Terrorism, Afghanistan, and America's New Way of War [Hardcover]

Norman Friedman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 30, 2003 | ISBN-10: 1591142903 | ISBN-13: 978-1591142904

Award-winning author and defense analyst Norman Friedman offers a first-rate, in-depth analysis of the radically new tactics and strategy used by the United States in Afghanistan. He then sets the Afghan war in the wider context of the war against terrorism, exploring the rationale for and consequences of the September 11 attacks. Friedman asserts that the terrorists’ attacks were intended to inspire a wider movement in the Muslim world that would lead to a pan-Muslim empire headed by Osama bin Laden. He argues that the attempt failed largely because of determined U.S. action and that the coalition’s success in Afghanistan has moved the war on terrorism towards the realm of police and intelligence operations.

Although many books have examined September 11 and its aftermath, this work is the first to set the Afghan war in the context of an evolving U.S. tactical style that follows the new network-centric pattern and the first to use Afghanistan as a test of that pattern. The book also fully explores the contributions made by the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps while fighting in the land-locked country and the importance of the use of maritime power in the future. Nor does Friedman neglect to acknowledge the role played by politics, including the ethnic politics of Pakistan. Finally, the author’s careful examination of the new concepts of warfare as applied to the Afghan war provides valuable lessons to those concerned about future conflicts.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"...a good job of predicting the course of the Iraq campaign, ...makes his conclusions all the more persuasive." -- Wall Street Journal, Dan Ford, 12 August 2003

"...a lucidly written overview that military leaders and civilian policy makers should seriously ponder." -- Marine Corps Gazette, February 2004

"...a profoundly intelligent, well-written book which explains both what happened and what is very likely to happen." -- Greenwich Connecticut Times, August 27, 2003

"...an excellent book that seamlessly moves across the three topics the title advertises." -- Parameters, Autumn 2004

"...the first serious book out of the chute on the war in Afghanistan, this one is lucid and forceful." -- St. Louis Post-Dispatch, July 27, 2003

"A valuable book for anyone interested in trying to develop a better understanding of the global war on terror." -- The New York Military Affairs Symposium Review

About the Author

Norman Friedman is an internationally known strategist and naval historian living in New York City. A monthly columnist for Proceedings magazine, he is the author of twenty-eight books, including the recent award-winning Seapower as Strategy and The Fifty-Year War.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: US Naval Institute Press (April 30, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1591142903
• ISBN-13: 978-1591142904
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.3 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,469,649 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Compelling Military Study!, March 21, 2004

By 

mfradin42 "Murray S. Fradin" (New York City (USA)) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Terrorism, Afghanistan, and America's New Way of War (Hardcover)

Author, Norman Friedman has done an excellent job of telling us about the ways in which our stategy and tactics have been drastically altered to meet new circumstances and conditions. In particular, I was drawn to his ideas concerning a "Pan-Moslem Empire" as envisaged by the leader of the Islamic terrorists. Military historians,in general,feel most at ease in discussing combat conditions, strategical and tactical planning, logistics etc. Mr. Friedman has ventured forward in discussing the motivations of the Islamic terrorists and religious zealots and thus giving us a bit of a macro-picture of the entire Middle East scene. As a Middle East Specialist, I can appreciate this aspect of his book, Terrorism, Afghanistan, and America's New Way of War. My book, JIHAD: The Mahdi Rebellion in the Sudan(2003) goes a step further by showing that Jihad is not a new phenomenon. The same forces of Jihad and Radicalism existed in the Sudan a century ago. In fact, "history is repeating itself throughout the Middle East." Mr. Friedman's book: Terrorism, Afghanistan, and America's New Way of War is an excellent military study within the larger context of Middle East history. First Rate!!! Murray S. Fradin, author of JIHAD: The Mahdi Rebellion in the Sudan

3 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Clarity and Insight, September 4, 2003

By 

huckledude - See all my reviews

This review is from: Terrorism, Afghanistan, and America's New Way of War (Hardcover)

This book does an exceptional job of identifying and tying together several different strands of the war on terrorism: a) the ongoing evolution in American military thought and strategy in the direction of "netwar," which was underway before September 11; b) bin Laden's development of a millenialist Islamic fantasy combined with improvements in terrorist tradecraft, aided considerably by the advent of commonly available internet technology and encryption techniques; and c) the rapid implementation of extremely lethal and effective new tactics in the crucible of Afghanistan, which provided the template for the subsequent erasure of Saddam's power structure in Iraq. He makes a compelling case for the continued importance of substantial naval and naval air power in fighting terrorism and intimidating regimes that might otherwise be inclined to facilitate terrorists.

Friedman provides an understandable and complete narrative of events between September 11 and the start of the Iraq war (the book went to press just as the Iraq war was beginning, and the author made a number of uncannily accurate predictions of how that war would proceed.)

Friedman's account is particularly good in explaining the importance of a secure base to a network of compartmentalized terror cells, and how the destruction of that base will allow traditional methods of counter-terrorism and police work to tackle what is left. All in all, the book is a single source that gives the relatively informed but somewhat confused a much surer sense of the situation in the world today.

2 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars little new here, August 26, 2003

By A Customer

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This review is from: Terrorism, Afghanistan, and America's New Way of War (Hardcover)

I suspect most who are interested in foreign/military affairs will find little new in this book. Except for specific information about certain weapon systems and associated terminology, most of the information here would already be known to readers who follow events like the Afghan war. One exception for me was to learn why our Afghan 'allies' so often seemed to let us down. Friedman points out that it was a coalition, not an alliance, whose partners had different viewpoints and goals. In a society whose three main ethics are honor, revenge, and hospitality it makes more sense to give a defeated enemy mercy and change sides when necessary. Otherwise, you invite unnecessary vengeance. There is little analysis here, mainly just a chronological recitation of events. For those who didn't already know, there is a good summation of the history radical Islam, Osama, et al. This material is better covered elsewhere.