Militant Tricks: Battlefield Ruses of the Islamic Insurgent (Paperback)

~ (Author), Mike Leahy (Illustrator), (Foreword) "While ostensibly crude, the Muslim militant's method has never been defeated..." (more)
Key Phrases: suicide car bomber, mujahideen factions, intelligence bulletin, Lebanese Hezbollah, Northern Alliance, Associated Press (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"By ... adopting an almost decentralized approach, as found in Chapter 13, ... we stand a chance of turning things around." -- Col. Robert V. Kane U.S. Army(Ret.), September 2005

"By ... adopting an almost decentralized approach, as found in Chapter 13, ... we stand a chance of turning things around." -- Col. Robert V. Kane U.S. Army(Ret.), Sept. 2005

"Militant Tricks is a worthy supplement to John Poole’s previous, excellent books on the Eastern way of war." -- William S. Lind, Sept. 2005

"Militant Tricks" is a must-read.... The author continues to produce tactical answers to our ever-growing challenges in 'Fourth-Generation Warfare.'" -- Leatherneck Magazine, November 2005

"Militant Tricks" is a must-read.... The author continues to produce tactical answers to our ever-growing challenges in "Fourth-Generation Warfare." -- Leatherneck Magazine, Nov. 2005

"Poole ... is America's best writer on small unit tactics.... If ... people at ... top ... [paid] attention ..., we would ... [be] winning." -- United Press International, 19 November 2005

"[N]itty-gritty lessons ... from the complex conflict.... [G]ives our troops a clear understanding of ... the enemy and ... [how] to defeat him." -- Gen. Anthony C. Zinni, USMC (Ret.), 14 November 2005

"[N]itty-gritty lessons ... from the complex conflict.... [G]ives our troops a clear understanding of ... the enemy and ... [how] to defeat him." -- Gen. Anthony C. Zinni, USMC (Ret.), 14 November 2005

"[This] book features 45 illustrations and serves as ... an intelligence reference manual and an in-depth solution to the enemy's formula." -- Newport News Daily Press, 8 January 2006

"[This] book features 45 illustrations and serves as ... an intelligence reference manual and an in-depth solution to the enemy's formula." -- Newport News Daily Press, 8 January 2006

"Poole's book examines war at the tactical level, the level of small units and individuals, and tries to explain the insurgents' way of thinking and fighting (North County Times [San Diego], 31 December 2005)." --North County Times (San Diego), 31 December 2005

"[John] Poole . . . is America's best writer on small unit tactics and techniques. . . . If the people at the top will give John Poole's work the attention it is rightly receiving at the battalion level and below, we would have a better chance of winning [wars] (United Press International, 19 November 2005)." --United Press International, 19 November 2005

"[R]ead two excellent and relevant books by retired Marine H. John Poole. 'Tactics of the Crescent Moon' and 'Militant Tricks' would give all soldiers the knowledge base for defeating this enemy (Stars and Stripes, 9 March 2006)." --Stars and Stripes, 9 March 2006

Product Description

Militant Tricks gauges America's progress in Iraq and Afghanistan from a unique standpoint (that of East-Asian battlefield deception). As both countries were part of the Mongol Empire for over 200 years, they are a breeding ground for every sort of ancient Chinese trick (any one of the famous 36 Stratagems.) In combination, those stratagems can make a losing adversary think he is winning. They have done so to America before. To see past the militant Muslim's false face, one must look for the hidden intent behind his every initiative, whether martial or otherwise. Between September 2004 and September 2005, this book does just that for both theaters of war. For some readers, it will serve as an intelligence source and be read a few paragraphs at a time. For others, it will provide an in-depth solution to the enemy's so-far-successful formula and be read cover to cover. Militant Tricks reveals information about the enemy active-duty Americans seldom see--that which is contained in the regional media and literature. When properly interpreted by a student of Eastern tactics and mindset (the author), that information may shed enough light on ongoing events for America to still win both wars.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 412 pages
• Publisher: Posterity Press (October 17, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0963869582
• ISBN-13: 978-0963869586
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #65,549 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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  #45 in	Books > History > Asia > Afghanistan
  #72 in	Books > History > Military > Iraq War
  #76 in	Books > History > Middle East > Iraq

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Only the best!, March 28, 2006

By	R. Adrian "TheBodyguard" (Columbus, OH) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

LTC John Poole hits the X-ring again with a book every military officer should be required to read before heading over to the sandbox. No other military writer puts more meat on the table than Poole. The book contains information that is amazingly well researched & is not fluffy and esoteric. "Militant Tricks" is a continuation of his fantastic book called, "The Tigers Way: A US Private's Best Chance for Survival". "The Tigers Way" should be read by all soldiers & marines. I've sent my son at the 82nd Airborne a copy & he has passed it around and he reports that it is well liked. He loved it & now has "Militant Tricks" as well. Besides looking at the war in Iraq, Poole also goes into current tactics of the Afghani guerillas. One Chapter is called, "The Afghan Guerillas Tactical Trends" & it is very current, according to my intelligence sources who have recently spent time in A-Stan.
A common theme in all of Poole's book is that the US military is overly fond of high-tech weaponry & firepower & that our future battles will be fought at the low end of the high-tech sprectrum of war where individual warrior skills (such as combat tracking) will keep a soldier alive better than a Pentagon budget buster computer system! The enemy knows how to get around our superior technology & firepower, but do our Generals know how to properly counter the insurgents? They could, if they read books from LTC Poole such as "Militant Tricks"!!

27 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars PLACE IT IN A ZIPLOCK BAG AND PUT IT IN YOUR RUCKSACK!, April 12, 2006

By	Michael D. Rose "100% Disabled American Veteran" (Washington State, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

First off, all John Poole's books should be read by the Secretary of Defense on down to the grunt in the field and more military outfits should go through his course. [...] Secondly, this particular book and his previous work Tactics of the Crescent Moon: Militant Muslim Combat Tactics should be MANDATORY READING for every soldier, sailor, airman, or Marine deploying to Iraq or Afghanistan. If you're headed that way buy these books! Put them in a ziplock bag and place them in your rucksack. If you have a loved one who's deploying to these theaters of operation and they don't know about these books buy them these books! These books may very well save their lives!

23 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another great book from H. John Poole, January 13, 2006

By	weirdo_106 - See all my reviews

This work by LTC (R) Poole is an excellent treatise of not only current events in the Middle East, but also their relevence to ancient military history. In addition, even though some people dismiss the growing trend, "Militant Tricks" explains extensively in detail how Iraq has some unfortunate similarities to Vietnam (e.g. tunneling, over-use of firepower tactics, etc.). His work is both entertaining and enlightening. I would not only recommend this to the lay reader, but also to my fellow servicemen and servicewomen who may deploy to OIF soon.