Small Wars: a wide reading list

[selil]

@selil

Due to my school work at the moment I am really focused on the substantive side of my reading. However, I will add the other books and see if I can get through them at some point (probably not till next winter break, but I like having a long range plan).

Also can you elaborate on your comments about reading?

Let me put it to you this way. In my Masters and Doctoral program I had to read everything from computer science theory books, to fictional historical accounts of alien species (computer science is nothing if not esoteric). A semester trip to the book store has you walking out with 14 or 15 books. For each class. On average you had to read 4 to 5 books a week. With high cognitive understanding and ability to discuss in detail page by page what was going on. Instantly.

How do you do that? In general if you read a book serially pretty poorly.

So you don't read a "book" front to back. You read the first and last paragraph of the chapter. With text books you read the first and maybe second sentence of every paragraph. You read the sentence before, during, and after bolded words. You read the chapter summary (if there is one) and you finally read all the sidebars (as they usually draw context). You have at that point gutted the book and should be able to pass most any exam or inquisition.

Journal articles are structured abstract-introduction-methods-results-conclusions-bibliography in general.

You read them abstract-conclusions-results-methods and rarely read the introduction unless you are a neophyte to the field. This is easier to do in the sciences than in the "soft" side of the university. Your read the abstract to se if you are going to continue reading, and conclusions to see if you care. You read the results to compare against their methods. You should never cite papers from the introduction and only from the conclusions or results unless you are borrowing methods. Everything else is chaff.

Always read the bibliography of any paper. It can lend weight to the credibility of a paper. After awhile you will know where the disciplines figures or leaders are and know what silos exist. The bibliography will define that sooner rather than later.

Yes there are lots more "tricks" than these, but I consider them scholarly craftsmanship and part of the process of skill building.

[davidbfpo]

Just a reminder this list, now with four other threads merged in exists and perhaps readers can add new items?

[davidbfpo]

From WaronTheRocks.com:

.. the Commander of U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) – .. says, “is to motivate members of the SOF [Special Operations Forces] community to grow professionally and personally. The USSOCOM Reading List represents important works for all SOFofficers, enlisted and civilians as well as those supporting the USSOCOM mission.

Link:http://warontherocks.com/2013/11/adm...-reading-list/

I've only read one, the last listed.

[murphysl]

I'm a graduate student at Columbia University taking a year long seminar called "US Role in World Affairs". Taught by a former US Ambassador, with guest lectures from generals, prime ministers, and lots of policy makers, it is a great course. The professor has asked for recommendations for readings for next semester and I think that something focusing on America's shadow wars, in particular those fought since 9/11, would be a good addition. How is US power being exerted through SOF and other "black ops" around the world, and how does it affect US policy? I've found The Way of the Knife by Mark Mazetti, The Short American Century, a collection of essays edited by Andrew Bacevich, and Washington Rules by Bacevich. I've scanned the reading list on SWJ, and didn't find anything I thought would be topical. Any suggestions?

I've been through this thread as well as the recommended reading elsewhere on the site, but haven't found anything.