What Are You Currently Reading? 2011

[Kevin23]

I just started Marin Van Creveld's The Changing Face of War: From the Marne to Iraq, which I have mixed feelings about so far. Although it is promising to provide me a picture of how war has progressed and transformed from the beginning of the 21st Century to today.

I'm also reading Michael Handel's Master's of War, which has some good readings of the classics of warfare and international relations in it.

[Xenophon]

I'm reading Van Crevald's Supplying War. It's reinforcing my thesis that logistics is the most boring subject in the history of ever.

[sullygoarmy]

Just finished reading "A Chance in Hell" by Jim Michels about 1-1 AD and the Anbar Awakening. Quick read with some salient points about the steps then COL MacFarland took with his brigade prior to the surge.

http://www.amazon.com/Chance-Hell-Tr...5318596&sr=8-1

About half way through "A Question of Command" by Mark Moyar. I thought the chapter on reconstruction was a reach but the book has picked up since then. His theory, that the success of an insurgency/counterinsurgency is leader centric is a interesting read and it is a nice break from the people vs enemy debates in COIN books today.

http://www.amazon.com/Question-Comma...5318693&sr=1-1

Just starting Georgina Howell's "Gertrude Bell: Queen of the Desert." Been wanting to read this one for a while and, thanks to the last book I just finished on TEL, I am more motivated to dig into Howell's take on Bell.

http://www.amazon.com/Gertrude-Bell-...5318799&sr=1-1

Finally, I finished Michael Korda's excellent biography of T.E. Lawrence, "Hero: The Life and Legend of Lawrence of Arabia." I believe Korda's biography is the most balanced out of all the ones out there. He compares and contrasts the current crop of biographies in existence on Lawrence and incorporates a good deal of Lawrence's correspondence to support some of his interpretations of Lawrence's life. Well worth the read if you have any interest in TEL at all.

http://www.amazon.com/Hero-Life-Lege...5318874&sr=1-1

Back to my Kindle!

[Tukhachevskii]

The Secrets of Saddam's Nuclear Mastermind by Mahdi Obeidi and Kurt Pitzer
Obeidi was the mastermind behind Saddam’s nuclear weapons project (he often reminds one of an Iraqi Albert Speer), a project which was dismantled after the 1991 war and evidence of which was hidden in Obeidi’s back garden under a lotus tree in a green plastic drum and remained there until the 2003 invasion. Obeidi is honest about what drove his work; patriotism, fear of Saddam and his henchman Hussein Kamel (who was in charge of the programme) and a genuine scientific and professional enthusiasm for solving a puzzle. The book sets out in some detail the travails -technological, human and international- the nuclear programme had to contend with and the shady world of industrial and military espionage. The roles of black-marketers- such as the shady Pakistani known only as Malik- and of western industrialists such as the German and Swiss private entrepreneurs (like those at H&H Metalform) who wilfully ignored the implications of their assistance is ably spelled out. Obeidi and his team often trod the same path as A. Q. Khan and at others innovated in quite ingenious ways (i.e., regarding centrifuge technology). Indeed, it is hard not to empathise and share the joys of Obeidi and his colleagues at the first successful test of their centrifuge. Life under the Saddam regime, however, is not forgotten and the reader often feels the same paranoia that the author must have felt too. At times Obeidi was even called upon to conduct espionage himself such as when he flew to the U.S. and the University of Virginia’s Department of Mechanical Engineering to try to obtain a copy of the Zippe Report on centrifuge technology, originally published in the 1950s and unavailable in Iraq;

I approached a wiry, bespectacled librarian with the catalogue number, and he disappeared into a closed-off area of the library. When he returned several minutes later, he handed me a lengthy form and a ballpoint pen.
“You have to fill this out first,” he said. “For security purposes. And I will need some identification.”
This put me in an uncomfortable position, because filling in such forms would leave a dangerous paper trail. American intelligence agents would surely be very interested to learn that two Iraqi men had asked to see a centrifuge report at the University of Virginia. We couldn’t afford to leave such a revealing piece of evidence, particularly at the very outset of our secret program.
“Would it be possible to ensure that the report is indeed here,” I asked, “before I fill out all these forms for it?”
The librarian gave me an annoyed look, then returned to the back section of the library. We waited at his desk for what seemed like hours. Next to me, Dr. Farid fidgeted and began to sweat.
“Do you think he will call the authorities?” Dr. Farid whispered.
“Don’t worry,” I said. “We are in a university, making an everyday request. He is probably having trouble finding the report.” But I shared his nervousness. The word “security” triggered a subconscious reaction of fear in both of us. In Iraq, it usually meant just the opposite. Dr. Farid’s seemingly irrational notion suddenly took hold of me. What if a request for the Zippe report triggered an automatic security alert? If the librarian made a phone call and we were questioned, our cover story that we were from the University of Baghdad would hardly hold up. I thought of the awful consequences if Hussein Kamel learned we had exposed ourselves through such a foolish blunder. To my relief, the librarian finally returned with a thick sheaf of papers in one hand.
“Here it is,” he said, holding it back from us.“Now please fill out these forms.”
“Could I see it for a moment to be sure it is the right document?”I asked.
He handed me the report and watched closely as I took it to a nearby table and flipped through its pages. As I had hoped, it was a key piece of literature. It did not contain blueprints or dimensions of centrifuge pieces but offered a broad view of the engineering principles behind the magnetic centrifuge. It was exactly the primer
our team needed. But there was no way of reading it without filling out the release forms, and almost certainly no way of copying it. I noticed the librarian glowering at me several feet away. I intently scanned the chapter headings of the report while trying to appear as though I were only riffling through the pages.
“Is that what you are looking for?” the librarian asked impatiently.
“I’m still not sure,” I said.
I knew I had only a few more seconds to look at the report. Then I came to an appendix that listed the recipients of the report when it was first issued in 1960: the holders of the precious few copies. Scanning down the list, I recognized the name of a Milan based professor [from whom Obeidi acquired the report via his onetime colleague Dr. Giorgio Morandi, in Milan] associated with the Italian nuclear program. That was the piece of information I needed. (p. 77-78)

Obeidi also goes into some depth about Saddam’s attempts at deception during the IAEA inspections in the post-1991 period. At the Rashidiya complex a first inspection by IAEA inspectors discovered trace amounts of uranium, Obeidi ordered that the entire (former) centrifuge complex be demolished and soil excavated which may have been contaminated. It was then rebuilt.

When the inspectors returned unannounced about two weeks later, everything appeared as they had last seen it, down to the placement of the drafting tables and machines and the coffeemaker. I stayed away, but my staff later told me the inspectors had arrived with a triumphant and slightly accusatory attitude. They took dozens of samples from the walls, floor, insulation, and ground soil, and then left to send them to Vienna for confirmation. They must have been truly puzzled when the material later tested negative for abnormal uranium levels. I imagine they remain puzzled about it to this day.(p. 150)
[...]
By 1994 the inspectors had largely dismantled Iraq’s nuclear capabilities. But they had not discovered key ingredients of the centrifuge program. In addition to hiding elements of our procurement network, the Oversight Committee had avoided turning over any blueprints or documents related to detailed design. The inspectors were unaware of our plans for a longer and more advanced centrifuge. They still knew nothing of the crash program before the 1991 war or how close we had come to producing a nuclear weapon. The government continued to claim that the centrifuge program was conceived and developed at Tuwaitha and to deny the true purpose of the Engineering Design Centre. The organizational structure of our centrifuge team was still in question. The inspectors had not been able to confirm my role or interview me as the program’s supervisor.(p. 156-6)

Though not explicitly about the internal power struggles – especially between Hussein Kamel and Uday & Qusay Hussein- the book, by necessity, reveals much about the organisational and personal political manoeuvrings that formed the backdrop to the defunct programme. Hussein Kamel subsequently defected to Jordan and revealed hitherto unknown aspects of the nuclear weapons programme including the role of Karl Heinz Schaab in providing Iraq with blueprints for centrifuge technology. However, the nature of Saddam’s regime made rational policymaking a fantasy. In 2002 Britain and the US charged Iraq with reviving its WMD programme. Unfortunately, most of the industrial plants and research centres that had worked on the WMD programme were now working on conventional weapons programmes (ballistic missiles) but with the same technology. It was obvious what it looked like to Britain and America (whether or not we were justified in attacking Iraq, it didn’t help its case either).

When General al-Saadi came back on the line, I informed him that we had experimented with aluminium rotors during our early efforts with the Beams-type centrifuge, but with a larger diameter than the tubes Iraq had recently ordered for rockets. I said that aluminium rotors could not be used for the magnetic type of centrifuge with which we succeeded in enriching uranium in 1990. After we hung up, I had second thoughts. I consulted with one of my junior engineers, Jamal, from the centrifuge days, who reminded me that Professor Zippe had used aluminium in early magnetic centrifuge work at the University of Virginia during the late 1950s. I called General Saadi back to correct myself. It was extremely important, I said, to give the inspectors the right arguments for the implausibility of the aluminium tubes allegation. We could not categorically state that aluminium tubes were unsuited for magnetic centrifuges. We needed to present a very detailed case. I knew that Dr. Faris was making a thorough investigation into the tolerances and specifications of the aluminium tubes, in order to show that they were indeed intended for artillery rockets.(p. 188)

Obeidi’s fate after the 2003 invasion would be comical were it not for the very real dangers that the chaos in Iraq posed. For instance, he was courted by competing intelligence agencies while Obeidi himself tried to secure his safety through David Albright. Meanwhile US Army troops stormed his home (he was on the most-wanted list) oblivious to his dealings with the CIA (who were queued by Albright). He was finally spirited away to Kuwait and then the US. Fascinating stuff.

[davidbfpo]

This is an edited volume by Andrew Silke, with a variety of generally superb chapters and yes SWC member Randy Borum writes the second chapter. Full of gems and an easy read.

Link to publisher's USA website:http://www.routledge.com/books/details/9780415558402/

Link to editor's academic bio:http://www.uel.ac.uk/law/staff/andrewsilke.htm

[slapout9]

Just finished reading it, and will turn right around and read it again!....some book to say the least. Link to several author interviews and book comments.

http://www.familyofsecrets.com/

[sullygoarmy]

Just started up this one by Pete Blaber of Delta fame. So far very impressed with his outlooks and philosophies. Enjoyable read after about 1/4 of the book and work picking up if you have some time.

http://www.amazon.com/Mission-Men-Me...5917129&sr=8-1

[lewisa]

Actually nothing but, recently I read ''The Thorn Birds " by Colleen McCullough I don't know if you remember the movie? and in the queue ''Les Misérables" by Victor Hugo, classics!

[Kiwigrunt]

Fire Strike 7/9

Quite an entertaining and easy read.

Seems to confirm a lot of issues discussed here, like body armour, very short range patrols (beyond 500 m or so from base is getting into uncharted bandit country), complete reliance on fire support (largely air) etc.

[Rifleman]

Listening to Horse Soldiers by Doug Stanton.

It's been slow lately, not much going on exept a little traffic enforcement, so books on tape are great. I've got 1776 to start on next.

[jcustis]

Gents,

Looking for an assist here, as I need some new nightstand material, and most of what I have is too clinical and dry right now.

I am looking for the book that I think was discussed on SWC some time ago, which detailed American fighter pilots in WWII, and covered IIRC, their training. Does anyone remember the book in question? It came highly recommended because it was a very good and detailed work.

I'd like to pick it up at the same time that I grab Stuka Pilot off of Amazon.

[Bulldog]

It's been a little while since I read it, but Fire in the Sky: The Air War in the South Pacific fits that description.

[carl]

Gents,

Looking for an assist here, as I need some new nightstand material, and most of what I have is too clinical and dry right now.

I am looking for the book that I think was discussed on SWC some time ago, which detailed American fighter pilots in WWII, and covered IIRC, their training. Does anyone remember the book in question? It came highly recommended because it was a very good and detailed work.

I'd like to pick it up at the same time that I grab Stuka Pilot off of Amazon.

I think the book you are talking about is The First Team by Lundstrom. It is about the Navy fighter pilot community and how they evaluated the Wildcat vs. the Zero and came up with tactics and training to vitiate the Zero's performance superiority before the war started. It was one of the most insightful books on the subject I ever read. The sequel is called the The First Team & Guadalcanal Campaign.

You also might like The Jolly Rogers by Blackburn and Zemke's Wolfpack by Zemke. They are by a Navy squadron commander and USAAF group commander respectively. Both are extremely good works about leadership combined with the problems of flying and using groups of warplanes effectively.

A book that I thought was great about the Pacific war was The Japanese Merchant Marine in WW II by Parillo. It was a completely fascinating work about a seemingly dull subject and its' importance.

[Backwards Observer]

Just started: Wars of Empire by Douglas Porch, a solid read so far;

Every good imperial commander knew that he must deliver success at low cost. History is not about supplying 'lessons' for the future. It tells its own story. But no modern commander in Kosovo or East Timor can ignore the perils of conducting operations, far from home, with a narrow political base of support, any more than could his predecessors in earlier centuries in Africa or Asia. (from the Acknowledgements)

Wars of Empire - Amazon

Douglas Porch - Wikipedia

Also, Why Everyone (Else) Is a Hypocrite: Evolution and the Modular Mind by Robert Kurzban, not sure what to make of this guy's take on things;

Mod makes a comeback in an entertaining explanation of brain functioning that cuts the two-hemispheres theory down to size and minces the mind into modules. Coming from a background in evolutionary psychology, Kurzban suggests that the human mind is not the unified operator of actions contributing to survival and success, as many claim and even more assume, but rather a multi-faceted system of functioning parts that are not always on the same side-or even aware of the same information. The modules perform different, often separate, functions, which can account for confusing, inconsistent, and apparently contradictory behavior and speech. (from the Amazon editorial blurb)

Why Everyone (Else) Is a Hypocrite - Amazon

Robert Kurzban - Wikipedia

[jcustis]

I think the book you are talking about is The First Team by Lundstrom. It is about the Navy fighter pilot community and how they evaluated the Wildcat vs. the Zero and came up with tactics and training to vitiate the Zero's performance superiority before the war started. It was one of the most insightful books on the subject I ever read. The sequel is called the The First Team & Guadalcanal Campaign.

You also might like The Jolly Rogers by Blackburn and Zemke's Wolfpack by Zemke. They are by a Navy squadron commander and USAAF group commander respectively. Both are extremely good works about leadership combined with the problems of flying and using groups of warplanes effectively.

A book that I thought was great about the Pacific war was The Japanese Merchant Marine in WW II by Parillo. It was a completely fascinating work about a seemingly dull subject and its' importance.

I am only two chapters into the book, but yes, this is precisely what I was looking for. It has reignited my interest in WWII naval history that I sort of drifted out of in my early college years. Despite having the detail of a doctorate thesis, it reads like a good novel.

[Rachamim]

"The Struggle for National Democracy" Jose Maria Sison. The father of Maoism in the Philippines and founder of the CPP and by default the NPA and NDF (Communist Party of the Philippines, New People's Army and the National Democratic Front). It is a collection of his speeches from 1964 onward. Nothing new or exciting here but decent enough for mining background and nuance.

"Hypotheses Toward Theorizing the Concept of the Bangsamoro Nation's Struggle for Self Determination" (unpub. University of Conneticut manuscript from 1984) Erick San Juan . San Juan is now a freelance journalist based in Makati in Metro Manilam He is pretty much a Conspiracy Theorist with racist overtones BUT this manuscript is actually thought provoking and was written long before he went off the proverbial deep end.

"Caraga Antigua:1521-1910" Peter Schreurs (Cebu: San Carlos University) [1989]. Examining the history of Caraga in NE Mindanao, interesting mostly for its avoidance of Islamic, Spanish AND American dynamics.

"Sirat Rasul Allah" Abu Ishaq, via the Abu Hisham version . In Arabic, earliest extant bio of Muhammad, the founder of Islam. I am trying to catalogue differences between Hisham and Guillame's seminal English translation.

"The Accidental Empire: Israel and the Birth of the Settlements, 1967 -1977" Gershom Gorenberg (NY Times Books/Henry Holt) [2006]. Gorenberg is a Leftist writing a highly biased take on the Israeli "Settler Movement" in Gaza and the "West Bank."

[BushrangerCZ]

Just finished "19 with a bullet", superb... I ordered that Kindle thing from Amazon, so now I can start to get into dozens of free-to-download US field manuals I have in my computer. (Btw, so far I was able to compare US LRS ops manual with russian post-war equivalent, it´s very similar, even more than I anticipated).

[Bob's World]

I find myself back with my books written by Guerrillas. Far too much of our COIN doctrine and current operational design draws from what former counterinsurgents, or more accurately "counter Guerrilla" fighters believed to be important as they battled to maintain their contested colonies among resistant populaces. It is always good to spend some time with the Guerrilla as well. Learn to play on both sides of the ball.

http://www.marines.mil/news/publicat...%20Warfare.pdf

On Guerrilla Warfare by Mao Tse-tung is worth a PhD in COIN simply in the reading of Captain (1940) and Brigadier General retired (1961) Samuel B. Griffith's outstanding introductions.

So many passages from both his lengthy introduction and Mao's base work jumped out at me with special meaning for today.

Regarding the dichotomy I see in the Taliban movement in Afghanistan, that I have frequently described as having two tiers, an upper tier revolutionary movement among the leadership taking sanctuary in Pakistan, and a lower tier resistance movement among the rank and file fighters in Afghanistan:

"THE FUNDAMENTAL DIFFERENCE between patriotic
partisan resistance and revolutionary guerrilla
movements is that the first usually lacks the ideological
content that always distinguishes the second.
A resistance is characterized by the quality of spontaneity;
it begins and then is organized. A revolutionary
guerrilla movement is organized and then begins.
A resistance is rarely liquidated and terminates when
the invader is ejected; a revolutionary movement terminates
only when it has succeeded in displacing the incumbent
government or is liquidated.
Historical experience suggests that there is very little
hope of destroying a revolutionary guerrilla movement
after it has survived the first phase and has acquired the
sympathetic support of a significant segment of the population.
The size of this "significant segment" will vary; a
decisive figure might range from 15 to 25 per cent.
in addition to an appealing program and popular support,
such factors as terrain; communications; the quality
of the opposing leadership; the presence or absence of
material help, technical aid, advisers, or "volunteers" from
outside sources; the availability of a sanctuary; the relative
military efficiency and the political flexibility of the incumbent
government are naturally relevant to the ability of a
movement to survive and expand."

Or from Mao himself, some insights for those in the media who I hear agonizing daily over their concerns about Libya, and "who are we supporting" or "We know there are AQ ties and LIFG" among them. Mao is pragmatic and clear on this point:

"Unorganized guerrilla warfare cannot contribute to victory
and those who attack the movement as a combination
of banditry and anarchism do not understand the nature
of guerrilla action. They say: "This movement is a haven
for disappointed militarists, vagabonds and bandits" (Jen
Ch'i Shan), hoping thus to bring the movement into disrepute.
We do not deny that there are corrupt guerrillas,
nor that there are people who under the guise of guerrilla
indulge in unlawful activities. Neither do we deny that
the movement has at the present time symptoms of a lack
of organization, symptoms that might indeed be serious
were we to judge guerrilla warfare solely by the corrupt
and temporary phenomena we have mentioned. We should
study the corrupt phenomena and attempt to eradicate
them in order to encourage guerrilla warfare, and to increase
its military efficiency. "This is hard work, there is
no help for it, and the problem cannot be solved immedi-
ately. The whole people must try to reform themselves
during the course of the war. We must educate them and
reform them in the light of past experience. Evil does not
exist in guerrilla warfare but only in the unorganized and
undisciplined activities that are anarchism," said Lenin, in
On Guerrilla War fare."

Also from Mao, insights for those who are quick to label the problems in Mexico, where drug Cartels challenge the government in the pursuit of the profits of their illicit trade. I argue that this is not insurgency even though the government is attacked, as it lacks the political purpose and the support of the populace that defines such movements. Mao agrees:

"What is the relationship of guerrilla warfare to the people?
Without a political goal, guerrilla warfare must fail,
as it must if its political objectives do not coincide with the
aspirations of the people and their sympathy, cooperation,
and assistance cannot be gained. The essence of guerrilla
warfare is thus revolutionary in character"

Who among us believe that the people of Mexico aspire to live in a state run by drug cartels? This is not revolution, it flies in the face of the people and is driven by local greed, bad laws that create such a powerful illegal market, and the demand of the US populace for this illegal product.

I am also re-familiarizing myself with the similarly titled "Guerrilla Warfare" by Ernesto "Che" Guevara.

We ignore the insights of former revolutionaries to our peril. Revolution is sweeping across North Africa and the Middle East today. Given the political conditions of that region and the state of the affected populaces such a rash of revolution is not only normal, but long overdue. For those looking for understanding, these two quick reads provide a great deal.

Bob

[Commando Spirit]

I'm only a few chapters in but I am constantly amazed at the number of coincidences involved as well as the personalities involved! 3 x novelists, a whole raft of the close to unbelievable... the founder of the International Table Tennis Federation, you just couldn't make it up!

Do we still have such people in the service of the government I wonder? I hope, for romantic ideals alone, that we still do! I suspect though, that these types of minds are employed in the geeky world of Internet Intelligence and, dare I say, espionage????

[jmm99]

On Guerrilla Warfare by Mao Tse-tung - and Sam Griffith's introductions are worth the price of admission (Griffith being of the "Never Again, but ..." school of thought ). "Guerrilla Warfare" by Ernesto "Che" Guevara is a bit of a ho-hum in comparison.

For Mao, go to Works of Mao Zedong by Date. To realize he was not always a communist revolutionary, go to ...

A Study of Physical Education (April 1917) - our nation must be strong physically.

but soon, we have ....

To the Glory of the Hans (July & August 1919):

….. What is the greatest question in the world? The greatest question is that of getting food to eat. What is the greatest force? The greatest force is that of the union of the popular masses. What should we not fear? We should not fear heaven. We should not fear ghosts. We should not fear the dead. We should not fear the bureaucrats. We should not fear the militarists. We should not fear the capitalists....

The time has come! The great tide in the world is rolling ever more impetuously! .... He who conforms to it shall survive, he who resists it shall perish...

As a result of the world war and the bitterness of their lives, the popular masses in many countries have suddenly undertaken all sorts of action. In Russia, they have overthrown the aristocrats and driven out the rich... The army of the red flag swarms over the East and the West, sweeping away numerous enemies... The whole world has been shaken by it.... Within the area enclosed by the Great Wall and the China Sea, the May 4th Movement has arisen. Its banner has advanced southward, across the Yellow River to the Yangtze. From Canton to Hankow, many real-life dramas have been performed; from Lake Tungt'ing to the Min River the tide is rising. Heaven and earth are aroused, the traitors and the wicked are put to flight. Ha! We know it! We are awakened! The world is ours, the nation is ours, society is ours. If we do not speak, who will speak? If we do not act, who will act? If we do not rise up and fight, who will rise up and fight? . . . .

It is not that basically we have no strength; the source of our impotence lies in our lack of practice. For thousands of years the Chinese people of several hundred millions have all led a life of slaves. Only one person — the 'emperor'— was not a slave, or rather one could say that even he was the slave of 'heaven'. When the emperor was in control of everything, we were given no opportunity for practice.

We must act energetically to carry out the great union of the popular masses, which will not brook a moment's delay. . . our Chinese people possesses great intrinsic energy. The more profound the oppression, the greater its resistance; that which has accumulated for a long time will surely burst forth quickly. The great union of the Chinese people must be achieved Gentlemen! We must all exert ourselves, we must all advance with the utmost strength. Our golden age, our age of brightness and splendour lies ahead !

and the rest, as they say, is history - or, His Story (the 1920s through the 1970s).

Regards

Mike

PS: A bonus bibliography of the Vietnamese Guerrillas, Writings by and about Important Communist Leaders - many online and well worth the downloading and reading.

And, if you want the Vietnam War in many of the contemporary documents, go to Vietnam War Bibliography (Ed Moise's great work).