Unconventional Warfare (Rediscovering Government Series) [Paperback]

Susan L. Marquis (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0815754752 | ISBN-13: 978-0815754756 | Publication Date: April 1, 1997

For four decades after World War II, U.S. Special Operations Forces--including Army Special Forces, Navy SEALs, Air Force special operations aircrews and Special Tactics Group--suffered from mistrust and inadequate funding from the military services. They were nearly eliminated from the active force following the Vietnam War. But in the past fifteen years, special operations forces have risen from the ashes of the failed 1980 rescue of American hostages in Iran to become one of the most frequently deployed elements of the U.S. military. They are now adequately funded, better-equipped, and well-trained. Special operations forces are often the nation's first military response when faced with a crisis in today's uncertain and unstable international security environment. What caused this dramatic turnaround? As this book shows, it was a long way from congressional outrage at TV images of burned bodies of U.S. servicemen in the Iranian desert to the establishment of a special operations force of nearly 45,000 active and reserve personnel. The drama of how this happened sheds light on how public policy is made and implemented. It illustrates the complex interaction between internal forces within the special operations community, as well as between the executive and legislative branches of the U.S. government. The implementation of legislation establishing a special operations capability is seen to rebuild and protect these forces to an extent never imagined by the early " quiet professionals." While offering insights into how the U.S. government makes policy, Susan Marquis also offers a revealing look at the special operations community, including their storied past, extremetraining, and recent operational experience that continues to forge their distinctive organizational mission and culture. She describes the decade-long struggle to rebuild special operations forces, resulting in new SOF organizations with independence that is unique among U.S. military forces, an independence approaching that of a new military service.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

This remarkable case study, based on personal interviews, congressional records, and other official documents, shows how defense policy is made and how difficult it can be to implement. The primary focus is the decade-long effort to reform the U.S. special operations forces community. After a long struggle "of dramatic highs and lows," this process culminated in legislation creating the Special Operations Command (SOCOM) in 1987. Marquis, a Defense Department employee who first wrote this as a Ph.D. dissertation at Princeton, covers the catastrophic rescue mission in Iran in 1980, Grenada, Panama, Somalia, and Iraq. There are some graphic but brief combat scenes. This amazing story deserves our attention as much as any war.?John J. Yurechko, Georgetown Univ., Washington, D.C.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Brookings Institution Press (April 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0815754752
• ISBN-13: 978-0815754756
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #192,898 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Unconventional Warfare, May 24, 2001

By 

"ldfitch" (Chappell Hill, TX United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Unconventional Warfare (Rediscovering Government Series) (Paperback)

I was involved in the Iran hostage rescue attempt in 1980 and retired in 1982. I attended a reunion at Fort Bragg some years later and was shocked to see the growth in size and prestige of the SOF community. One of my former mates had just been promoted to 4-star and appointed CINCUSSOCOM.

Until I read this book I didn't understand how we got from Desert One to having our own CINC. This is a great effort by Ms. Marquis, meticulously researched and footnoted. Anyone interested in the evolution and the future of Special Operations Forces must read this book! Hats off to the author!

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great insights into the world of special ops, January 23, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Unconventional Warfare (Rediscovering Government Series) (Paperback)

Unconventional Warfare skips the heavy-handed agenda of many books on special ops. Covers all American special operations forces including Special Forces, SEALs, and Air Force spec ops. Good history of U.S. special operations forces plus an explanation of how this critical military capability was nearly lost after Vietnam and then rebuilt because of the heroics of true believers. A surprising page turner given the thoroughness of the research. Great work!

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An in-depth view of modern U.S. special operations, November 1, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Unconventional Warfare (Rediscovering Government Series) (Paperback)

Susan Marquis does the special ops community a service by bringing us this account of its rebirth after the failed hostage rescue mission in 1980. Though some of the book seems burdened with detail and lacks the action-packed dialogue of most special operations literature, "Unconventional Warfare" brings to light the budget battles and turf wars that have always been the curse of U.S. special operations. Whether the conventional services like it or not, special operations will play a vital role in the future of U.S. foreign policy and war-fighting. If we are to avoid the mistakes of the past, we would do well to read "Unconventional Warfare" and heed the lessons it contains. John Lance, AFSOC pilot