Customer Reviews

Manhunting: Reversing the Polarity of Warfare

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Although clearly the bookstores and libraries remain loaded with many, many books that profess new views on counter-terrorism, to my knowledge this is the only book to specifically address "man-hunting," especially as a potentially effective approach to counter-terrorist operations. A quick read for military history fans, this informative book is not only chock full of extremely interesting "man-hunting" facts gleaned from throughout history but more importantly, then seeks to provide concrete recommendations to learn from these checkered successes to ideally bolster the effectiveness of future counter-terrorist operations. The author's writing style is clear and concise; in short, this book is quite compact and very complete. The tremendous amount of background research and work that went into crafting this book becomes self-evident as the reader moves page to page through the incredibly detailed case studies. Perhaps the book's only shortcoming is that the author valiantly tried to cover too much ground first starting with a mini-novel lead-in and then moved into a straightforward historical examination of relevant man-hunting actions before finally wrapping up with several well thought out recommendations for future approaches to successful counter-terrorist operations. This book will undoubtedly remain in my library as a first look reference on counter-terrorism, and specifically for the under-researched and poorly documented topic of man-hunting. Without a doubt, this book whets my appetite on this heretofore unexplored topic and I definitely look for more from the author.

This book is captivating. I purchased this book for my father. It is a perfect gift for anyone who loves history, military and national security. U.S. security became a reality since an eye opening 911 terrorist attack. The author offers a solution to national security for not only today, but security for the next century. In my opinion the Manhunting doctrine should be implemented as quick as possible.

Excerpted from Back Cover of Book:
Six years after terrorist attacks shocked the world, news headlines portray petty politics, backstabbing bureaucrats and a mired military. How did a small group of extremists frustrate the most powerful nation on the planet?
The author, a seasoned special operations intelligence officer, answers the question. America is fighting a twenty-first-century conflict with a national security establishment that was created for the middle of the twentieth century.Examining trends in military history, the author traces America's gradual shift toward a new national security strategy. Setting outdated war fighting concepts on their head, he proposes a solution. We can influence, capture, or if necessary kill those who would harm our people.
Manhunting, a radical new form of warfare, promises to solve not only the terrorist dilemma. By adopting Manhunting doctrine, we could make warfare personal to our enemies, reverse the polarity of warfare and ensure U.S. security for the next century.
Manhunting: Reversing the Polarity of Warfare
How to be a Spy (Secret History Files)
The Raiders - The World's Elite Strike Forces
Understanding Terror Networks
Killing Pablo: The Hunt for the World's Greatest Outlaw
Ghost Wars
Daring to Win: Special Forces at War (Cassell Military Paperbacks S.)
Marching Toward Hell: America and Islam After Iraq
Against All Enemies: Inside America's War on Terror
Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer
The Counterterrorism Handbook: Tactics, Procedures, and Techniques, Second Edition

This book is both entertaining reading and valuable as a source text on the subject. It has many historical examples that are easy to read and he clearly explains what we can learn from them. Mr. Crawford also lays out solutions for the future based upon those findings. You won't find a better text on the subject.

I just wanted to take a moment to register my praise for Mr. Crawford's book on Manhunting. In this day and in the current security climate involving global tracking and hunting of specific individuals for crimes ranging from terrorism to murder, this book could not have been published at a more opportune time. It is a must-read for anyone interested in modern efforts at tracking down and capturing or killing individuals wanted not only in their own country, but indeed worldwide, particularly in the ongoing Global War on Terrorism. This book should definitely be on your bookshelf, if national security and international affairs are subjects that interest you.

George Crawford provides an insightful history on the recent trendsin military history, and outlines an approach that would break our military forces out of the cycle of "preparing for the last war" and instead prepare them to fight the next war -- where individuals and NGOs, not conventional armed forces or nations, are our potential adversaries. As our war in Afghanistan continues, and other potential threats continue to loom on the horizon, we must better understand how to fight this new type of fight.