Invisible armies : an epic history of guerrilla warfare from ancient times to the present

As fitting for the twenty-first century as von Clausewitz's On War was in its own time, Invisible Armies is a complete global history of guerrilla uprisings through the ages. Beginning with the first insurgencies in the ancient worldwhen Alexander the Great discovered that fleet nomads were harder to defeat than massive conventional armiesMax Boot, best-selling author and military advisor in Iraq and Afghanistan, masterfully guides us from the Jewish rebellion against the Roman Empire up through the horrors of the French-Indochina War and the shadowy, post-9/11 battlefields of today. Relying on a diverse cast of unforgettable charactersnot only Mao and Che but also the legendary Italian nationalist Giuseppe Garibaldi, the archaeologist-turnedmilitary commander T. E. Lawrence, and the Quiet American Edward Lansdale, among othersBoot explodes everything we thought we knew about unconventional combat. The result is both an enthralling read and our most important work on nontraditional warfare. 70 illustrations; 8 maps Review A sweeping panorama that ranges over a vast terrain... thoughtful, smart, fluent, with an eye for the good story. ( Mark Mazover - *New York Times Book Review, Front Page Review * ) Fascinating. . . . Beginning with the barbarians at the gates of the Roman Empire, a wonderful and valuable historic narrative filled with colorful characters. ( Walter Isaacson ) Max Boot has written a landmark book about a perennial and important challenge: guerilla warfare. ( Jon Meacham, author of the Pulitzer Prizewinning *American Lion: Andrew Jackson in the White House * ) A penetrating writer and thinker. ( Wall Street Journal ) [D]estined to be the classic account of what may be the oldest as well as the hardest form of war. ( John Nagl - *The Wall Street Journal * ) Max Boot has produced the most definitive and comprehensive work to date on the dominant form of warfare of our times. From the origins of guerrilla warfare to current conflicts the reader travels through the centuries of time understanding the nature and character of unconventional warfare yet because of the power of Boot's narrative and sheer ability to tell a story, the reader can live the experience. A must read for scholars, military and government professionals and a fascinating journey for the general public. ( General (ret.) Jack Keane, former Army Vice Chi ) This is the definitive treatment of guerrilla warfare through the agesa tour de force by a preeminent military historian who has advised generals, policymakers and political leaders on the subject. ( Senator John S. McCain ) Sweeping, meticulous, and exceptionally thoughtful. Max Boot's Invisible Armies is an important, compelling contribution to our understanding of how men make war. ( Rick Atkinson, author of An Army at Dawn and *The Day of Battle * ) An expansive nuts-and-bolts historical survey from a keen military mind. ( Kirkus Reviews ) ...[I]mpressively researched, astutely synthesized, and eminently readable. ( Booklist ) Starred review. A military historian and senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, Boot presents a sweeping, well-written, and comprehensively documented history of guerilla war The result is a compelling narrative and perceptive analysis: a must read in today's world. ( Publishers Weekly ) The word magisterial is bandied about far too freely these days, but in the case of Max Boot's sweeping and deeply researched history of guerrilla warfare, it proves fair. Somewhere in the first third of Boot's book, you begin to realize that guerrilla wars (and terrorism and insurgencies) are the way we fight, while the formal set battles of, say, the Napoleonic wars are but an exception. ( Lucas Wittmann - *The Daily Beast * ) For the historian and journalist Max Boot to use the phrase ? New York Times Bestseller A Washington Post Notable Book (Nonfiction) Named one of the Best Books of the Year by Foreign Policy A New York Times Book Review Editors’ Choice Selection “Destined to be the classic account of what may be the oldest... hardest form of war.” —John Nagl, Wall Street Journal Invisible Armies presents an entirely original narrative of warfare, which demonstrates that, far from the exception, loosely organized partisan or guerrilla warfare has been the dominant form of military conflict throughout history. New York Times best-selling author and military historian Max Boot traces guerrilla warfare and terrorism from antiquity to the present, narrating nearly thirty centuries of unconventional military conflicts. Filled with dramatic analysis of strategy and tactics, as well as many memorable characters—from Italian nationalist Guiseppe Garibaldi to the “Quiet American,” Edward Lansdale—Invisible Armies is “as readable as a novel” (Michael Korda, Daily Beast) and “a timely reminder to politicians and generals of the hard-earned lessons of history” (Economist).

“Destined to be the classic account of what may be the oldest . . . hardest form of war.”—John Nagl, Wall Street Journal

Invisible Armies presents an entirely original narrative of warfare, which demonstrates that, far from the exception, loosely organized partisan or guerrilla warfare has been the dominant form of military conflict throughout history. New York Times best-selling author and military historian Max Boot traces guerrilla warfare and terrorism from antiquity to the present, narrating nearly thirty centuries of unconventional military conflicts. Filled with dramatic analysis of strategy and tactics, as well as many memorable characters—from Italian nationalist Guiseppe Garibaldi to the “Quiet American,” Edward Lansdale—Invisible Armies is “as readable as a novel” (Michael Korda, Daily Beast) and “a timely reminder to politicians and generals of the hard-earned lessons of history” (Economist).

"Destined to be the classic account of what may be the oldest . . . hardest form of war."?John Nagl, Wall Street Journal Invisible Armies presents an entirely original narrative of warfare, which demonstrates that, far from the exception, loosely organized partisan or guerrilla warfare has been the dominant form of military conflict throughout history. New York Times best-selling author and military historian Max Boot traces guerrilla warfare and terrorism from antiquity to the present, narrating nearly thirty centuries of unconventional military conflicts. Filled with dramatic analysis of strategy and tactics, as well as many memorable characters?from Italian nationalist Guiseppe Garibaldi to the "Quiet American," Edward Lansdale? Invisible Armies is "as readable as a novel" (Michael Korda, Daily Beast ) and "a timely reminder to politicians and generals of the hard-earned lessons of history" ( Economist )