What Are You Currently Reading? 2009

[Umar Al-Mokhtār]

The Marine Corps Search for a Mission, 1880-1898 by Jack Shulimson gives a good background to how the Marines reinvented themselves for the challenges of “colonial” warfare in the 20th Century.

Marines in the Dominican Republic 1916-1924 by S. M. Fuller and Graham A. Cosmas

The United States Marines in Nicaragua by Bernard C Nalty

Garde d'Haiti, 1915-1934: Twenty years of organization and training by the United States Marine Corps by James H McCrocklin

The United States Marines: A History by Edwin Howard Simmons

Semper Fidelis: The History of the United States Marine Corps by Allan R. Millet

Fix Bayonets! And Other Short Stories by John W. Thomason Jr. while technically “fiction” is more like an anthology of Thomason’s Marine Corps experiences. Several stories on Nicaragua and Haiti form the “And Other Short Stories” portion (the original Fix Bayonets! is WWI).

If you can access the Marine Corps University Library at Quantico there are a couple of decent Marine Corps histories written before WWII that cover the Banana Wars to some extent.

[CR6]

Carl,

I would recommend Keith B. Bickel, Mars Learning: The Marine Corp’s Development of Small Wars Doctrine, 1915-1940 (2000)

2nd that recommendation.

Also Jon Hoffman's bios of Chesty Puller (http://www.amazon.com/Chesty-Story-Lieutenant-General-Puller/dp/037576044X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1258170687&sr=1-1) and "Red Mike" Edson (http://www.amazon.com/Once-Legend-Edson-Marine-Raiders/dp/089141732X/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpt_2) have excellent sections on USMC operations in Haiti and Nicaragua.

[Tukhachevskii]

Though not a fan of alternate/counter-factual histories in general I picked up P. G. Tsouras (Ed), Cold War Hot: Alternative Decisions of the Cold War Pub. 2003and to my surprise actually found it quite interesting. There are excellent short articles on the invasion of North Vietnam by US forces; the destruction of the Red Army in Operation Red Lightning (an ingenious plan to drop sub-munitions containing alcohol from rockets fired by MLRS launchers) which renders the Krasnaya Armee completely immobile/legless (literally); also chapters on the Sino-Soviet nuclear exchange of the 60s; and the Soviet DPRK victory in the Korean Conflict. Of particular interest to SWC readers wll be the article on Soviet Victory in Afghanistan which leads to an Indo-Pakistan war and an article on how the US could have won Vietnam. Fascinating if only to remind us of what B. H. Liddel-Hart called 'the personal factor in war'. (Also, there's a rather witty footnote regarding powerpoint...'How did Patton manage Cobra without it?":D)

Links added:http://www.amazon.com/Cold-War-Hot-Alternate-Decisions/dp/185367530X or http://www.amazon.co.uk/Cold-War-Hot-Alternative-Decisions/dp/185367530X/ref=sr_1_1/278-4544057-5610341?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1258235872&sr=8-1

[Umar Al-Mokhtār]

U.S. Marines and Irregular Warfare, 1898-2007 (Anthology and Selected Bibliography) by Stephen S. Evans.

[carl]

Gentlemen:

thank you for the recommendations. and thanks in advance if there are more.
now i must get busy and send money to amazon.

[CR6]

When you're middle-aged with four kids, Saturday nights are kinda slow, so thanks for the research project Carl.

Check out this website: sandinorebellion.com (http://www.sandinorebellion.com/PCDocs/pc-doc11.htm)

As well as this 1967 American Heritage article (http://www.americanheritage.com/articles/magazine/ah/1967/1/1967_1_36.shtml)

and lastly, you can search the USMC Gazette (http://www.mca-marines.org/gazette/archives.asp) archives for a variety of small wars articles, to include a 1928 contribution written by then CAPT Mike Edson on his conduct of the Coco River patrol. Articles are $4.00 a pop; however you choose from a variety of levels of access which allow you to pay less per article.

Also, George Clark's With the Old Corps in Nicaragua (http://www.amazon.com/Old-Corps-Nicaragua-George-Clark/dp/0891417370/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1258255396&sr=1-1).

[Van]

Al-Qa'ida's Doctrine for Insurgency: Abd al-Aziz al-Muqrin's "A Practical Course for Guerrilla War" (http://www.amazon.com/Al-Qaidas-Doctrine-Insurgency-al-Muqrins-Practical/dp/1597972533/) by Norman Cigar.

Interesting stuff. Norman Cigar's analysis of the document, the contextual elements of the document, and discussion of the implications of on-line insurgency doctrine is thought provoking. Al Muqrin's taxinomy of wars is intriguing (Conventional, Total, Cold, and Unconventional), and merits further consideration also.

Al addresses war from strategic to tactical levels, and provides a look at the opposition's perceptions of conflict.

Also reading Edgar Rice Burrough's Barsoom (http://www.amazon.com/review/R30UCKZ3L3PWXR/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm) series. :D

[Tukhachevskii]

A productive week as far as reading goes...

S. C. Tucker, Vietnam. An excellent and succint analysis of Vietnam's wars from anciet times to the conflict with the South and US to the occupation of Cambodia.

S.C . Tucker, The Great War, 1914-18. Again, a succint military history with a useful bibliography.

R. C. Hall, The Balkan Wars, 1912-13. A good short historial and military analysis marred by the author's anti-Serb inclinations (book was published in 2000).

A. C. Cook, Ace of Spies: The True Story of Sidney Reilly.

And last but not least M. R. Izady, The Kurds: A Consise Handbook (1992). It contains valuable information from a variety of sources and methodological apporaches. Unfortunately it was written in 1992 and I have failed to find an updated edition. Noetheless the book has chapters on the following subjects, many of which are still highly relevant in comprehending the Kurds;
Chapter 1. Geography (inc. distribution of Kurds by state)
Chapter 2. Land and Environment (Terrian, Geology, Climate, Ecology, etc)
Chapter 3. History (from 3000BC to 1992AD)
Chapter 4. Human Geography (Tribes, Demography, Diasporas, etc.)
Chapter 5. Religion (Islam, Judaism, Christianity, Cult of Angels/Yezidism, Paganism, etc.)
Chapter 6. Language, Culture and Literature (Karmanji, Pahlawani, Laki)
Chapter 7. Society (Identity, Mountain vs. Low lands, women)
Chapter 8. Cont. Political. Issues (states, regionalism, parties, tribe-leaders)
Chapter 9. Economy (oil, textiles, agriculutre by location, etc.)
Chapter 10. Culture (Folk, Popular, Costumes, Styles of Dress, Fabrics).

Chapter 4 is especially valuable for those interested in tirbal dynamics as it contains a detailed list and pictorial depicition of Kurdish tribes and their geographicl districubtion (correct as of 1992).

[Jedburgh]

....And last but not least M. R. Izady, The Kurds: A Consise Handbook (1992)....
Izady's book is significantly flawed. Not to say that there isn't some content of value in there, but the author's substantive bias coupled with his ambitious scope resulted in a book that isn't exactly the most accurate reference piece on the Kurds. Much like how those Complete Idiot's Guide to....books tend to be exactly that.

If you wish to learn about the Kurds, a much better broad overview is David McDowell's A Modern History of the Kurds (http://www.amazon.com/Modern-History-Kurds-Third/dp/1850434166). With regard to socio-cultural dynamics, Agha, Shaikh and State: The Social and Political Structures of Kurdistan by Martin van Bruinessen is very highly recommended.

[Tukhachevskii]

If you wish to learn about the Kurds, a much better broad overview is David McDowell's A Modern History of the Kurds (http://www.amazon.com/Modern-History-Kurds-Third/dp/1850434166). With regard to socio-cultural dynamics, Agha, Shaikh and State: The Social and Political Structures of Kurdistan by Martin van Bruinessen is very highly recommended.

Thanks for the heads up! I actually found much of what you said to be quite true having read through some of the chapters that interested me which contradicted much of what I had learnt at Uni. However, some of the maps, lists and bibliography are quite good. Nonetheless, I luckily didn't buy it. Thanks for the tip.

[Tukhachevskii]

Chaps, I awoke this morning from a disturbed sleep. As I walked down my street with Windsor Castle off in the distance I saw my street, my town, my locale with different eyes. Where, I thought to myself, would I retreat to if I were faced with swarming zombies. You see, I read the whole of Max Brooks, World War Z: An Oral History last night. I don't recall if its been mentioned before by the SWS (Small Wars Sages) but if it hasn't it certainly should.

[Zack]

Chaps, I awoke this morning from a disturbed sleep. As I walked down my street with Windsor Castle off in the distance I saw my street, my town, my locale with different eyes. Where, I thought to myself, would I retreat to if I were faced with swarming zombies. You see, I read the whole of Max Brooks, World War Z: An Oral History last night. I don't recall if its been mentioned before by the SWS (Small Wars Sages) but if it hasn't it certainly should.

World War Z was awesome. I haven't read any of Brooks' other stuff, but I hear it is good as well. Suffice to say I am rather glad the zombie apocalypse hasn't occurred yet. A big plus for this book was that it was mostly militarily accurate (at least as I remember it), so it won't annoy you for that reason at least.

[MikeF]

I'm about halfway through Greg Mortenson's Stones into Schools: Promoting Peace with books, not bombs, in Afghanistan and Pakistan (http://www.audible.com/adbl/site/entry/offers/partnerPromotions.jsp?BV_UseBVCookie=Yes&productID=BK_PENG_001372).

For practisioners, this book is more important than 3 Cups of Tea (http://www.amazon.com/Three-Cups-Tea-Mission-Promote/dp/0143038257/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1260197319&sr=8-1). He's explaining his operational concept and how he is hoping to integrate/nest with the American military/state and NGOs in Afghanistan.

His plan is the opposite of our current structure. He's using the ink spots theory building in the hinterlands (denied areas) first and working back towards civilization.

The thing that struck me initially was his map. He has built a high school in Nuristan Province. This province is the same place where two American patrol bases suffered serious casualties and abandoned during the last 15 months. The question that boggles my mind is how can one middle-aged white American dude accomplish more than American infantry battalions in some of the worst areas of the world?

I think the answer derives from some of the other grassroots reporting (Jim Gant for one). In small wars, sometimes less is more.

My favorite quote so far- A "message" that speaks volumes. I can only hope there are others in the region secretly cheering us on!


Another popular source of diversion involves booting up our solar-powered labtop with SatLink capability and watching YouTube videos of firefights between the US military and the Taliban. The hands-down favorite features a militant crying Allah Akbhar! (God is great!) while loading a mortar shell in backwards and accidentally blowing himself to pieces. Apo, a pious Sunni who detest religious extremism, is capable of watching the video ten or fifteen times in a row, cackling with glee each time the explosion takes place.

Mike

[Zack]

Just finished Silence Was A Weapon by Stuart Herrington and will likely begin Phoenix: Birds of Prey by Mark Moyar, and Pacification by Richard Hunt tomorrow. Any other ones I should definitely read on pacification in Vietnam? I'm preparing a paper for the 2010 APSA conference (assuming my proposal gets accepted) on military transformation.

[J Wolfsberger]

The Thirty Years War: Europe's Tragedy by Peter H. Wilson. He does an excellent job of presenting the complexity of the politics. One aspect of the conflict I intend to dig further into is insurgents/partisans.

[Mike in Hilo]

Zack--In my opinion, Hunt's is probably as close as you can get to a definitive AAR of CORDS....I would also see Soreley's A Better War and, since you've read Stu herrington's, you would do well to read Bergerud's Dynamics of Defeat, which is about the same province, Hau Nghia.

IMO, Bergerud is a must read--a highly detailed account of events in a province which, as it happens, was atypical of MR-III or IV--i.e., South VN--as opposed to Central VN--MR-I and II---(Atypical in the sense that, as Bergerud admits, the fight had become a blood feud, with local VC and and their supporters often having forgotten the original motives for the struggle....This intractable, generational blood feud nature of the conflict was more characteristic of Binh Dinh and Quang Ngai in Central VN). I would agree with Bergerud's conclusions that the impoved security in Hau Nghia by 1970 was a result of the change in the balance of forces more than pacification and that the population continued to believe the communists would eventually prevail--But see his conclusion that a social transformation would have changed this perception as a bit of a non sequitur. In the event, the population was correct in assessing that the balance of forces would revert back in the communists' favor in the wake of the US withdrawal...

To appreciate more fully the influence of large enemy units in the Vietnamese countryside in the waning years of the Republic, read Col William Le Gro's Vietnam: Cease Fire to Capitulation, US Army Center of Military History, CMH Pub 90-29 (This work is available on-line in is entirety).

For an alternative--i.e., non-CORDS-- approach to pacification, see Bing West's The Village.

For detail on VC methodology in taking over a village see The Village War by William Andrews (recomended earlier by Mike F, SW Council). On the relocation of large segments of the population from VC to GVN-controlled areas as a result of allied bombing see Sir Robert Thompson's No Exit From Viet Nam, Second Edition.

Finally, you will find some insights in the contributions by Sir Robert Thompson and by Robert Komer in The Lessons of Vietnam, Edited by W. Scott Thompson and Donaldson D. Frizzell, Univ of Queensland Press, 1977 (In my opinion, most other sections of this book do not contribute greatly to insight....)

Cheers,
Mike.

[jmm99]

To Mike's list, you should consider Tran Dinh Tho, Pacification (http://www.counterinsurgency.org/Tran/Tran.htm) (1977; one of the Indochina Monographs - 7mb DL - free), who was a key player in the programs, and who gives the South Vietnamese slant on the project. This thread, CORDS / Phoenix: Counterinsurgency Lessons from Vietnam for the Future (http://council.smallwarsjournal.com/showthread.php?p=79988&highlight=tran#post79988), and this thread, CIA Vietnam Histories (http://council.smallwarsjournal.com/showthread.php?t=6843), also have a number of links.

Good luck on your project.

Mike

[Kiwigrunt]

Private Army (http://www.amazon.com/Popskis-Private-Army-Vladimir-Peniakoff/dp/0304361437) by Vladimir Peniakoff, better known as Popski.
Read it many years ago and forgot I had it.

Now here's a man who enjoyed the war. In his own words:

Up to the times I am writing about I had found little contentment, and I believe that my contemporaries had the same sterile experience; but during these five years every moment was consciously happy.

[Ranger94]

Just finished:
Books
"Fiasco"
"The War Within"
"Veil"

Papers
"A Strategy of Tactics: Population-centric COIN and the Army"

Just Starting:
"The Gamble"

In Cue:
"The Army In Vietnam"

Thanks to contributors to SMJ. Your contributions in '07-'08 assisted greatly while I was studying prior to my ETT deployment in '08-'09. I am now back into theory and doing some light reading.

Any reading suggestions about historical references on why/when COIN theory does not meet operations on the ground is appreciated.

Knocked out " The Commanders" while, intermittently, receiving indirect on last deployment

[slapout9]

I have recently recommended this to a few SCW members. It was one of the original papers from my era,early 1970's on Insurgency as a System, in fact a great deal of what is in Killcullen's writings is in this paper. Link to the PDF download.

http://www.rand.org/pubs/reports/R0462/

[Dr. C]

I'm about halfway through Greg Mortenson's Stones into Schools: Promoting Peace with books, not bombs, in Afghanistan and Pakistan (http://www.audible.com/adbl/site/entry/offers/partnerPromotions.jsp?BV_UseBVCookie=Yes&productID=BK_PENG_001372).

For practisioners, this book is more important than 3 Cups of Tea (http://www.amazon.com/Three-Cups-Tea-Mission-Promote/dp/0143038257/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1260197319&sr=8-1). He's explaining his operational concept and how he is hoping to integrate/nest with the American military/state and NGOs in Afghanistan.

Mike

I am reading Stones into Schools. I like Mortenson's first-person narrative style of writing in this book better than in Three Cups of Tea.

I attended his presentation 12/17, last Thursday, in Kansas City. I updated my posting in the SWJ thread about the presentation (http://council.smallwarsjournal.com/showthread.php?p=89440#post89440).

[Xenophon]

Finally reading the Accidental Guerrilla. I put it off in the anticipation of getting a Kindle, which I received on Thursday. When I tire of Killcullen, I switch to the Complete Sherlock Holmes collection.

[Ken White]

I switch to the Complete Sherlock Holmes collection.More accurate, educational and illustrative reading... :wry:

[Uboat509]

Waste deep in CGSC products about German tactical changes in the later part of World War I, for a paper I am writing for school. I have to confess that I had very little interest in World War I until I started doing the research for this paper.

SFC W

[Schmedlap]

I was attempting, in vain, to finish my Christmas shopping tonight and ended up purchasing (for myself) Fixing Failed States (http://www.amazon.com/Fixing-Failed-States-Framework-Rebuilding/dp/0195342690) by Ashraf Ghani and Clare Lockhart. I just finished chapter 2 and have to say that, so far, it is a whole lot of "no kidding" and "so what" stuff. It reads like a monograph from a think tank (which, I guess makes sense since the authors are co-founders of a think tank). Hopefully it gets better. The review on amazon is glowing, to say the least, so I am hoping that tomorrow's reading is a little more enthralling.

[William F. Owen]

I just finished chapter 2 and have to say that, so far, it is a whole lot of "no kidding" and "so what" stuff. It reads like a monograph from a think tank (which, I guess makes sense since the authors are co-founders of a think tank).

Think Tank? They make a living out of presenting the obvious and banal as new and exciting. Where do I get that job? :D

[Elric]

Understanding Iraq: Society, Culture, and Personality by Ali Wardi (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/077345120X)
What Is To Be Done Ali Shari'ati (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1889999415)

:confused:

[pjmunson]

Long story, but stems from an article by Gumz about war's autonomy and current COIN fascination:

Does anyone have any suggestions regarding reading on how the Reformation fed into the European religious wars and the Treaties of Augsburg and Westphalia? I'd prefer scholarly standards to readable distillations.

[davidbfpo]

A long time since I read on this subject, IIRC Professor Geoffrey Parker wrote about this (I have an emailed a friend more familiar with this subject) and there was a series of books on European warfare, edited by Prof. Geoffrey Best IIRC. Fuchs might know more as his grasp of history is wider than mine and of course the wars centred in what was to become Germany.

Added after reply email:

Geoffrey Parker has written some very readable and yet scholarly books on 16th and 17th century European History which are in print - or at least widely available.

Geoffrey Elton (better know as GR Elton)'s 'Reformation Europe' in the Fontana paperback series of the 1960s/70s is still the best and clearest intro for the non-specialist.
That book takes you roughly just past the 1555 Augsburg treaty.

JH Elliot's 'Europe Divided' is the very clear, well-organised sequel to Elton in the same Fontana series; he's also a lively but reliable author best known for 'Imperial Spain'.
Europe Divided takes you to 1598, death of King Philip II of Spain.

The following volume in the Fontana series - I forget the title ('Europe in Crisis' ?) - is by Parker and takes you up to the Westphalia treaties of 1648. My special subject at college was the Revolt of the Netherlands, 1568 - 1648, about which he has written a lot e.g. 'The Army of Flanders and the Spanish Road' (1970s).

I have a copy of Diarmid McCulloch's 'Reformation', the most recent book on the subject intended for a general readership; however, he assumes some prior knowledge.

One to borrow from libraries with rather more detail is the Reformation volume of the (New ?) Cambridge Modern History series; my edition has a chapter by Elton.

[carl]

Waste deep in CGSC products about German tactical changes in the later part of World War I, for a paper I am writing for school. I have to confess that I had very little interest in World War I until I started doing the research for this paper.

SFC W

If Germany Attacks by Wynne is excellent on the subject.

[Tom Odom]

If Germany Attacks by Wynne is excellent on the subject.



Forgotten Legions: German Army Infantry Policy 1918-1941 (Hardcover) (http://www.amazon.com/Forgotten-Legions-German-Infantry-1918-1941/dp/0275902358)~ S.J. Lewis S.J. Lewis (Author)

from my onetime room mate, Sam Lewis. You will find his name on much of the CGSC research regarding the German army of that period

[outletclock]

but on the off chance you haven't, Lupfer's "The Dynamics of Doctrine" is absolutely superb.

http://carl.army.mil/resources/csi/Lupfer/lupfer.asp

http://www.amazon.com/Dynamics-Doctrine-Changes-German-Tactical/dp/9998843944

Regards,
OC

[carl]

WW 1 air operations are very interesting also. In four years they went from a few observation planes to very complex strike operations etc. I read once that a British company level officer who wanted imagery (back then they called it photographs) of an opposing section of trench, could put in a request and have the photos in his hands in about 24 hours.

[davidbfpo]

Moderator at work

New thread created to enable easier searching, so now split into years, started with 2007.