple with new forms of war and our enemies who utilize them.''Lucid, informed and authoritative -- one of those rare books which will be required reading for years to come. One learns as much about the nature of war itself and our relationship with it as about the specific issue of targeted killings.' -- Christopher Coker, Professor of International Relations, London School of Economics, author of Rebooting Clausewitz: 'On War' in the Twenty-First Century'President Trump is set to continue the Obama and Bush policies of targeted killings. Whether you think they should be condemned as counter-productive illegal assassination or commended as the most effective way found to date to rid the world of ruthless terrorists, you will find arguments to challenge you in Jack McDonald's book. He lays painfully bare the contested relationship between war, technology, violence and law and the origins of the present controversy over transnational war waged at the individual level.' -- Sir David Omand GCB, former director of GCHQ and author of Securing the State'There has been a plethora of books on drones and their activities; none of them has yet effectively hit, so to speak, the issue of targeted killings and the law. This book does that. For students of current conflict, international law or air power, this must be the set book on targeted killings, especially by drones, and the law that supposedly encompasses their use.' -- Frank Ledwidge, author of Rebel Law: Insurgents, Courts and Justice in Modern Conflict

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Book SynopsisGuardians of the Arab State explains clearly and concisely how and why military organisations become involved in politics across the Middle East and North Africa, identifying four key factors: a high degree of organisational capacity, clear institutional interest, a forgiving population and weak civilian control. Looking at numerous case studies ranging from Mauritania to Iraq, the book finds that these factors are common to all Arab countries to have experienced coups in the last century. It also finds that the opposite is true in cases like Jordan, where strong civilian control and the absence of capacity, interest, or a positive public image made coup attempts futile. Gaub also convincingly argues that the reasons are structural rather than cultural, thereby proving a counter-narrative to conventional explanations which look at Arab coups along religious or historical lines. In essence, the questions addressed herein lead back to issues of weak statehood, legitimacy, and resource constraints -- all problems the Arab world has struggled with since independence.Guardians of the Arab State picks up where previous literature on Middle Eastern military forces dropped the debate, and provides an updated and insightful analysis into the soul of Arab armies.Trade ReviewA must-read book for all those seeking to understand the critical role of armies in the rise and fall of states in the Arab world and the critical role that they have played historically and since the uprisings of 2011, written by one of the leading experts on the subject. -- Paul Salem, Vice President for Policy and Research, the Middle East Institute, Washington DCFlorence Gaub has produced a masterful analysis of the complex and critical relationship between Arab leaders and their militaries, a severely understudied topic. Her examination of these militaries' political role should be read by anyone seeking to understand the Arab world -- its history, the catalysts for the Arab uprisings, and its trajectory for the future. -- Mara E. Karlin, PhD, Former Deputy Assistant Secretary of DefenseFlorence Gaub has truly grasped the intricate military and political balance that continues to define the Arab World today. How can we find a middle ground between building strong armies capable of shielding a region marred by instability, while also embracing the necessary reforms to attain more inclusive and peaceful societies? This is but one of the many questions that she presses us to contemplate in this very well documented book. -- General Tannous Mouawad, Lebanese Army (Ret'd)The political trajectory of the Middle East and North Africa after World War II looks on the face of it to have been a series of military coups, revolutions, civil wars and failing states. Indeed, the Arab world seems particularly prone to military involvement in politics -- Why is this? Where does it happen? And why does it sometimes not? Florence Gaub gives clear answers to these questions, analyses perfectly the role of the militaries, civilian governments and the people in almost each of the Arab countries, and draws convincing conclusions. An excellent book. -- Wolf-Dieter Löser, former General, German Army and Commandant of the NATO Defense CollegeThis book is a must-read for diplomatic and military planners across the globe who are concerned about stability in the Middle East, a region with no shortage of military coups, revolutions, civil wars and failing states. Understanding the foundations of civil-military triad -- regional civilian leaders' legitimacy, Arab military capabilities, and citizen threat perception -- is a critical requirement for the pursuit of regional stability. This book provides an historical portrait of why Arab armies get involved in the political space and provides policy recommendations for necessary reforms. -- Paula Broadwell, former Deputy Director of the Fletcher School Counter-Terrorism Center

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Book SynopsisThe Improbable War explains why conflict between the USA and China cannot be ruled out. In 1914 war between the Great Powers was considered unlikely, yet it happened. We learn only from history, and popular though the First World War analogy is, the lessons we draw from its outbreak are usually mistaken. Among these errors is the tendency to over-estimate human rationality. All major conflicts of the past 300 years have been about the norms and rules of the international system. In China and the US the world confronts two 'exceptional' powers whose values differ markedly, with China bidding to challenge the current order. The 'Thucydidean Trap' -when a conservative status quo power confronts a rising new one-may also play its part in precipitating hostilities. To avoid stumbling into an avoidable war both Beijing and Washington need a coherent strategy, which neither of them has. History also reveals that war evolves continually. The next global conflict is likely to be played out in cyberspace and outer space and like all previous wars it will have devastating consequences.Such a war between the United States and China may seem improbable, but it is all too possible, which is why we need to discuss it now.Trade Review'Coker . . . always brings great historical, literary and philosophical erudition to his work . . . [A] thoughtful account.' -- Literary Review'Well structured, well argued . . . compelling.'

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Book SynopsisWhy is there so much violence in the developing countries? What does it have to do with economic development? What does it have to do with globalisation? In addressing these and other questions, Christopher Cramer takes a broad comparative approach, from recent wars, insurgencies and violence in Angola, Brazil, and Iraq to the American Civil War, showing how wars have been paid for throughout history. He also compares post-conflict reconstruction efforts in Mozambique and Iraq with how nineteenth-century America and twentieth-century Europe rebuilt their shattered societies and economies. "Civil War is Not a Stupid Thing" takes issue with two common perspectives on violence and war. The first is the liberal interpretation, according to which war is exclusively negative in its effects and peace is easily achieved through democratisation and free trade. In this view, modern liberal market democracies have outgrown violence, and only resort to it in self-defence. The second is a romantic, utopian view of violence. Transposed into political rhetoric, these two views are often directly opposed, as they are nowadays in Iraq and in the 'War on Terror'. Cramer's book forges an alternative way of understanding the role of violence in the transition to capitalism and a global economy.

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Book SynopsisAfter the collapse of the Soviet Union the Caucasus was wracked by ethnic and separatist violence as the peoples of the region struggled for self-determination. Vicken Cheterian, who spent many years as a reporter and analyst covering the region's conflicts, asks why nationalism emerged as a dominant political current, and why, of the many nationalist movements that emerged, some led to violence while others did not. He explains also why minority rebellions were victorious against larger armies, in mountainous Karabakh, Abkhazia, and in the first war of Chechnya, and discusses the ongoing instability and armed resistance in the North Caucasus. He concludes his book by examining chapters the great power competition between Russia, the US, and the EU over the oil and gas resources of the Caspian region.Trade Review'From Armenian family background, Cheterian does not hesitate to name Armenian excesses in the pursuit of independence for Karabakh. In his contributions to several institutes, journalism projects, and to Le Monde Diplomatique and opendemocracy.net, he represents a current of independent, evidence-based reportage and analysis that may just become strong enough to promote rational engagement with the possibilities of peace in the Caucasus.' * Irish Times *'A comprehensive description of the painful wars in the Caucasus over the last twenty years and an innovative analysis that adds to the theoretical literature on the sources of violent conflict.' * Stephen F. Jones, Slavic Review *'One cannot understand the current unresolved turmoil in the Caucasus, including last fall's war in Georgia, without having read this book.' * Robert Legvold, Foreign Affairs *'Cheterian asks the very useful question as to why the four conflicts that form the focus of his book took the shape that they did.' * Alex Marshall, War in History *'Absolutely competent and reliably researched.' * Choice *"This is an interesting and informative analysis of war in the Caucasus. The argument is supported through detailed analysis of the Karabakh conflict, Georgia, and Chechnya and the Osset-Ingush war in the North Caucasus. It is an original and systematic investigation of an important subject and will be a valuable addition to the debate on the conflicts in the Caucasus, the break-up of the Soviet Union, and the wider issues of nationalism and self-determination after the Cold War.' * Dr Jim Headley, University of Otago *'This book is essential reading for all who want to understand the roots of conflicts in the Caucasus and those who seek to build a lasting peace in this strategically important region. The recent war between Georgia and Russia has demonstrated that the international community was wrong in assuming that conflicts in Abkhazia, South Ossetia, and Nagorno- Karabakh can remain unresolved for decades. Vicken Cheterian's detailed and balanced account of brutal conflicts and their implications for the post-Soviet development of Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan stands out on this subject. His nuanced understanding of the historic legacies and modern challenges facing the region, its peoples, and its leaders is based on many years living and travelling in the Caucasus. He describes why diplomacy has failed to deliver reconciliation and just peace, and his insights should inform any future efforts to promote regional stability.' * Oksana Antonenko, program director (Russia and Eurasia), International Institute for Strategic Studies *'With the South Caucasus suddenly thrust into the centre of world attention, Vicken Cheterian's book could not be more timely. Cheterian comes to this topic both as an insider with intimate deep knowledge of the region and as a cool analyst who brings the critical insights of a journalist and the sober judgements of a scholar to bear on historical and political complexities. His story is placed squarely in the context of Soviet collapse and the competing national projects of the Armenians, Azerbaijanis, Georgians, Abkhaz, Ossetians, and Russians. Rather than seeing conflict as primordial or inevitable, Cheterian reveals both the conjunctures and contingencies that made what seemed unavoidable possible. His analysis and interpretations range from pipelines to politicians and provide readers with the most comprehensive understanding of what lies behind the often distorted public rhetoric of state leaders.' * Professor Ronald Grigor Suny, University of Michigan *

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Book SynopsisGeneral Charles Gordon (1833-85) remains one of the most enigmatic figures in British military history. His brilliant feats of leadership, first in the Crimea, then in China, where he saved the emperor''s throne from the Taiping rebels, made him a hero in the eyes of the British who came to know him as ''Chinese Gordon''.This book, taken in facsimile from a work published in 1896, covers the life of Gordon from his earliest days up to his tragic end at Khartoum. The author portrays Gordon as an example of all that is excellent in British manhood, though later historians have thrown some doubt on his character. Nonetheless, this work presents a faithful picture of the man within the context of his own generation.

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Book SynopsisThe Afghan Wars of 1839-42 and 1878-1880 were the direct result of Russian and British Imperial designs for the expansion of their respective spheres of influence. The British war of 1839 to 1842 against the Afghans resulted in the disorderly retreat from Kabul and the annihilation of the British garrison was one of the worst defeats ever inflicted on the British Army.Archibald Forbes'' book is a recognised scholarly history of these wars written from the British point of view.

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Book SynopsisThe Military Balance is the International Institute for Strategic Studies’ annual assessment of the military capabilities and defence economics of 170 countries worldwide. It is an essential resource for those involved in security policymaking, analysis and research.The book is a region-by-region analysis of the major military and economic developments affecting defence and security policies, and the trade in weapons and other military equipment. Comprehensive tables detail major military training activities, UN and non-UN deployments, and give data on key equipment holdings and defence-expenditure trends over a ten year period.Key Features:Region-by-region analysis: major military issues affecting each region, changes in defence economics, weapons and other military equipment holdings and the trade in weapons and military equipment Comprehensive tables: key data on weapons and defence economics, such as comparisons of international defence expenditure and military manpower Analysis: significant military and economic developments Wallchart: detailed world map that shows current areas of conflict, with explanatory tables.Trade Review‘The Military Balance is the unique and vital resource on which informed public debate of the world's armed forces is founded.’- William S. Cohen, former U.S. Secretary of Defense'Quite simply the definitive resource on current military and strategic affairs.' - Choice

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Book SynopsisThe Military Balance is the International Institute for Strategic Studies’ annual assessment of the military capabilities and defence economics of 170 countries worldwide. It is an useful resource for those involved in security policy making, analysis and research.The Military Balance 2011 examines key global issues, including: the development of Iraq's security forces the debate over NATO's strategic concept and operations in Afghanistan developments in China's People's Liberation Army international comparison of defence expenditure and military manpower. Key Features:Region-by-region analysis: major military issues affecting each region, changes in defence economics, weapons and other military equipment holdings and the trade in weapons and military equipment Comprehensive tables: key data on major military training activities, UN and non-UN deployments, and information on key equipment holdings and defence expenditure trends over a ten year periodAnalysis: significant military and economic developments Wallchart: detailed world map that shows current areas of conflict, with explanatory tablesThe new edition features the 2011 Chart of Conflict.Trade Review‘The Military Balance is the unique and vital resource on which informed public debate of the world's armed forces is founded.’- William S. Cohen, former U.S. Secretary of Defense'Quite simply the definitive resource on current military and strategic affairs.' - Choice

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Book SynopsisThe Strategic Survey is the annual review of world affairs from The International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS). It is an invaluable tool for interpreting world-wide strategic developments and has, since 1966, provided essential analysis of the year’s key events in international relations for government policy makers, journalists, business leaders and academics.In the year to mid-2011, the pace of history quickened and this year's edition examines events of these last twelve months. Users of Strategic Survey 2011 will benefit from: a special chapter on the Arab Awakening, in which protests against autocratic rule spread like wildfire across the Arab world coverage of the earthquake and subsequent tsunami that killed thousands in Japan, and triggered the worst nuclear accident for twenty-five years commentary on the fallout of the daring raid into Pakistan by American special forces that killed Osama bin Laden, but which sparked fury in Islamabad analysis of the provocative military actions of the North Korean regime, China's increasing global influence, and the crisis resulting from high food prices around the world. Strategic Survey 2011 includes a chronology of the year's events, essays on important policy issues, and a Strategic Geography section giving vital data on key issues - such as extreme weather and European sovereign debt - in map form. The book also includes region-by-region chapters analysing the year's strategic developments.Trade Review'Policy-makers, academics, students and interested members of the public will be better informed by reading this authoritative annual.' - Reference Reviews'Strategic Survey has become a landmark of the think tank landscape: a Handbook for what to worry about for the coming year.' - Bronwen Maddox, Editor of Prospect Magazine

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Book SynopsisThe Military Balance is an authoritative assessment of the military capabilities and defence economics of 171 countries. Detailed A–Z entries list each country’s military organisation, personnel numbers, equipment inventories, and relevant economic and demographic data.Regional and select country analyses cover the major developments affecting defence policy and procurement, and defence economics. The opening graphics section displays notable defence statistics, while additional data sets detail selected arms orders and military exercises, as well as comparative defence expenditure and personnel numbers. The Military Balance is an indispensable handbook for anyone conducting serious analysis of security policy and military affairs.The International Institute for Strategic Studies, founded in 1958, is an independent centre for research, analysis and debate on the problems of conflict, however caused, that have, or potentially have, an important military dimension.Trade Review'Because military affairs are inevitably clouded in fog, the IISS Military Balance is an essential companion for those who seek to understand.' - Lord Robertson of Port Ellen, former UK Defence Secretary and Secretary-General of NATO'Amid continuing conflict and broadening insecurity, The Military Balance provides essential facts and analysis for decision-makers and for better informed public debate.' - Dr Robert M. Gates, former US Secretary of Defense and Director of Central Intelligence'Because military affairs are inevitably clouded in fog, the IISS Military Balance is an essential companion for those who seek to understand.' - Lord Robertson of Port Ellen, former UK Defence Secretary and Secretary-General of NATO'Amid continuing conflict and broadening insecurity, The Military Balance provides essential facts and analysis for decision-makers and for better informed public debate.' - Dr Robert M. Gates, former US Secretary of Defense and Director of Central IntelligenceTable of ContentsEditor's Introduction. Part 1: Capabilities, Trends and Economics Chapter 1: Conflict Analysis and Conflict Trends Chapter 2: Comparative Defence Statistics Chapter 3: North America Chapter 4: Europe Chapter 5: Russia and Eurasia Chapter 6: Asia Chapter 7: Middle East and North Africa Chapter 8: Latin America and the Caribbean Chapter 9: Sub-Saharan Africa. Chapter 10: Country Comparisons - Commitments, Force Levels and Economics Part 2: Reference Explanatory Notes. Reference.

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Book SynopsisThe Armed Conflict Survey provides in-depth analysis of the political, military and humanitarian dimensions of all major armed conflicts, as well as data on fatalities, refugees and internally displaced persons. Compiled by the IISS, publisher of The Military Balance, it is the standard reference work on contemporary conflict. The book assesses key developments in 36 conflicts, including those in Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan, South Sudan, Israel–Palestine, Southern Thailand, Colombia and Ukraine.The Armed Conflict Survey also features chapters on UN peacekeeping; sexual violence; the Islamic State’s shifting narrative; governance by armed groups and rebel-to-party transitions.Table of ContentsEditor’s Introduction Chapter One - Thematic Essays Whither UN Peacekeeping? Conflict-related Sexual Violence The Islamic State’s Shifting Narrative The Changing Foundations of Governance by Armed Groups Rebel-to-party Transitions Chapter Two - Maps, Graphics and Data Territory lost by ISIS and operations against the group in Ten years of Mexico’s ‘war on drugs’Distribution of highest reported level of rape during civil warRefugee movements to selected non-Western countriesGlobal conflict fatalities Myanmar’s newest insurgencyChapter Three - Middle East Egypt Iraq Israel–Palestine Lebanon–Hizbullah–Syria Libya Mali (The Sahel) Syria Turkey (PKK) Yemen Chapter Four - Sub-Saharan Africa Central African Republic Democratic Republic of the Congo Ethiopia Nigeria (Boko Haram) Nigeria (Delta Region) Somalia South Sudan Sudan (Blue Nile, Darfur and South Kordofan) Chapter Five - South Asia Afghanistan India (Assam) India (CPI–Maoist) India (Manipur) India (Nagaland) India–Pakistan (Kashmir) Pakistan Chapter Six - Asia-Pacific China (Xinjiang) Myanmar Philippines (ASG) Philippines (MILF) Philippines (NPA) Southern Thailand Chapter Seven - Europe and Eurasia Armenia–Azerbaijan (Nagorno-Karabakh) Russia (North Caucasus) Ukraine Chapter Eight - Latin America Central America (Northern Triangle) Colombia Mexico Chapter Nine - Explanatory Notes Index

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Book SynopsisThe Strategic Survey is the annual review of world affairs from the International Institute for Strategic Studies. It is an invaluable tool for interpreting world-wide strategic developments and has, since 1966, provided essential analysis of the year’s key events in international relations for government policy makers, journalists, business leaders and academics.Table of ContentsEvents at a Glance. Strategic Policy Issues. The Americas. Europe. Russia and Eurasia. Middle East/Gulf. Africa. South Asia and Afghanistan. Asia-Pacific.

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Book SynopsisIn view of the fast-changing world order, emerging countries are increasingly influencing the dynamics of regional securities. This timely and in-depth book examines India's reorienting strategic posture and describes how New Delhi's security policy in the Indo-Pacific region has evolved and expanded over the past two decades. The author argues that India's quest to leverage its geostrategic location to emerge as an Indo-Pacific actor faces multiple challenges, which create a clear divide between the country's political rhetoric and action on the ground. The author critically examines these contradictions to better situate India's security role in an increasingly fluid Indo-Pacific region.

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Book Synopsis

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