Customer Reviews

Counterinsurgency Warfare: Theory and Practice (Science 101 (Collins))

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This is a foundational work on the development of "Counterinsurgency Warfare," and relevant to Iraq, Afghanistan and other hotspots. Galula articulated clearly the how "Revolutionary Warfare" is asymmetric between belligerents, contrary to the balanced warfare between conventional field armies. He is masterful at describing the insurgent dynamics, and gives great insights for conducting Counterinsurgency Operations. The work primarily focuses on anti-colonial revolutions and Marxist-communist insurgencies, but falls short in addressing the fundamentalist religious based insurgency/terrorism, which was very much ongoing (Algeria) during his contemporary times. Very clear and illuminating, and a must for the student of low-intensity conflicts.

First published in 1964, this is still the best book on the subject. Not as well known as it's more famous companion: "Defeating Communist Insurgency" by Thompson, it addresses the same isues, but is much more applicable to today's conflict. If you are too busy to read it, then go right to page 51, and see how Galula learned to deal with prisoners from his time spent as a prisoner of Mao's forces in China. If some one at the Pentagon had read this, the world would never have heard of Abu Garaib. In a page and a half, Galula told us how to win the war, or, at least not to lose it. Not as "harshly to the point" as McCuen's "The Art of Counter-Revolutionary War", it is the right book at the right time. Agree with previous reviewer, try to get your hands on the Hailer Publishing softcover version as it fits right in the cargo pocket.

David Galula's 1964 classic is timeless. He offers a soldier's perspective on counterinsurgency, at the operational level of war. This is the only book I have found that ties together the all the strategy and policy works that proliferate from academics and politicians with the tactical manuals that show soldiers how to deal with the very difficult and confusing environment of counterinsurgency. If current serving soldiers only have one book in their rucksacks, this should be that book. It is better than any doctrinal manual or think piece currently available. Find the paperback version from Hailer Press if you can...that way you don't mind it getting dog-eared from constant use, stained from coffee spilled on it late at night, and lost when someone else sees good a resource you have brought to the fight.

David Galula's Counterinsurgency Warfare: Theory & Practice is a classic. It is a classic in the sense that it is ... a work of enduring excellence ...an authoritative source [Webster's Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary]. I recommend this volume because it makes better sense of other books on intelligence and special operations, by serving as a metric for both policy and operational analysis.

Written almost as a `good news/bad news' aphorism, Galula concedes ..."Very little is offered beyond formulas - which are sound as far as they go - such as, `Intelligence is the key to the problem,' or `The support of the population must be won." P xii.

The essence of the text is clearly stated ..."to define the laws of counterrevolutionary warfare, to deduce from them its principles, and to outline the corresponding strategy and tactics." P xiii.

Galula begins by defining insurgency as ..."a protracted struggle conducted methodically, step by step, in order to attain specific intermediate objectives leading finally to the overthrow of the existing order ...it can no more be predicted than a revolution; its beginnings are so vague that to determine exactly when an insurgency starts is a difficult legal, political, and historical problem." P 5.

Vital decisions depend on the quality of the intelligence available to policy makers. Additionally, and possibly more importantly, intelligence must be evaluated and presented in terms of a practical application. Galula delivers on his promise, as Counterinsurgency Warfare systematically examines the theoretical i.e., strategic aspect of intelligence in terms of practical/tactical i.e., operational applications.

Counterinsurgency Warfare: Theory and Practice is perhaps the best textbook on how to fight a guerilla war (to read about how to conduct a guerilla war read Mao Zedong's On Guerilla War or Alberto Bayo's 150 Questions for a Guerilla). David Galua wrote this book. He was a French military officer whose experience in Algeria (during its war of independence from 1954 to 1962) has shaped his views on how to fight an insurgency. As a result, he has written a book that is credible, effective, and given today's current events, very relevant.
This book serves as an effective teaching tool for anyone interested in understanding how guerilla war (including terrorism) can be subdued. It short, well written, and presented in a format that is easy for anyone to understand. This contrasts greatly with current military literature of today (including the upcoming US Army's FM 3-24, Counterinsurgency Operations which is, in my view, too big for a busy officer to read in a single day).
This book, along with Roger Trinquier's, Modern Warfare, should be included as part of every military officer's recommended reading list. Not only is this book thought provoking (i.e. in providing strategies in fighting insurgents), it is also relevant to our current struggle against international terrorism. This book should be treated as an important weapon in any warrior's arsenal.

Galula had wide exerience in the French miseries in Indochina and Algeria as well as being captured in China. He was able to generalize from that experience. This book is an inciteful overview of a complex subject. His generalizations fit the world's experience of the forty years since this book was published. It is just as valid today as it was in 1963.

This book is the gold standard if you want to know about insurgency/counterinsurgency. There are a lot of books out there about insurgencies & how to combat them. If you are building a library on the subject, this should be one of the first books you get.

in my Command and General Staff college, after studying this classic on the way to fight and, just as importantly, what not to do to incite such an insurgency, was whether or not those who led us into Iraq, and those who were there at the beginning, had read it. The consensus was that it didn't seem possible, given all that was done that seemed to go against the grain of the book. This didn't really change until GEN Petraeus came along, and they were willing to listen to anything.

I read the book after returning from Iraq, but some passages continue to run through my head, including the admonition to try to get the natives to do their own defense rather then do it for them. Although it won't be up to "our" standard, the job done by them will be much more successful.

This is the definitive book on Counter-Insurgency concepts, and is the counter-insurgency counterpart to Mao's "On Guerilla Warfare" guide to insurgency operations. It clearly and concisely (134pp) shows what insurgency is, what counter insurgency is, and how they differ. It presents a roadmap to executing a logical, methodical, and effective counter insurgency program. Many of the factors involved in the success of the US surge in Iraq (effective clearing operations, followed by decentralized "hold" operations, information warfare, inclusion of the population and all aspects of govenment and state, etc....) are discussed here. It stresses the primacy of political tools over military, and offers and astute psychological analysis of the motivations and risk-aversion of the populace to supporting a legitimate govenment. It answers many of the key questions such as "why doesn't the population rush out to support us even though we are clearly working for their best interests?"

If you want one book that draws together the theory and doctrinal ideas of how counter insurgency works, this is it.

I picked up this book after reading the book "Fiasco", a book critical of the U.S. actions in Iraq, after the author noted that officers in the U.S. Military are currently using this book as a learning tool text book. Gaulle was a French veteran of WWII, Indonesia and served as a UN observer in Greece during an insurgent attempt to remove the government. He makes it very clear that the counterinsurgent (the government) in charge must win the battle for the population and that the soldier has a much more complex multi-dimensional role in creating trust within the population, creating security while not being too autocratic. He also states that successful adaptive leaders should be granted more local control on the ground allowing greater interaction. The author uses examples of insurgents from Algeria, Greece, and China along with an emerging U.S. Vietnam war that is evolving by the time the book was completed in late 1863. Gaulle notes that geography is a great aid to insurgents along with sympathetic borders. He also notes the classic insurgent method of intimidation; kill local politicians and police to make a greater impact on the masses, something well reflected in Iraq. On the other hand, he demonstrates how the Chinese Nationals treated their prisoners well, obtaining potential recruits, and how the nationals, upon gaining a territory would have a support administration prepared to go right in and set up. The Chinese nationals' organization abilities virtually provide a blue print for the counterinsurgents to follow. Although the text is 40 years old, written during the ruptures of colonial control of third world countries, it still is applicable today in the Middle East and elsewhere as a similar if not more sophisticated warfare is fought by insurgents, particularly those well supported, hence the major problem. The book is written in brief text book style and is a read most appreciated by those with a military background. Those without military experience or a technical appreciation may find it a not very colorful read. The book is very direct in its brevity with just 99 pages but a very insightful book in that short space. I purchased the paperback new for $28.