Call for Professional Reading Lists

[Schmedlap]

My only concern with reading lists is that many books aren't just works that you sit down and read on your own. For example, from the list above: On War by CvC. I really don't think most - or even many - people are going to fully grasp everything unless they are already well versed in most of the concepts or they spend considerable time discussing the issues with other knowledgeable folks and/or others who are reading it concurrently.

Also, some books require some significant background knowledge. For example, I recently read The Iliad for the second time (the first was about 10 years ago). This time, it helped significantly to read the translator's introduction (and to do some research into which translation to get), to do some research about the characters and mythology, to follow along with an audio course about the book, and so on. Without the background, it's just expedition, Achilleus gets mad, things turn sour, he gets madder, whoops some ass, end of story. You need to know the history, a bit about Greek culture at the time, and some other trivia to understand what is occurring and its significance. And if you don't know any of that, then you need to know what you need to learn before reading (the known unknowns). Guided study helps.

When I was a young LT starving for knowledge, I read most of the books on the CoS's reading list, from the NCO recommendations up to the top dog recommendations (before 9/11 - afterward, very little time). Some I got a lot out of. Others, in hindsight, would have been better to read if part of some guided study. To cite one example, I plowed through The Soldier and The State and got a lot out of it - particularly the first few chapters. (This was recommended for more senior officers, but it's the example that comes to mind). I suspect that I would have gotten a lot more out of it had it been read as part of some professional development program. Ditto all of the other books, including those recommended for junior officers.

I think that there should also be emphasis on the lists being divided into areas for which any one or two are sufficient. For example, a list of 50 books, divided into 5 areas of 8 to 12 each, with 1 or 2 from each area being adequate. Read all 50 books on the list - or even a list of 10 or 20? Yeah, good luck with that when you're on a cycle of 12 months deployed and then 12 months stateside, of which 8 months is eaten up with training.

[marct]

Hi Schmedlap,

My only concern with reading lists is that many books aren't just works that you sit down and read on your own. ... Guided study helps.

I'm reading Maurice de Saxe's Reveries on the Art of War right now (thanks Ken ), and one of the things that is helping get a handle on it is knowing a fair bit about the music at the time - both the great stuff (e.g. Bach) and some of the hack work.

Guided study can be useful, but it is always important to remember that in such a setting you are being "guided" by someone else's view of what is important. It is a fascinating paradox in that it really helps to have expert guidance in getting a rough picture together, but that picture then limits what you can see. I ran head on into this years ago, and one of my truly great prof's suggested a couple of tactics that I have used ever since then.

First, read a general overview of the area and look for the main names, events, dates, etc. This helps you build a rough picture (sort of like the outlines in a colouring book ). Having done that, put the overview away and read the original works - not what someone else abstracts from them. And, BTW, when I say "read", I mean read each work three times - a quick overview, a close read with notes, and then a final time to catch the nuances.

Second, when you are reading the original works (in the original language if possible), ask who they are drawing on. Most texts are part of a much larger universe of discourse (including a lot of dead people ), and very few people come up with something totally new. So, start tracking down the works of people who they are arguing with and read their stuff.

Third, try and invert some of the authors axiomatic assumptions and see if you react the same way to what they are saying. I'll admit it can be tricky finding a good axiomatic assumption to invert, but it will usually be something that they don't talk about - in the case of social theory, I used to (and still do) invert the assumption of reincarnation (I assume it's real).

Okay, it's time consuming. It does, however, let you start to pull out principles and boundary conditions for those principles.

Cheers,

Marc

[Michael C]

For a list that generally approaches easily accessible on your own, I would put Muqawama's COIN reading list.

Caution: for all the people who HATE population-centric COIN, this reading list is pretty much geared toward it. It has an amazing collection of very good articles as well. If you want to know what is influencing policy in the US government in Afghanistan it is this reading list.

http://www.cnas.org/blogs/abumuqawam...ding-list.html

[Ken White]

Caution: for all the people who HATE population-centric COIN, this reading list is pretty much geared toward it. It has an amazing collection of very good articles as well. If you want to know what is influencing policy in the US government in Afghanistan it is this reading list.

As an aside, I'm not sure anyone 'hates' population centric COIN -- why would they do that?

There are many who appreciate its value -- but also understand its limitations and like everything else in the world it does have those. There are no easy solutions and no one answer to the solution of any problem.

That said you're correct that the thought expressed on that list "...is influencing policy in the US government in Afghanistan." How wise that is remains to be seen.

[William F. Owen]

I'm reading Maurice de Saxe's Reveries on the Art of War right now (thanks Ken ), and one of the things that is helping get a handle on it is knowing a fair bit about the music at the time - both the great stuff (e.g. Bach) and some of the hack work.

Ordered it last week, for the same reason.

Guided study can be useful, but it is always important to remember that in such a setting you are being "guided" by someone else's view of what is important. It is a fascinating paradox in that it really helps to have expert guidance in getting a rough picture together, but that picture then limits what you can see. I ran head on into this years ago, and one of my truly great prof's suggested a couple of tactics that I have used ever since then.

Wanna add some detail. This sounds fascinating!

So, start tracking down the works of people who they are arguing with and read their stuff.

Excellent advice. Also where possible, check the actual content of any footnoted references. Books which are PhD thesis re-prints are usually riddled with "errors".

Caution: for all the people who HATE population-centric COIN, this reading list is pretty much geared toward it. It has an amazing collection of very good articles as well. If you want to know what is influencing policy in the US government in Afghanistan it is this reading list.

Can't improve on what Ken said, plus beware reading lists that are being used to further agendas.

[slapout9]

Ordered it last week, for the same reason.


Wanna add some detail. This sounds fascinating!


Excellent advice. Also where possible, check the actual content of any footnoted references. Books which are PhD thesis re-prints are usually riddled with "errors".

Can't improve on what Ken said, plus beware reading lists that are being used to further agendas.

Excellent advice from the above post. My 2cents is to do independent study, which includes interviews with real people if possible. I have a book that I read on this a long time ago about how to do this, besides some influence from an economics professor. I am trying to find the book and will post the exact title for you. Learning how to do this will allow you to solve "mental crimes" which can be worse than the physical ones

[slapout9]

Took awhile to find it. It is out of print but not to worry. They have a web site where you can download the Newest edition for FREE! link to "The Independent Scholar's Handbook" by Ronald Gross. One of the best books I have ever read.


http://www.sfu.ca/independentscholars/isbook.htm

[EmmetM]

Guided study can be useful, but it is always important to remember that in such a setting you are being "guided" by someone else's view of what is important. It is a fascinating paradox in that it really helps to have expert guidance in getting a rough picture together, but that picture then limits what you can see.

...and never truer in the case of Clausewitz, the reading of On War itself often hindered by the guidance of 'experts'. To illustrate, anecdotally, I've heard of John Keegan's surprisingly misguided A History of Warfare being withdrawn (belatedly) from recommended reading lists because of its unhelpful impact on strat studies/mil history students' grappling with the Prussian's concepts and impact.

As to the act of reading itself, I don't think we spend nearly enough time teaching our learners the how of critical reading. Mortimer Adler's How to Read a Book still has some gems to offer (though shame he cut corners on the Brittanica Great Books series - not user friendly texts at all).

[William F. Owen]

...and never truer in the case of Clausewitz, the reading of On War itself often hindered by the guidance of 'experts'. To illustrate, anecdotally, I've heard of John Keegan's surprisingly misguided A History of Warfare being withdrawn (belatedly) from recommended reading lists because of its unhelpful impact on strat studies/mil history students' grappling with the Prussian's concepts and impact.

Concur. Couple of points.
H. R. Smiths book on CvC is excellent, and there are now a few good CvC Companions.
The problem with Keegan and Van Creveld, is that they never read CvC, yet chose to take issue with him. Because they were "big names" people un-critically fell in behind their words.
If I have come to learn anything, the higher the rank, the greater the claimed experience, and the bigger the reputation, the less likely the book is to be of any value.

[Jedburgh]

Moderator adds this link no longer works.

Land Warfare Studies Centre, September 2009:

The Australian Army Counterinsurgency and Small Wars Reading Guide

Insurgency is a form of warfare as old as warfare itself, and it has gone by many names in the past: guerrilla warfare, partisan warfare, revolutionary warfare, insurrectionary warfare, irregular warfare, unconventional warfare, peoples' war and terrorism. All have been—and are—used to describe the same broad phenomenon, though they do not all have the exact same meaning and have not necessarily been used simultaneously. Modern insurgency, closely identified in the second half of the twentieth century with national liberation struggles and revolutionary Marxism derived from the writings—and practice—of Mao (among others), has a well defined theoretical literature. So, too, does counterinsurgency. There is, likewise, a sizeable historical literature that provides numerous case studies in the field. To borrow an observation of T E Lawrence, himself an insurgent leader: ‘With 2000 years of examples behind us, we have no excuse when fighting for not fighting well'.

This reading list is intended to counter such tempting delusions, or at least to subject them to rigorous scrutiny. It makes no attempt, and no claim, to be exhaustive or definitive: such a list would run to many thousands of entries and quickly prove self-defeating. The list is divided into two parts: a strongly historical section, and a contemporary one. Arguments about insurgency in the present are frequently couched in historical terms, or by appeal to historical precedent. The quality of the argument is often determined by the quality of the history and depth of historical understanding conscripted to support it.

[Cyrano]

Lot of great books on these lists, but there's been a few I've found especially informative and enjoyable that I haven't seen so far:

Inside CIAs Private World: Declassified Articles from the Agency's Internal Journal 1955-1992 , selected and edited by H. Bradford Westerfield.

There's a lot of good material about the CIA out there, but you can't beat now-declassified articles by actual CIA agents and analysts (the agency has an internal journal, Studies in Intelligence weblink: https://www.cia.gov/library/center-f...ies/index.html , aimed at improving their methods). Besides being a fascinating glimpse into the methods of the organization, many of them are brilliant pieces by some of the finest minds the agency has to offer. The pieces examining methods of political analysis are invaluable for the improvement of one's mental toolbox, but the whole book was incredibly exciting to me. Heuer's piece on the Nosenko case was great too.

Also I'd recommend, America Unrivaled: The Future of the Balance of Power, edited by G. John Ikenberry. It's a collection of highly readable and exhilarating essays by international relations theorists offering their explanation of the state of the world as of 2001, when it was published. Kenneth Waltz and Stephen Walt have my two favorite essays, but none of them are dull or unpersuasive. For anyone who wants to interpret foreign policy on the largest scale; that of grand strategy and the international system.

Also great, but needing no explanation are:

The Rise and Fall of the Great Powers, by Paul Kennedy.
Perception and Misperception in International Politics, by Robert Jervis.

I think someone already mentioned Command in War, by Martin van Creveld, but that's a risk I'm willing to take.

[Commando Spirit]

This is the UK Afghan Coin Centre's reading list:

AFGHAN COIN CENTRE RECOMMENDED READING LIST

Introduction

1. There is now a wealth of literature focussing on Afghanistan and the Taliban, insurgencies and counterinsurgencies. This Recommended Reading List aims to highlight those that the Afghan COIN Centre considers to be the most useful for individuals with limited time preparing for deployment. As such, the books are listed in priority order in each thematic area.

On Afghanistan



Ahmed Rashid, Taleban: The Power of Militant Islam in Afghanistan and Beyond, London: I B Tauris & Co Ltd, 2010 and Descent into Chaos, London: Penguin, 2009. Rashid is one of the leading writers on the situation in South-West Asia. Well-connected in Afghanistan and Pakistan, his book Taleban, was the first really authoritative and readable account of its rise and subsequent removal from power. Descent into Chaos provides a provocative assessment of the region and the causes of and possible outcomes of instability.

Antonio Giustozzi (ed), Decoding the New Taliban, London: C. Hurst & Co, 2009. Giustozzi builds on the success of his book The Laptop, Koran and the Kalashnikov to edit this timely book providing a detailed insight into the ‘New Taliban’ via a series of case studies across Afghanistan and Pakistan. Contributors include David Kilcullen, Thomas Ruttig and Giustozzi himself.

Martin McCauley, Afghanistan and Central Asia: A Short History, London: Longman, 2002. McCauley draws on his vast knowledge of the region and its history to provide a clear and highly readable account of Afghanistan and the other Central Asian republics from their medieval pasts to the unpredictable present. He examines the rise of militant Islam and its impact on the region, the push and pull of global economics and politics, and possibilities for stability in an inherently unstable part of the world.

Sarah Chayes, The Punishment of Virtue, Walking the Frontline of the War on Terror With a Woman Who Has Made it Her Home, London: Portabello Books Ltd, 2007. This excellent book provides a detailed insight into the Afghan mindset as well as that of the Taliban. Chayes examines the Afghan in an affectionate and understanding manner. It is an excellent source for troops deploying to work closely with the ANSF in a partnering capacity.

On Insurgency and Counterinsurgency


AFM Volume 1, Part 10, Countering Insurgency, January 2010. This is the core text and all personnel deploying on a COIN operation must be familiar with it and commanders even more so. It is the conceptual bedrock for the conduct of COIN operations.
JDP 3-40, Security and Stabilisation: The Military Contribution, November 2009. This Joint Doctrine Publication sets the strategic context for the military contribution to Stability Operations which includes the COIN campaign in Afghanistan. Commanders and planning staff at Battle Group level and above must be familiar with its content.

David Kilcullen, The Accidental Guerrilla: Fighting Small Wars in the Midst of a Big One, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2009. Kilcullen argues a classical approach to COIN but sets it in a contemporary context. It is highly readable and Kilcullen makes full use of his operational experience to bring the hypothesis to life.

John Mackinlay, The Insurgent Archipelago, London: Hurst & Company, 2009. Mackinlay’s careful analysis of the contemporary insurgent, and his thesis of post-Maoist, information age, religiously motivated insurgency is the most compelling British academic publication since Kitson. His arguments, particularly in the last third of the book, are provocative and presented in a lively, very readable style.

Frank Kitson, Bunch of Five, London: Faber &Faber, 1977. Bunch of Five is the more readable, arguably more interesting sequel to the comprehensive but inevitably academic Low Intensity Operations (1972). Kitson explains, using his own extensive experience, why low-level, bottom-up intelligence is so crucial to successful COIN.

Sir Robert Thompson, Defeating Communist Insurgency: The Lessons of Malaya and Vietnam, New York, NY: Frederick A. Praeger, 1966. Delete the word ‘communist’ from Thompson’s classic analysis, and his arguments are as relevant and applicable today as they were nearly fifty years ago: politics, law and legitimacy, planning, intelligence, strategic communications, and security operations to protect the population. His principles still have a profound effect on COIN theory.

Thomas Rid and Thomas Keaney (eds), Understanding Counterinsurgency: Doctrine, Operations and Challenges, London: Routledge, 2010. Rid has collected essays by the leading writers in the field to examine how thinking about COIN has developed in the West, what COIN means to the armed services and indigenous forces, and the challenges COIN faces: governance, culture, ethics, information operations, civil-military integration and time.

Daniel Marston and Carter Malkasian (eds), Counterinsurgency in Modern Warfare, Oxford: Osprey, April 2008. Marston and Malkasian present expertly written, succinct analyses of thirteen crucial counter-insurgency campaigns: Afghanistan today, Iraq, Ireland 1919-21, the US in the Philippines and Vietnam, the French in Algeria and Indo-China, the British totems of Malaya and Northern Ireland and its nadir in Aden, Rhodesia 1962-80, and the Israeli response to the Al-Aqsa Intifada.

Tony Jeapes, SAS Secret War, London: William Kimber, 1980, republished HarperCollins, 2000. Although not as historically detailed as John Akehurst’s We Won A War, Jeapes describes the SAS operation to raise and train the Firqa. His insights into the cross-discipline approach to civil and military development, PSYOPS and the tribal dimension of the campaign are of direct relevance to operations in Afghanistan.

The US Dimension

US Department of the Army, Field Manual 3-24 – Counterinsurgency, Washington, DC: Headquarters Department of the Army, December 2006. Commanders deploying on COIN operations need to know what the manual which prompted such a widespread reform of COIN, and so influenced commanders in the US and British Armies, actually says, and how it differs from the UK AFM on COIN.

Linda Robinson, Tell Me How This Ends: General David Petraeus and the Search for a Way Out of Iraq, New York, NY: Public Affairs, 2008. Robinson’s book details Gen Petraeus, the US Army’s COIN revolution, and the Surge in Iraq. It is a lively, accurate and very well-informed account which brings the turning point of the war in Iraq, and the practical challenges of ‘Securing the Population’ to life.

Thomas Ricks, The Gamble: General Petraeus and the Untold Story of the American Surge In Iraq, 2006-2008, London: Allen Lane, 2009. The Gamble is a balanced counterpoint to his previous book Fiasco. He explains how the case for the Surge was developed in 2006 and, against all evidence and advice, was accepted and then implemented successfully in 2007. He focuses on the central role of Gen Petraeus and his leadership.

Further Guidance

16. Further reference material and guidance can be found at the Afghan COIN Centre Webpage on the Army Knowledge Exchange (AKX) at the link below or direct from the Afghan COIN Centre via the contact details on the AKX page.



Afghan COIN Centre
LWC, Warminster