Customer Reviews

Fighting in the Streets: A Manual of Urban Guerilla Warfare

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This book is a simplistic survival guide for the urban gurilla. It contains suggested tactics to be used against a conventional force. However, the author's attempt to provide an introduction is weak at best. He begins with a comparison and contrast between urban and rural guerillas which lacked any depth. It could have been improved with a greater explanation of his theories. Some actual examples would have improved his statements. For example; while Urbano mentions the importance of the general populas, he neglects to include the importance of any ideology to maintain and increase this support. Successful examples from the IRA and the Tupamaros would have at least added some substance to his vain attempt at an introduction.

This book is recommended for those who wish to own a manual on improvised weapons. For the students of political science who wish to study the idelogy of warfare, stick to Che, Mao, Sun Tsu, Clausewitz, etc. for there is none either added or included with this book.

This book was of interest to me as it dealt with the subject of improvised munitions. This is of professional interest to me, as I am a military engineer. It is worth reading from this perspective. As a handbook of urban warfare, I am rather less enthusiastic. I know how to set an ambush, for instance, and at least one of the suggested ambush layouts would result in large scale casualties from friendly fire . . .

By all means buy the book, but be aware of its limitations.

I do not like to unfairly criticize other people's works, but I am being completely fair here. This is a work for a basic introduction for somebody who knows absolutely nothing about the subject, like perhaps a young teenager still in high school.

What the author actually knows about urban guerrilla warfare could be placed on the back of a postage stamp. A lot of space was used to describe the technical creation of improvised explosives which requires at least some level of formal education in chemistry. How the author could believe the creation of improvised munitions was a fundamental element of urban guerrilla warfare as opposed to urban sniping, car bomb operations, IED ambushes, kidnappings/hostage taking, infrastructure attacks, information warfare, clandestine reconnaissance and surveillance methods, and infiltration techniques is beyond me.

This work appears hastily done as if just to get something into publication. This work would be better titled "Improvised explosive construction with some superficial ideas on other urban guerrilla warfare subjects."

I believe the inside work does not adequately support what is on the cover and the purchaser is bound to be disappointed as I was.

I bought this book because, a writer myself, I was interested in urban warfare, not because I really believed I was going to need the information herein soon. Urbano does a good job of explaning how to produce home-made weapons and explosives, but his description of urban tactics strike me a simple and not very fascinating. Still it may be worth the read for you.

This book was part of a course I took while in the US Army in the 80's. It talked about weapons and how to choose the best weapon for Urban fighting. This was only one of three books used during the course and the other two where more to the point. The real issue that the last few administrations have forgotten is why terrorism works and how to avoid these pit falls. This book does give some of the reasons why to engage in terror but it lacks insight and that is what was covered in the other books. I hope that the military is still teaching these courses and leaving American politics in Washington.

AS WITH THE OTHER REVIEWERS, I FIND THE URBAN WARFARE MANUAL TO BE SIMPLE IN NATURE. IN KEEPING WITH THE "K.I.S.S." PRINCIPLE, THE BOOK PROVIDES BASIC TACTICS THAT I FIND WORKABLE AND EFFECTIVE. AS A PROFFESSIONAL SOLDIER I WOULD RECOMMEND THIS BOOK TO OTHERS LIKE ME WHO ARE INTERESTED IN OTHER OPTIONS TO UTILIZE ON TODAY'S MODERN BATTLEFIELD. NOT A BIBLE BUT A GUIDE INSTEAD. SMALL AND EASY TO READ AND COMPREHEND. AS FAR AS THE OTHER REVIEWER'S COMPLAINT ABOUT HIGH CASUALTY TACTICS, I WOULD SUGGEST THAT ANYONE EMPLOYING THE TACTICS DISCRIBED IN THE MANUAL INVEST MORE TIME IN DISIPLINE AND INDIVIDUAL RESPONCIBILITY. WORTH THE COST.

An excellent book filled with wonderful information for surviving problems for city dwellers. Covers tactics, weapons, cover, etc. It's a must-purchase for anyone wishing to survive into the next century!