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Summary: A argument for self-directed learning in the Marines
Review: "Obsessed with American superiority in all things, Americans may have failed to appreciate what other cultures can accomplish" a quote from Colonel Poole's recent essay in Blood Treasure and Spirit. "The first casualty of war is the truth," he says, and he proceeds to dispel the idea that America won every single tactical engagement in its three major wars in Asia. Lessons that could have been learned by examining Asian tactics were washed over in the need to protect American morale. Poole argues convincingly that the Japanese, Koreans and Vietnamese were holders of great tactical and strategic insight, every bit the equal of our own. Many times, we claimed victory when the evidence for those victories was lacking. The Asian he argues could be a model for American small unit tactics. Poole's thesis, in his own words is simple "The soldier of the future must be a phantom --remaining invisible in the defense, on patrol, and during the assault -- or he will be dead. Those that do the fighting are the ones best qualified to refine these techniques. Western military organizations seldom see their role as one of disseminating lessons learned from lower ranks." Poole fears America's obsession with firepower, stand off weapons and the admiration for high command curtail the option for self-directed learning at the small unit level. I admire Poole's work. Poole's train of thought seems to mirror those of his mentor, Colonel Michael Duncan Wyly (co-author of William S. Lind's Maneuver Warfare Handbook.) Colonel Wyly in many ways presented similar information in his tenure as the head of the Marine Corps Amphibious Warfare School. Here are Col. Wyly's thoughts on his inclusion of Korean/Chinese tactics into his curriculum: "I study the Korean War ... because the problems of the 50's have not yet been played out. It was in Korea that we see a very low-tech army doing quite well against the highest tech army (including the Marines) in the world. Even now, I am not comfortable with how either the Army or Marine Corps have faced up to preparing their "warriors." Our adversaries in the Far East had to be warriors; that is, they had to apply the art of war because they had no other option. I am neither holding them (North Korean, Chinese, and North Vietnamese) to be the premier soldiers in the world, nor am I condemning technology. I am simply pointing out that for years we neglected the essence of good tactics. Even though we have the best technology in the world, there is nothing wrong about having the best tactics as well." Colonel Wyly's calm, even-tempered lectures on tactics form the nucleus of Poole's work.
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Summary: Tactical truths from the enemy's perspectives
Review: A "must-read" for anyone who truly wants to understand small unit tactics. Studying the western way of war is only half of the equation. Reading and absorbing the lessons in this book is the other half - the most important half. This well-written and well-researched book is sorely needed in today's U.S. military. To all those blinded by the technologies involved in transforming the U.S. military, or the so-called "revolution in military affairs," this book should serve as a 'reality check.' Poole repeatedly shows how the Western over-reliance on ordnance and technological superiority was effectively countered by adversaries who recognized the West's strengths and consciously decided to focus on small unit tactics and training. Poole's message (some may call it a warning) is clear: the West will never live up to its military potential (or up to its over-inflated militarily superior opinion of itself) if it continues to ignore pursuing the tactical excellence needed to complement its unquestioned technological superiority. The real transformation or revolution in military affairs should be the paradigm shift to ensuring that our individuals and small units are as tactically proficient as they are technologically advanced. This book can help all Western military decision-makers think differently about warfighting and can help save lives on the battlefield.
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Summary: America's Duty to Its Fighting Men Is to Read This Book!
Review: H. John Poole's first two books were profoundly valuable. The first was a handbook of high-skill small unit infantry technique. The second was his ethical and religious philosophy of warfighting, in which he points out that the ethical point in a just fight is to *win*, not simply to kill. The only key to winning without excessive killing is *skill*, not technology, although appropriate technology supplements skill. Now comes _Phantom Soldier: The Enemy's Answer to US Firepower_. We owe it to our military service members to study and absorb this book in ALL services and ALL military and civilian levels, even if it means that readers in sea and air forces, and in diplomacy and economic warfare have to make their own translations from ground combat. _Phantom Soldier_ shows that skill has trumped technology-our technology-in the wars of the 20th century. Specific, detailed, professional analyses of the Japanese defense of Iwo Jima, the Chinese at the Chosin Reservoir, the Vietnamese against landing U.S. Marines at Than Tham Khe in late December 1967, illustrate many of the maxims of the ancient Chinese military philosopher Sun Tzu [lucidly summarized and explained in the Appendix] and show how again and again, Americans attempt to substitute technology for skill, shedding rivers of American blood in the process. This is the most lucid and enlightening readily-available account of Sun Tzu's and his disciples' military philosophy, and will generate one "ah-ha!" experience after another, in understanding both maneuver warfare, and 4th generation or "asymmetric" warfare, such as the attack launched against us in September, 2001. It is our duty as a nation to only send Americans into fights in cohesive, *skilled* units, led by practiced, competent leaders, because only this wins the fights, sparing their lives and spirits. Devour this book and then give copies to all your friends. ...
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Summary: Phantom Soldier
Review: I rate this book and the other books by Mr. Poole a five star. My own credentials include having been a Class 23 FFL dealer (explosives), and having been to the places in the news, including Afghanistan, the Golden Triangle, the Gobi Desert and Columbia, South America. His writings are from the objective perspective of the senior NCO and/or company commander. Small unit tactics are his specialty. He reviews different historical military incidents with a discussion of small unit techniques, maps, diagrams, footnotes and source material. The book is like having a workshop and applying the philosophy of Sun Tzu. I own all of Mr. Poole's writings. His writings are to small unit tactics as those of Charles de Gaulle were to tank warfare in WWII. They could fill a long standing gap in English language treatises on small unit tactics.
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Summary: Donald E. Vandergriff, Major, U.S. Army
Review: John Poole continues to do our nation and the military great service. Phantom Soldier is the third in an evolution of books--Last Hundred Yards, One More Bridge to Cross--that gets it right on future battlefield tactics. This book must be read and implemented. What if there was no Northern Alliance to provide ground forces in the current war in Afganistan? If the U.S. does not commit ground forces to provide the necessary dimension, to force an enemy to look two ways, then the scenario in the future would be like the 99 war in Kosovo. Here, a Serbian Army withdrew unscathed from the area of operations, despite three months of constant bombing. Poole's book provides the blue print to reforming the U.S. ground forces that has to be a necessary part of the 21st Century "Transformation." We will pay with lives if we do not reform our military from a Second Generation warfare force to one that can deal with threats in the 3rd and 4th Generation (...) (...).
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Summary: Real military force reform from the grunt up
Review: One of Poole's greatest accomplishments has been to see through the warrior's eyes what is needed most in reform. It isn't another technologically stunning gizmo to add to their already heavy kit to slow them down more from what they do best. In the words of the late Col John Boyd - "machines do not fight wars, people do, and they use their minds."
Poole provides the low-tech but effective tools every soldier can use to gain the edge s/he needs. Through a survey of little known lessons from past conflicts with centuries-old warrior classes of the east, Poole demystifies their nethods and guides us in their use.
All the while Poole calls us to take the moral stand to win with as little destruction as possible. It sounds absurd to most modern military thinkers schooled in the inevitability of atrition warfare but he makes his points with historical evidence.
Poole is indeed a warrior's warrior. He is a career soldier who never lost the ethos of the foxhole and never lost the humanity that drives his passion. He lives the chivalry of the warrior who fights to protect the defenseless even at the price of personal glory.
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Summary: If you want to win - read this book!
Review: Phantom Soldier is the natural follow-up to John Poole's book "Another Bridge to Cross".
In Phantom Soldier he continuous his effort to explain the right way to fight - this time with more clarity and easy-to-read style. I find the way he mixes the old, and still true, theories of war fighting with real world examples to be most helpful. Every person slightest interested in learning the ways of war is probably familiar with Sun-Tzu, but in this book the author also introduces us to some of the less know Asian theorists like Sun Bin. For the uninitiated "The Art of War" by Sun-Wu (or Sun-Zi) seams to be the reference work to read, but the truth is that "The Art of War" is only one in the ancient collection "Seven books of war". A less well-known work, the Liu Tao, or Six Strategies for War, was also highly regarded by rulers of ancient China. The six strategies (Civil, Military, Dragon, Tiger, Leopard, and Hound) each deal with a different subject and corresponding plan for success. In Phantom Soldier the Battle Arrays of Sun Bin are explained so they are applicable to modern units right now. I don't agree with J R Dunn on his critic on John Poole's writing. J R Dunn referrers to him self as a military historian, if he really is this, he should know better than to confuse efforts that use history as example with absolute truths. I doubt that Mr. Dunn ever participated in a battle or even a fire-fight. If he had he would know that fighting is complex and very fluid, you cannot make science of art. What John Poole really does is to try and make use think the right way. If a force with all its modern weapons, support, intelligence assets and the overall technological superiority would be able to adopt this way of thinking it would be unstoppable. If you keep one eye on history and the other on the future - you will be blind on one eye.
If you keep two eyes on the future you will be blind on both.
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Summary: Enemy Warfare -- The Phantom Soldier
Review: Phantom soldier" clearly brings the lessons of recent military history to our vision. In these new wars, the lonely American soldier, the nineteen-year-old infantryman carrying rifles with bayonets fixed and grenades dangling from his web gear, must go into the very foreign deadly tall grass and trees, the dark-canopied jungle, the high and incredibly tough mountains, the dense confusing deadly maze of the teeming cities of Asia, and as individuals, in squads and in platoons find the enemy and fight him in his backyard, with this rifle, grenade and bayonet. This is extremely foreign to a young American soldier's experience. These strange tactics, effectively blunts our strength in firepower and forces us to operate in a small-unit infantry war of soldier to soldier, rifle to rifle, bayonet to bayonet; which requires the basic small units, squads and platoons, to be very effectively trained. War stories and movies are very popular, because history and adventure come together, with the thrill of rolling the dice in the most ancient of all of man's activities - war. "Phantom Soldier" vividly presents the actions the infantryman takes to build bunkers, set-up ambushes, attack a fortified and entrenched position covered by machine guns, and react when ambushed. In "Phantom Soldier" these Sergeants and Privates are soldiers of the countries that we fight: Japanese, Somalians, Arabians, Vietnamese, and German. "Phantom Soldier" explains in great detail the very different historical perspectives, living conditions, terrain, resources and worldviews that have produced different ways of warfare. This very interesting and unusual book is about the warfare of these oriental peoples', a war of camouflage, hit and run tactics, ambush, booby traps, sniping and of the "Phantom Soldier", the one we cannot seem to find, but finds us all the time. "Phantom Soldier" dispels the commonly believed myth that battles go to the toughest soldiers, with the most resources. Rather it brings reality to the fore, by showing that it is usually the side that fights the smartest that wins and it is the military strategies and tactics that create these winning methods. "Military strategy" is the overall direction followed in fighting the war, and "military tactics" are the ways the fighting is actually implemented on the ground by the fighting soldiers. This fact is the major intellectual contribution of "Phantom Soldier". John Poole is a recognized and noted expert on the history of small unit battlefield tactics. He explains, that the current American military strategy consists of massing a strong enough contingent of troops and supporting firepower in the form of artillery, air support and naval gunfire to completely crush and overwhelm the enemy in face-to-face confrontations. The famous "set-piece' battle, in which our strategy is simply to blow the enemy up and win. Our current military leaders believe that our industrial might and technological advantage, combined with the massive size of our military is the answer to all military problems we face. Unfortunately, in our current enemy is not obliging enough to sit still and face us in massed formations to slug it out, where our overwhelming firepower will prevail. Instead, the new enemy hides, he is a phantom. He lives in the hidden jungle fastnesses, treacherous mountains, and maze-like cities; where he organizes his military into decentralized, small mobile units and politically controls the population in support of his war. We therefore cannot destroy the whole country to get him. The French learned this in defeat in Vietnam and Algiers. The Americans saw the effect in Lebanon, Somalia and Vietnam. Moreover, the British and more recently the Russians were defeated in Afghanistan. John Poole builds a very convincing case that the American military leaders have steadfastly refused to understand the need for effectively making independent and decentralized-unit tactics at the squad and platoon level part of our overall military strategy. Instead, we look to the infantry as maneuver elements at the front of the massive firepower that we deliver to crush the enemy and then infantry's job is to clean up the stragglers and debree that is left over. Because of this lack of understanding, our soldiers are not trained at the squad and platoon level for independent operations, like the enemy. We make the repetitive mistake of sending many conventionally trained maneuver battalions of seven to eight hundred men into combat with all their supporting firepower, where they are unable to effectively fight and therefore are needlessly killed. He urges our government and military to change their perception of war and therefore the training of our troops. Every reader now gets a chance to dig in and prepare to fight. It necessarily has been written to the soldiers who carry out those tactics, the U.S. Infantryman of every rank, both past and present. Readers devoid of military experience may find some of the content overly technical. Nevertheless, sticking with the detail will create a rewarding experience of understanding and enjoyment of what a battle consists of, as if you were a soldier, digging, carrying a rifle down a jungle trail or in pathless mountains Overall, "Phantom Soldier" is well worth reading, to see the world through the soldiers eyes on both sides of the battlefield, who have fought in such famous battles as Iwo Jima, the Battle of the Bulge, Chosin Reservoir, Hue, and the Ia Drang Valley. It makes the reader appreciate the courage needed to go to war and the skill required to win and come home. Just like the soldier who has to carry the rifle and take the bayonet charge. This reviewer served in Vietnam in the 101st Airborne and 1st Infantry Divisions and "Phantom Soldier" was reliving that time.
Rating:
Summary: Enemy Warfare -- The Phantom Soldier
Review: Phantom soldier" clearly brings the lessons of recent military history to our vision. In these new wars, the lonely American soldier, the nineteen-year-old infantryman carrying rifles with bayonets fixed and grenades dangling from his web gear, must go into the very foreign deadly tall grass and trees, the dark-canopied jungle, the high and incredibly tough mountains, the dense confusing deadly maze of the teeming cities of Asia, and as individuals, in squads and in platoons find the enemy and fight him in his backyard, with this rifle, grenade and bayonet. This is extremely foreign to a young American soldier's experience. These strange tactics, effectively blunts our strength in firepower and forces us to operate in a small-unit infantry war of soldier to soldier, rifle to rifle, bayonet to bayonet; which requires the basic small units, squads and platoons, to be very effectively trained. War stories and movies are very popular, because history and adventure come together, with the thrill of rolling the dice in the most ancient of all of man's activities - war. "Phantom Soldier" vividly presents the actions the infantryman takes to build bunkers, set-up ambushes, attack a fortified and entrenched position covered by machine guns, and react when ambushed. In "Phantom Soldier" these Sergeants and Privates are soldiers of the countries that we fight: Japanese, Somalians, Arabians, Vietnamese, and German. "Phantom Soldier" explains in great detail the very different historical perspectives, living conditions, terrain, resources and worldviews that have produced different ways of warfare. This very interesting and unusual book is about the warfare of these oriental peoples', a war of camouflage, hit and run tactics, ambush, booby traps, sniping and of the "Phantom Soldier", the one we cannot seem to find, but finds us all the time. "Phantom Soldier" dispels the commonly believed myth that battles go to the toughest soldiers, with the most resources. Rather it brings reality to the fore, by showing that it is usually the side that fights the smartest that wins and it is the military strategies and tactics that create these winning methods. "Military strategy" is the overall direction followed in fighting the war, and "military tactics" are the ways the fighting is actually implemented on the ground by the fighting soldiers. This fact is the major intellectual contribution of "Phantom Soldier". John Poole is a recognized and noted expert on the history of small unit battlefield tactics. He explains, that the current American military strategy consists of massing a strong enough contingent of troops and supporting firepower in the form of artillery, air support and naval gunfire to completely crush and overwhelm the enemy in face-to-face confrontations. The famous "set-piece' battle, in which our strategy is simply to blow the enemy up and win. Our current military leaders believe that our industrial might and technological advantage, combined with the massive size of our military is the answer to all military problems we face. Unfortunately, in our current enemy is not obliging enough to sit still and face us in massed formations to slug it out, where our overwhelming firepower will prevail. Instead, the new enemy hides, he is a phantom. He lives in the hidden jungle fastnesses, treacherous mountains, and maze-like cities; where he organizes his military into decentralized, small mobile units and politically controls the population in support of his war. We therefore cannot destroy the whole country to get him. The French learned this in defeat in Vietnam and Algiers. The Americans saw the effect in Lebanon, Somalia and Vietnam. Moreover, the British and more recently the Russians were defeated in Afghanistan. John Poole builds a very convincing case that the American military leaders have steadfastly refused to understand the need for effectively making independent and decentralized-unit tactics at the squad and platoon level part of our overall military strategy. Instead, we look to the infantry as maneuver elements at the front of the massive firepower that we deliver to crush the enemy and then infantry's job is to clean up the stragglers and debree that is left over. Because of this lack of understanding, our soldiers are not trained at the squad and platoon level for independent operations, like the enemy. We make the repetitive mistake of sending many conventionally trained maneuver battalions of seven to eight hundred men into combat with all their supporting firepower, where they are unable to effectively fight and therefore are needlessly killed. He urges our government and military to change their perception of war and therefore the training of our troops. Every reader now gets a chance to dig in and prepare to fight. It necessarily has been written to the soldiers who carry out those tactics, the U.S. Infantryman of every rank, both past and present. Readers devoid of military experience may find some of the content overly technical. Nevertheless, sticking with the detail will create a rewarding experience of understanding and enjoyment of what a battle consists of, as if you were a soldier, digging, carrying a rifle down a jungle trail or in pathless mountains Overall, "Phantom Soldier" is well worth reading, to see the world through the soldiers eyes on both sides of the battlefield, who have fought in such famous battles as Iwo Jima, the Battle of the Bulge, Chosin Reservoir, Hue, and the Ia Drang Valley. It makes the reader appreciate the courage needed to go to war and the skill required to win and come home. Just like the soldier who has to carry the rifle and take the bayonet charge. This reviewer served in Vietnam in the 101st Airborne and 1st Infantry Divisions and "Phantom Soldier" was reliving that time.
Rating:
Summary: The Phantom Soldier - Battle Field Wisdom
Review: RE: The Phantom Soldier,
I spent over 15 years of my life with the US Army Armor Recon, known as Armored Cavalry. Three overseas tours including the Gulf War, I wish this book had been written then. The problem with today's military is that we forget the lessons of the past wars and we don't keep comprehensive records of tactics and hard earned lessons - Part One, -The Eastern Way of Attack-, Chapter 14, -How Much Has War Changed? Chapter Three, - The False Face and the Art of Delay-. Are some of the exceptional pieces of work in his book, among the chapters.
The Phantom soldier points out our strengths and weakness, as well as enemy's on the battlefields of World War II, Korea, and Vietnam. Korea was one of the most painful wars that the US fought, The Vietnam War, a few short months of training and you were off to war, and that training was mostly marching and polishing boots. The enemy today as seen in Afghanistan, fighting has been a way of life as soon as they can walk. A strong knowledge base is needed more so now that ever. This book will be an asset on the today's battlefield as much as the rifle.
I think the ancient Philosopher and Military General Sun -Tzu said it best " One seeks victory before the battle, by knowing oneself and the enemy -. does one defeat the enemy"
The author continues to provide hard learned information in his book series, paid for in the lives of Americans. For the worst thing in battle is , How does the enemy fight, and how can I fight him?
Stephen E Hughes
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