Dirty Wars: A Century of Counterinsurgency

Who is the enemy? This is the question most asked in modern warfare; gone are the staged battles of the past. Twenty-first-century conflict is dominated by counterinsurgency operations, where the enemy is almost indistinguishable from innocent civilians. Battles are gunfights in jungles, deserts and streets; winning 'hearts and minds' is as important as territory. From struggles in Ireland to operations in Iraq, Afghanistan and Palestine, this book covers the strategy and doctrine of counterinsurgency, and how often these operations have been unsuccessful, leaving us embedded in a hostile population, immersed in costly and dangerous nation-building. AUTHOR: Dr Simon Robbins has been an Archivist at the Imperial War Museum since 1989. Having studied history at Nottingham University and War Studies at King's College London, he completed his doctoral thesis at the latter. He is a well-received military history author. SELLING POINTS: ? Highly topical subject, explored across a century of conflict ? Nation-building has become the most controversial aspect of modern warfare ? Includes first-hand accounts from Special Ops forces throughout history 40 b/w illustrations