What Are You Currently Reading? 2009

[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

As well as this 1967 American Heritage article

and lastly, you can search the USMC Gazette 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.

[Van]

Al-Qa'ida's Doctrine for Insurgency: Abd al-Aziz al-Muqrin's "A Practical Course for Guerrilla War" 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 series.

[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. 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. 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.