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  1. #1
    DDilegge
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    Default Brave Rifles Reading List

    3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment Reading List - Brave Rifles pre-OIF deployment recommended reading list, November 2004. US, Coalition, and Iraqi forces are conducting counterinsurgency operations in Iraq. While the fundamentals of cavalry combat operations clearly apply to fighting in Iraq, counterinsurgency operations demand that leaders possess a very broad base of knowledge and understand how military operations effect the political situation. Religious, ethnic, and social dynamics make the situation in Iraq particularly complex. Leaders must understand those dynamics and how our presence and actions affect them. The enemy’s use of urban and restrictive terrain and his ability to blend into the civilian population demand that leaders become expert in MOUT, civil-military operations, combined operations with Iraqi forces, and the development of tactical intelligence. This reading list is meant to guide self study and serve as a basis for professional reading programs at the squadron and troop levels. The knowledge gained from reading, thinking about, and discussing this material will permit leaders to better prepare their troopers for combat and assist leaders in taking the initiative when they encounter complex situations in Iraq.

    Doctrine and TTP: We possess a solid doctrinal foundation for operations in Iraq. Leaders must be familiar with our doctrine and our Standard Operating Procedures. Our SOPs prescribe techniques and reports to be used throughout the Regimental battle group. SOPs allow for standardized execution of critical mission essential tasks in order to facilitate cooperation between units and to promote the mutual confidence and dependability that is necessary to fighting units. Uniform execution of certain tasks and battle drills add speed and coordination to our actions in training and in combat. Doctrinal knowledge and SOPs cannot replace common sense or the leader’s ability to adapt and seize the initiative through aggressive action. They do give leaders a baseline for common action.

  2. #2
    Council Member Tom Odom's Avatar
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    Default thanks

    Dave,

    Thanks for this. It is nice to see when something we worked hard on is used. The Small Unit Leader's Guide to Urban Operations was our baby here at JRTC.

    Best
    Tom

  3. #3
    DDilegge
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    Default COL McMaster "Gets It"...

    Tom,

    My pleasure posting the list - especially since the list included the SWM and the Small Wars' Center of Excellence. That said, true leadership goes beyond putting out a reading list and McMaster - from my second-hand accounts - seems to inspire true leadership and push authority down to the troop level - where we will make or break our efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan...

    As an aside - I joined a CALL collection team at the first MOUT focused rotation at the JRTC - CALL Newsletter No. 99-16: Urban Combat Operations. CALL invited two Marines; myself (though I was by then a USMC civilian), and a tactics instructor from our Officer Basic School... It was quite an eye opener... I understand the JRTC has come a long way since 99 - but even then I was envious of the true force-on-force, civilians on the battlefield play as well as the AAR process.

    S/F

    Dave

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    ::reading "The Other Side of the Mountain" while waiting on a range::

    "Put that book away SGT! Where is your CTT manual? If you have time to read, shouldn't you be conducting hip pocket training?"
    Last edited by GorTex6; 11-03-2005 at 07:49 AM.

  5. #5
    Council Member Tom Odom's Avatar
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    you made me laugh with that one GoreTex....Les Grau is a friend and colleague....you are reading the "right" book on Afghanistan

    Best
    Tom

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    Default my point

    What good is a reading list if the current military culture views it as personal leisure?

    Why can't AAFES carry a decent military book section in theater?
    Last edited by GorTex6; 11-04-2005 at 11:21 AM.

  7. #7
    Small Wars Journal SWJED's Avatar
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    Default T.X. Hammes Reading List - Revisited

    From last July in the Washington Post - Expert's Picks.

    The heaviest responsibility a commander will know is taking his soldiers to war. How can he arm their minds as well as their bodies? A former U.S. Marine Corps colonel and expert on insurgencies culls the best books from various military reading lists...

    Insurgency

    Clearly, counterinsurgency warfare is an old problem, as reflected by the age of some of the best books here.

    Small Wars Manual, U.S. Marine Corps, 1940. A practitioner's guide, this book made almost every list. It highlights lessons identified by Marines in the "Small Wars" of the early 20th century. From the political/strategic level to tactical operations, it provides shrewd guidance for those pitted against insurgents. Despite the section on packing mules, it remains painfully relevant today.

    Counterinsurgency Warfare: Theory and Practice, by David Galula, 1964. Although now 40 years old, this remains one of the most useful books on counterinsurgency ever written. A practitioner rather than an academic -- he observed wars in Greece, China and Algeria -- Galula starts with the understanding that insurgency and counterinsurgency are distinctly different types of wars and then explores how a counterinsurgent can succeed. (See excerpts on page 8.)

    Seven Pillars of Wisdom: A Triumph, by T.E. Lawrence, 1926. The Marine Corps's Small Wars Center of Excellence praises this autobiographical account of Lawrence of Arabia's attempts to organize Arab nationalism during World War I. It lauds its "penetrating insights into Arab culture and politics, with implications for future developments in the 'Thrice-Promised Land.' " Although dated, Lawrence of Arabia's elegant masterpiece was the second most recommended book on the "Inside the Pentagon" reading list compiled from a survey of active-duty officers.

    Another of Lawrence's works, the bluntly practical Twenty Seven Article (1917), is also frequently quoted. In particular, practitioners have come to value his caution, earned out of painful experience spurring Arab troops to fight the Ottoman Empire. "Do not try to do too much with your own hands," Lawrence warned. "Better the Arabs do it tolerably than that you do it perfectly. It is their war, and you are to help them, not to win it for them." Twenty Seven Articles is widely recommended as a kind of Cliff's Notes for conveying some of the insights of Seven Pillars .

    Insurgency and Terrorism: From Revolution to Apocalypse, by Bard E. O'Neill, second edition 2005. Col. H.R. McMaster of the 3d Armored Cavalry, currently serving in Iraq, noted that "O'Neill provides a framework for analyzing insurgency operations . . . a good book to read first in insurgency studies."

    Counterinsurgency Lessons From Malaya and Vietnam: Learning to Eat Soup With a Knife, by John A. Nagl, 2002. Another recommendation from McMaster, who wants his soldiers to learn as they fight. In so doing, they would be following an old example. "Nagl argues," McMaster told his troops, "that Britain's military had an organization that allowed it to learn from its mistakes and eventually defeat the communist guerrillas in Malaya."

    Iraq

    Insurgencies have everything to do with governance, and good governance requires an understanding of local conditions and cultures. Grasping the historical complexities of Iraq is the challenge these books address.

    The Modern History of Iraq, by Phebe Marr, revised edition 2004. McMaster notes that this book, by a leading Iraq scholar, "focuses on several important themes: the search for national identity in a multi-ethnic, multi-religious state; the struggle to achieve economic development and modernity in a traditional society; and the political dynamics that have led to the current dire situation in Iraq."

    The Reckoning: Iraq and the Legacy of Saddam Hussein, by Sandra Mackey, 2002. The U.S. Army Command and Staff College considers this book an important "account of the forces that produced Saddam's dictatorship." The book addresses the absence of an Iraqi sense of national identity and common purpose, and it considers the Baathist rule of terror and the destruction of the country's middle class.

    The Kurds in Iraq: The Past, Present and Future, by Kerim Yildiz, 2004. An up-to-date account that explores what the Kurds want, both inside Iraq and in the context of the broader international community. Recent reports from Kirkuk and Mosul indicate the Kurds are not as compliant as the United States had hoped.

    The Arab Mind, by Raphael Patai, 1973. Often derided in academia, this book made several lists but was both praised ("a good introduction to Arab culture and psychology") and pilloried ("the author portrays the Arabs too stereotypically"). The same controversy is present in reviews online.

    The Shi'is of Iraq, by Yitzhak Nakash, second edition, 2003. This is a comprehensive history of the country's Shiite majority and its troubled relationship with the Sunni minority, which dominated the country under the Baath and now drives the insurgency. U.S. commanders remain concerned that the Shiites may respond in kind to continuing Sunni violence, tilting the country toward civil war.

    Islam

    Understanding Islam remains one of the key concerns for military leaders.

    Islam: A Short History, by Karen Armstrong, 2000. Retired Gen. Anthony Zinni, who commanded American troops in the Middle East, once argued that "a fundamental rule of counterinsurgency is to make no new enemies." Ignorance of the religious and cultural beliefs of a society makes such mistakes inevitable -- and dangerous. Armstrong's book is a strong antidote to ignorance.

    The Crisis of Islam: Holy War and Unholy Terror, by Bernard Lewis, 2003. Controversial in its conclusions, Lewis's book explores Middle East history and tensions between Islam and the West. Lewis, an emeritus Princeton historian widely respected in conservative circles, places a particular emphasis on Islamist extremism and its implications for the United States....

  8. #8
    Groundskeeping Dept. SWCAdmin's Avatar
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    Default Call for Professional Reading Lists

    Making enhancements to our pages on the SWJ side. The new format will allow us to provide a list of lists, cross-referencing various books.

    PLEASE SEND ANY GOOD READING LISTS so that we can bake them into our new offering. And tell us a little about the list. Once live, the new pages will allow user comments on the lists and on the books.

    Option 1, post here (text or attachment).

    Option 2, if that causes trouble or for whatever reason, email to webmaster.

    Thanks for your support.
    Last edited by SWCAdmin; 10-02-2006 at 01:24 PM.

  9. #9
    Council Member Tom Odom's Avatar
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    Default A FAO's COIN/Small Wars Bib

    Bill,

    You have my COIN/Small Wars Bib as a former FAO and of course, the review essay in Vol 6 of SWJ magazine.

    Best
    Tom

  10. #10
    i pwnd ur ooda loop selil's Avatar
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    Are you interested in military specific topics only or are you interested in things like John Dewey "How we think", an excellent book on figuring out why people respond to particular stimuli, Thomas Kuhn "The structure of scientific revolutions", a book that explains how things happen in thought, science, and totally valid for the military expert who wants to know what "paradigm shift" really means.

  11. #11
    Groundskeeping Dept. SWCAdmin's Avatar
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    Tom, yes, thanks.

    Selil, good question, two clarifications....(what was obvious to me was clearly not so obvious)

    1. Interest transcends "just military", but should be Small Wars appropriate -- culture, anthropology, geopolitics, etc., if there's a tie-in, it's welcome. Just not trying to de-throne Oprah.

    2. This call-for is specifically targeted to lists linked to some sort of significant organization. Examples of the targets I had in mind when I wrote this are:

    - Institutional lists... CMC, Army CGSC, etc. (have those two, but not, e.g. ICAF, School of Americas)
    - Unit lists, e.g. 4th ID, I MEF, Brave Rifles, etc.
    - Reading list from Dr. So and So's course on XYZ, particularly if there's a name brand in there or if the list just really rocks (tell us).

    For now, am focused here on data collection for organized lists.

    FYI, member commentary on individual books is a part of the package we have planned, and I would just ask all to hold off on the one-off recommendations until you see the pages. For those member-recommended books that are not on ANY of the lists, we'll have a utility for submission of new titles (maybe not on Day 1, but pretty damn soon).

    If you have your own list (e.g. Billy Bob's Top 10 on <your topic>) that you think is particularly good, send it along. Will also list our own SWJ Top Picks. And insights always welcome through comment.

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    I have some syllabi for some classes I recently took, I will dig them up. I will also share what I have when I start my next block in a month.

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    Council Member SteveMetz's Avatar
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    Don't know if it's of any use, but here's my "Understanding the Iraq Conflict" list from Amazon.

  14. #14
    Small Wars Journal SWJED's Avatar
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    Default 2 Reading Lists

    Read Different - Dr. TX Hammes in Armed Forces Journal

    The 2008 Warlord Loop Reading List - in Proceedings

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    Council Member Noble Industries's Avatar
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    Default Australian Intel Reports

    Link to Australian Inspector General of Intelligence website and link to reports section. Perhaps handy for mining data on Australian Intel from a govt perspective?

    http://www.igis.gov.au/annual.cfm
    The French, advised by good intelligence...
    of this most dreadful preparation,
    shake in their fear...and with pale policy seek
    to divert the English purposes
    Hevry V Act 2

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    Council Member Van's Avatar
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    An intelligence oriented reading list, specificly aimed at folks entering the U.S. DoD intelligence world;

    -The Craft of Intelligence by Allen W. Dulles (THE primer on intelligence). This is an excellent discussion of intelligence from requirements through collection to analysis. Dulles presents it so well that, despite the clear Cold War spin, the relevance is timeless.

    -The U.S. Intelligence Community by Jeffrey T. Richelson (A comprehensive work on U.S. Intel; be sure to get the 5th edition).

    -My Adventures as a Spy by Robert Baden-Powell (fun and motivational, but lots of valid nuggets, and can be found as a .pdf online).

    -Aids to scouting for N.-C.Os. & men by Robert Baden-Powell (avail from www.military-info.com, there is a .pdf floating around though) (a valuable historical perspective; how it worked before radio and PowerPoint).

    -Handbook of Intelligence and Guerilla Warfare by Alexander Orlov (how the other side, the USSR, used to do it, kind of like studying course notes from the O.S.S. or early CIA).

    -I can't think of a single, good work on analysis for less than $100, but should I see one, I'll forward it. The Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intelligence_analysis) in intel analysis isn't bad, and has links to better materials.

    -The Compleat Strategyst: Being a Primer on the Theory of Games of Strategy; by J. D. Williams. This is the best book on game theory for liberal arts majors (including history majors). What this provides is a language from discussing conflict and politics that is low on emotion, allowing more level-headed discussion. (If you have the maths, "Games and Decisions: Introduction and Critical Survey" by R. Duncan Luce, Howard Raiffa is better, but sigma notation makes my head spin.)

    -Statistics for Dummies. Numbers do, in fact, lie. But with a little preparation, they don't have to lie to you.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Van
    -I can't think of a single, good work on analysis for less than $100, but should I see one, I'll forward it. The Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intelligence_analysis) in intel analysis isn't bad, and has links to better materials.
    How about Robert Clark's Intelligence Analysis: A Target-Centric Approach, a solid read and available for about half that price.

    A much more basic level review of fundamentals is Lisa Krizan's Intelligence Essentials for Everyone - and its half that again.

    Cynthia Grabo's Anticipating Surprise: Analysis for Strategic Warning (discussed here before) has a narrower focus, but is the classic in the field of warning intelligence.

    Then there's the other classic read on analysis and policy that I've mentioned here a couple of times, Knowing One's Enemies: Intelligence Assessment Before the Two World Wars

    I could go on. But those are just a few examples of why I do not see where the $100 entry margin applies for the purchase of good books on intelligence analysis.....

  18. #18
    Council Member Van's Avatar
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    Default Target audience is everything

    As I said,
    folks entering the U.S. DoD intelligence world
    . Not saying your recommendations are not good, but not the first books I'd hand to a junior enlisted, an NCO coming from a non-intel MOS, or a 2nd Lieutenant.

    Great recommendations for the next stage of education though!

    You might also consider
    Surprise Attack: The Victim's Perspective , by Ephraim Kam.

    As much about the psychology of analysis as surprise.

    On that note;
    "Psychology of Intelligence Analysis" by Richard Heuer, available as a .pdf from the CIA web site. Along with anything by Sherman Kent, available from the same web site.

  19. #19
    Small Wars Journal SWJED's Avatar
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    Default SWJ / SWC TRADOC SLC Reading List

    As you peruse the posts in this forum on the issues being discussed at the TRADOC Senior Leaders Conference we would appreciate any and all reading recommendations. We will consolidate the list and publish it on Small Wars Journal - please provide the title (book, article, study), author and a short blurb on why that particular item is relevant to the discourse.

    If your recommendation is an article, essay or study and is available online a link would be most appreciated. If you'd like your recommendation, when published, to be tied to your real name you can either provide it here or send it along via PM or e-mail to me - SWJED. Otherwise we will go with your Council ID.

    We've already had one suggestion today, by Council member Anlaochfhile, The American Culture of War: The History of U.S. Military Force from World War II to Operation Iraqi Freedom, by Dr. Adrian Lewis, as a resource that addresses the role that American culture plays in how our forces organize, equip, and fight.

    Thanks much.

    --Dave Dilegge
    Last edited by SWJED; 08-19-2009 at 10:32 PM.

  20. #20
    Council Member davidbfpo's Avatar
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    Default 'Competitive Adaptation' book

    The brilliant 'Traffiking and Terrorist Networks, Government Bureaucracies, and Competitive Adaptation' by Michael Kenney. Published by The Pennsylvannia State University Press 2007 (ISBN 0=27102931-5). Best chapters are on how "narcs" and terrorists learn. For this reading list I expect the process of adaptation is more valuable.

    Three reviewers cited on publishers website: http://www.psupress.org/books/titles...1-02931-3.html

    Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...SIN=B001RTST4C

    Note available in e-form (Kindle), paperback and hardback.

    davidbfpo

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