Recommended Reading?

[davidbfpo]

I'd recommend the film, available on DVD now, The Battle of Algiers. Quite a controversial film when released and now regarded as a classic - with many lessons for today. Saw an article in a learned journal recommending it, now cannot recall the source.

Try http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Bat..._Algiers_(film)

Secondly, although again not reading material, the very short powerpoint by Jeff Jonas is very telling and for an American audience more so:

http://jeffjonas.typepad.com/SRD-911-connections.pdf

davidbfpo

[relative autonomy]

I have been researching Homeland Security very seriously for about 6 months now. There are no general audience books written on the subject, although there are some text books. I hope to fill that void within the next year or two. I have a whole lot of government documents, newspaper, magazine articles, if you want them, let me know.

Also, since davidbfpo mentioned the battle of Algiers, I would check out the the Selected Writings of Eqbal Ahmad, especially his essay "Counterinsurgency." Ahmad actually served in the Algerian NLF but turned down and opportunity to serve in the government, wanting instead to be an intellectual. I imagine radical post-colonial studies aren't all that popular at Small Wars Journal but Ahmad, regardless of what you think of his politics, had intimate access to the "other" side of many definitive conflicts of the Cold War and really, despite his lefty reputation, was a critical independent voice. He was critical of the US's Middle East strategy as well as what he called the "twin curse" of nationalism and religious fanaticism in such countries as Pakistan. He made a lot of enemies on both sides of many conflicts but he was always offered well researched and very critical analysis. Also I think it would make the class epistemologically more complete (and honest) by including a nonwhite voice from the formerly colonized world.

[tequila]

Also I think it would make the class epistemologically more complete (and honest) by including a nonwhite voice from the formerly colonized world.

You would think this would be axiomatic - it'd be a bit silly to study the American Revolution only through the writings of British officers. But yet so much of our study of COIN comes from just such a stovepipe perspective.

[Sergeant T]

Also worth looking at is Brian Jenkins' Unconquerable Nation, especially chapter 5. (Especially like that it's gratis, I hate making students by expensive textbooks that are marginal at best.) Saving City Lifelines is a little more narrow in scope but well done.