The Counter-Insurgency Manual: Tactics of the Anti-Guerrilla Professionals

Rating:
Summary: Freedom Fighters Are Another Mans Terrorist
Review: Leroy Thompson does it again with his newest installment in his tactical manual series; "The Counter Insurgency Manual - Tactics Of The Anti-Guerrilla Professionals". This book is formatted and laid out like his previous title "Hostage Rescue Manual". For the size of the book it covers a broad subject coving everything from Guerrilla theories to small unit operations. The book contains many sidebars of historical examples and in-depth author comments, which highlight and authenticate the subject matter. The book is profusely illustrated and contains many B&W photos, many of which are unpublished Rhodesian bush war era photos (which alone make the book worth the buy) and other relevant photos. Some of the subjects covered in the book include psychological operations, hearts and minds, Ambushes, booby-traps, combat tracking and pseudo-guerrilla operations. One of my favorite chapters is "Trackers and Pseudo-Guerrillas", which includes extensive tips on tracking as used by David Scott-Donelan in Rhodesia and South African bush wars. It also goes into the Pseudo-operation concept and how it is used as formidable weapon in a low intensity conflict. This is the concept made famous by the Selous Scouts in Rhodesia, which accounted for more dead terrorist then any other unit in the war. Over all, the book is a good reference, but only covers the surface of most subjects. I highly recommend this book to anyone with a interest in special operations, with most of the skills discussed in this book being the bread and butter of most of the worlds special forces that still employ these tactics all over the world (much like how the Green Berets are operating in Afghanistan presently).

Rating:
Summary: A tribute to the best
Review: This book is only an introduction to counter insurgency, and any special forces soldier will back me up on that, I am sure that Mr Thompson knows it too. what I liked in this book is that it is mostly about the Rhodesian forces, that few people knows about their exploits, especially the SAS. This unit performed counter terrorist & insurgent operations that should be writen in the guiness book of special ops history. I have all the respect to Mr Thompson to just realizing and seeking those professionals, that politics betrayed, and history ignored. If you are the most experienced special operator in your country and you happen to have the chance to meet one of those guys, first offer him all my respects and listen well to what he's got to say, he might save your life one day along with your fellow operators.

Rating:
Summary: Good intro.............
Review: This is a good, basic overview and intro to counter-insurgency. I've just come back from a year in Iraq, and decided I needed to read some more about counter-insurgency. My only issue with this book is that the advice it offers is primarily for rural insurgencies. Some of the discussion points do not apply to what is happening in Iraq, which is like a hybrid insurgency. Forced population displacements and watching trails and food supply routes do not apply. Good book overall, but if you read it, realize that you'll be dealing with measures that are primarily designed to work in a rural area, although many can be applied to a hybrid or urban insurgency.