Small Wars: a wide reading list

[Stratiotes]

I highly recommend a book not yet mentioned: Inside War: The Guerrilla Conflict in Missouri During the American Civil War, by Michael Fellman.

Published in 1989 by Oxford University Press, it is much more than a simple history of guerrilla fighting in Missouri.

I would second that one - as well as The Devil Knows How to Ride by Edward Leslie on the same subject.

If you are a movie watcher, there is a fantastic movie with a similar title but based on an historical fiction book rather than Leslie's book:
"Ride With the Devil"

Seeing guerrilla warfare thru the eyes of other Americans with whom we can relate can be an education in itself.

For another great online resource, COIN - Rhodesian classic.

[Tc2642]

Got 'Learning to eat soup with a knife' by Nagl, cheap price aswell (I love you amazon!) today, planning to read in the near future.

Nearly finished 'On War' but I am reading through the largely redundant chapters on marches, billets etc, I have decided not to foregoe these chapters because I feel that I should read the whole thing to get an overall perspective, plus I may miss something that relates to the more important parts of the book

Have also been going through John Keegan's 'Intelligence in War', may disagree with him about Clausewitz but it is still a very informative and well put together book.

[CR6]

Just finished Nagl. Great read regarding armies as learning organizations.

Currently reading Hashim's Insurgency and Counter-Insurgency in Iraq.

Seven Pillars of Wisdom is in the queue.

[Tom Odom]

I am reading 2.

a. Dr. Joe Nye's monograph on Soft Power; great foundation for better understanding strategic IO. excellent foundation for looking at GWOT as global COIN and use of non-lethal power.

b. Assassin's Gate by Packer (also reviewed this month in Parameters by a friend, Andy Terrill); excellent insights on evolution of neocon thought and influence of Iraqi long term dissidents/expatriates.

Best
Tom

[zenpundit]

This may or may not be of great interest to the list, but hey, it's what I'm reading...

Consilience: The Unity of Knowledge by Edward O. Wilson -

Superb premise and better survey of the principles of the sciences and humanities. Indirectly useful if you are heavy into mil theory.

The Third Reich in Power by Richard J. Evans

A masterpiece study of Nazi Germany, second volume in a trilogy. Emphasis on the Nazi " coordination" of German life and Hitler's policies up until WWII

Up next:

Global Brain by Howard Bloom

[jekyllisland]

Just picked up Bernard Fall's, "Last Reflections on War". Hope this is inightful on understanding the insurgency going on now and others.

Rob