Recent Publications - Tag Irregular Warfare

Book Review: Proxy Wars from a Global Perspective: Non-State Actors and Armed Conflicts
May 12, 2026 — States are increasingly turning to non-state actors to fight their battles, reshaping the nature of modern warfare. Proxy Wars from a Global Perspective, edited by Paweł Bernat, Cüneyt Gürer, and Cyprian Aleksander Kozera, offers a sweeping analysis of this trend through case studies from Mali, Ukraine, Syria, and beyond. With insights from international relations and security experts, the book challenges outdated Cold War frameworks and introduces a new paradigm for understanding outsourced conflict in a multipolar world... MORE

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Book Review: Training for Victory: U.S. Special Forces Advisory Operations from El Salvador to Afghanistan
April 15, 2026 — What makes some US Special Forces advisory missions succeed while others fail? In Training for Victory, Frank K. Sobchak examines five decades of elite Green Beret operations—from El Salvador to Afghanistan—to uncover the critical factors behind building effective partner forces. Challenging conventional wisdom, this book reveals surprising truths about language, culture, and combat advising in America’s most complex wars... MORE

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Book Review: Tradecraft, Tactics, and Dirty Tricks: Russian Intelligence and Putin’s Secret War
March 18, 2026 — A veteran intelligence practitioner exposes the vulnerabilities, contradictions, and hidden conflicts shaping modern Russian espionage—and what they mean for Western security... MORE

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Book Review: Reflections on the Russia-Ukraine War
March 18, 2026 — Reflections on the Russia-Ukraine War offers a timely and multifaceted exploration of Europe’s most devastating conflict since World War II. Drawing on diverse theoretical frameworks, this volume brings together 28 concise, stand-alone chapters that illuminate the war’s political, military, legal, and ethical dimensions. Ideal for scholars, students, and policymakers alike, it provides both analytical depth and practical insight into the evolving nature of modern warfare... MORE

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Book Review: How Drones Fight: How Small Drones Are Revolutionizing Warfare
March 18, 2026 — Celander’s book discusses the new technologies at the forefront of military transformation and offers recommendations for countering them. He also argues that the introduction of drones into warfare has shifted the approach to air superiority. The reviewer critiques How Drones Fight’s lack of depth and narrow focus yet still sees it as an accessible introduction to drones and the future of warfare... MORE

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Book Review: Economic War: Ukraine and the Global Conflict Between Russia and the West
March 18, 2026 — This book examines the economic war between Russia and the United States from 2012 to 2023 and assesses each country’s strengths and weaknesses. The conversation on economic warfare also expands to discuss other countries’ involvement, the effects of geoeconomics on the Russia-Ukraine War, and how an economic war would look between the United States and China. The reviewer sees this book as thoroughly researched and well written, despite the drawback of not including charts and maps... MORE

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Book Review: Winning Without Fighting: Irregular Warfare and Strategic Competition in the 21st Century
March 18, 2026 — Winning Without Fighting offers recommendations for the United States’ response to attacks on the rules-based international order. The four authors propose “nothing less than a new grand strategy for America.” The reviewer agrees with some of the authors’ recommendations, while he strongly disagrees with their suggestions on investments... MORE

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Book Review: The Spy and the State: The History of American Intelligence
March 18, 2026 — From the Revolutionary War to the digital age, The Spy and the State by Jeffrey P. Rogg traces the evolution of American intelligence as a central force in shaping national security and foreign policy. With rich historical detail and sharp analysis, Rogg reveals how espionage has empowered and challenged democratic governance. This compelling narrative offers a fresh lens on the hidden machinery behind America’s global influence... MORE

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Book Review: Outmaneuvered: America’s Tragic Encounter with Warfare from Vietnam to Afghanistan
January 12, 2026 — Outmaneuvered: America’s Tragic Encounter with Warfare from Vietnam to Afghanistan chronologically examines the United States’ relationship with counterinsurgency. The author’s primary focus is the influence of politics on irregular warfare and covers irregular conflicts that occurred prior to and after 9/11. The reviewer saw both positives and negatives to the book and its arguments... MORE

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Book Review: The New Makers of Modern Strategy: From the Ancient World to the Digital Age
September 25, 2024 — John Erickson and John Nagl provide a useful overview of the latest (third) edition of Princeton University Press’s anthologies on modern strategy, directing readers to the most salient chapters of the book and giving insight into why “this third edition is the most interesting yet” and “are of immeasurable importance for students, practitioners, and scholars alike.” Erickson and Nagl write that “[the] essays provide excellent starting points for research on almost any... MORE

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Review and Reply: On “Why America’s Army Can’t Win America’s Wars”
March 13, 2023 — Since achieving victory in World War II, the United States military has a less than enviable combat record in irregular warfare. This exchange provides differing perspectives on where past decisions and doctrines have led to defeat and where they may have succeeded if given more time or executed differently. This episode responds to John A. Nagl’s article, “Why America’s Army Can’t Win America’s Wars,” published in the Autumn 2022 issue of Parameters (vol. 52, no. 3). ... MORE

“Why America’s Army Can’t Win America’s Wars”
August 10, 2022 — Since achieving victory in World War II, the United States military has a less than enviable combat record in irregular warfare. Through a detailed historical analysis, this article provides perspective on where past decisions and doctrines have led to defeat and where they may have succeeded if given more time or executed differently. In doing so, it provides lessons for future Army engagements and argues that until America becomes proficient in irregular warfare, our enemies will continue to fight us at the lower levels of the spectrum of conflict, where they have a good chance of exhausting our will to fight... MORE