by Max Boot
First published 2013
Max Boot examines guerrilla warfare across human history in this comprehensive study. He opens with Alexander the Great's struggles against swift nomadic fighters who proved more challenging than conventional armies. Boot traces unconventional combat through major uprisings including the Jewish revolt against Rome and conflicts in French Indochina. The author draws on his experience as a military advisor in Iraq and Afghanistan to analyze modern post-9/11 battlefields. Boot profiles key figures like Mao, Che Guevara, Italian nationalist Giuseppe Garibaldi, archaeologist turned commander T.E. Lawrence, and CIA operative Edward Lansdale. Through these diverse characters and conflicts, he challenges conventional wisdom about insurgent tactics and asymmetric warfare. The book spans ancient rebellions to contemporary shadow conflicts, offering readers a global perspective on how small forces have consistently challenged larger powers throughout history.
Genres: history, 20th-century, non-fiction, 21st-century, military-history, academic
Vibes: suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: expert-analysis, historical-perspective
Setting: Afghanistan, France, Indochina, Iraq, Italy, Rome
Period: Ancient, 20th-Century, 21st-Century
784 pages · Hardcover · Liveright Publishing Corporation/W.W. Norton & Company, Inc.