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Books > History > Asian / Middle Eastern history > From 1900
Contemporary Military Strategy and the Global War on Terror offers
an in-depth analysis of US/UK military strategy in Afghanistan and
Iraq from 2001 to the present day. It explores the development of
contemporary military strategy in the West in the modern age before
interrogating its application in the Global War on Terror. The book
provides detailed insights into the formulation of military plans
by political and military elites in the United States and United
Kingdom for Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Alastair Finlan highlights the challenges posed by each of these
unique theatres of operation, the nature of the diverse enemies
faced by coalition forces, and the shortcomings in strategic
thinking about these campaigns. This fresh perspective on strategy
in the West and how it has been applied in recent military
campaigns facilitates a deep understanding of how wars have been
and will be fought. Including key terms, concepts and discussion
questions for each chapter, Contemporary Military Strategy and the
Global War on Terror is a crucial text in strategic studies, and
required reading for anyone interested in the new realities of
transnational terrorism and twenty-first century warfare.
A secret mission sends the author to Vietnam's Mekong Delta, the
bread basket of old Indo - China. He uncovers a sophisticated enemy
supply network unknown to our military hierarchy.
Using intelligence data covertly gathered in Cambodia and
analyzed at the Center for Naval Analyses in Arlington, Virginia
they discover and destroy Vietcong forces and interdict VC supply
lines with a mixture of intrigue and romance.
A U. S. Naval story never told, complete with declassified maps
from the Office of Naval Intelligence, and illuminating pictures of
Saigon and archaic areas of the Delta taken by the author forty -
six years ago, a depiction of "old Saigon" and real relationships
between North and South Vietnam are related.
Headquartered in Saigon, the true interaction between our Navy
and Army ( MACV ) brass couched in the background of wartime
Saigon, often referred to as the "Paris of the Orient," and
Washington, D. C. is insightfully told.
This reference work is an ideal resource for anyone interested in
better understanding the controversial Iraq War. It treats the war
in its entirety, covering politics, religion, and history, as well
as military issues. The Iraq War started in 2003 in a quest to rid
the nation of weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) that were never
found. It lasted over 8 years, during which more than 30,000 U.S.
service members were wounded and almost 4,500 American lives lost.
Comprised of some 275 entries, this comprehensive encyclopedia
examines the war from multiple points of view. Each article is
written by an expert with specialized knowledge of the topic. The
reference covers every aspect of the Iraq War, from the U.S.
invasion (Operation IRAQI FREEDOM) through the rise of Al Qaeda in
Iraq, the surge, and the U.S. withdrawal. Other significant aspects
of the conflict are addressed as well, including Abu Ghraib, WMDs,
the controversial use of private military contractors, and
Britain's role in the war. The book also features an overview
essay, a "causes and consequences" essay, maps, photos, a
chronology, and a bibliography.
Possibly there is nothing more conducive to thoughts of the
Eternal, than having one's face slammed into red, wet muck, with
explosions so close your body arcs and bounces off the ground, hot
shards burn in your flesh, and concussions are bright flashes of
dirty fire beating a tattoo on the light receptors in the backs of
your eyes. Your head aches; throbbing from visual shock waves.
Time has come to an end; there is no right, no wrong, only
whatever follows a life that is now over. The dark reaper is here.
What's it going to be like on the other side? Is there an "other
side"?
The old timers use the maxim, "There are no atheists in a
fox-hole." Possibly so; I can only give my own experience, and I
never had the opportunity to be in one. Combat aviators crash and
sometimes burn instead. But close calls almost always give rise to
interminable questions; especially when the survived experience is
seared into the human psyche.
For some, satisfactory answers never seem to come. For myself,
may I pro-offer both scorching experience, and incredible
life-lessons learned? Then, should you ever fall into similar
adventure; you man go into it better prepared than I was.
JWV
In 2003, Major William Edwards and Lt. Colonel Robert P. Walters of
the 165th Military Intelligence Battalion were given the
near-impossible task of improving the U.S. Army's security posture
at Abu Ghraib prison under unfathomable conditions. With input from
officers who served with them, their candid firsthand accounts of
life at the notorious prison reveal unpublished details of the
human devastation that took place there, along with unexpected
glimpses of humanity.
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