Counterinsurgency in Africa: The Portugese Way of War 1961-74 (Helion Studies in Military History) Kindle Edition

In the US, not much attention was paid to the wars in Portuguese Africa. They were a bit distracted by their own war in Vietnam. But, here was a small European country trying to counter a guerrilla war that spanned a huge amount of Africa. Obviously, the strategies and tactics could not be the resource-intensive ones used by the United States in Vietnam. The answers make interesting reading for students of Africa, Guerrilla warfare, or 20th-century history.

I absolutely loved this book. Author John Cann covers many aspects of the Portuguese military effort in a way that kept my interest.
Cann discusses all manner of aspects, such as use of heliborne troops, cavalry, logistics, intelligence, etc and the pros/cons, statistics/numbers related to, comparison to contemporaries (think US in Vietnam, French in Algeria, etc) for each topic.

The book certainly has the feel of an academic research study and as such can be a bit dry, bot other then that, amazing book on a fascinating subject.

After reading this book it was will presented on all aspects of this war. The Portuguese style of warfare is covered as well as many new tactics used by their military forces. Book breaks down each method of counter insurgency and list many aspects of successful application of its use. After reading did not know that the military campaign was waged very successfully, but the political agreements made the withdraw of the Portuguese military not the rebels.

Good reading, Loved this book. Explains the whole strategy and cleared my mind about many stories i heard. Thank you for educating me.

If only our leaders studied history rather than participate in the greed machine..

THIS IS AN ESENTIALLY MILITARY HISTORY BOOK ABOUT THE WAR OF COUNTERINSURGENCE
THAT PORTUGAL WAGED AGAINST THE MARXIST GUERRILLA GROUPS DISGUISED AS NATIONALISTS
IN THREE FRONTS; ANGOLA, MOZAMBIQUE AND GUINE FROM 1961 TO 1974; IT COVERS NOT ONLY THE
MILITARY ASPECTS OF THE WAR BUT ALSO THE SOCIAL AND POLITICAL, THE BOOK MAKES
COMPARISONS WITH OTHER COUNTERISURGENCIES OF THE SAME PERIOD IN MALAYA (BRITAIN),
ALGERIA AND INDOCHINA (FRANCE) AND VIETNAM (USA).
PORTUGAL BEING A SMALL POWER DEFEATED THE REDS AT A LOW COST, IT WAS A MAJOR
ACHIEVEMENT, THE REASONS WERE TWOFOLD , FIRST THE THREE AFRICAN TERRITORIES WERE CONSIDERED
MORE PART OF PORTUGAL THAN COLONIES AS A MATTER OF FACT PORTUGAL WAS THE FIRST EUROPEAN
COLONIAL POWER IN AFRICA, IT ARRIVED THERE IN THE LATE FIFTEEN CENTURY, AS A RESULT THE
OVERWHELMING MAJORITY OF THE NATIVE POPULATION SUPPORTED PORTUGAL; WHILE THE NEW
INDEPENDENT AFRICAN COUNTRIES WERE PLAGUED BY CHAOS,TYRANNY, BARBARIAN TRIBALISM AND
MARXISM, PORTUGUESE AFRICA ALONGSIDE WITH WHITE SOUTH AFRICA AND WHITE RHODESIA WERE
AN OASIS OF PEACE, PROSPERITY AND CIVILIZATION, THE NATIVES ENJOYED ALL THE BLESSINGS OF
THE EUROPEAN CULTURE; THE SECOND REASON HAS TO DO WITH THE BRILLIANT LEADERSHIP OF
OLIVEIRA SALAZAR, UNLIKE THE LUKEWARM WESTERN LIBERAL DEMOCRACIES HE KNEW FROM DAY ONE
THAT INTERNATIONAL COMMUNISM WAS THE ENEMY OF WESTERN AND NON-WESTERN CIVILIZATION ALIKE,
IN FACT IN 1936 WHEN THE SPANISH CIVIL WAR BROKE OUT HE SUPPORTED THE NATIONALISTS OF GENERAL
FRANCISCO FRANCO , ON THE OTHER HAND THE LIBERAL DEMOCRACIES SUPPORTED THE RED REPUBLIC.
PORTUGAL FOUGHT ALONE FOR 13 YEARS AGAINST THE MARXIST GUERRILLAS SUPPORTED MILITARILY AND
POLITICALLY BY THE COMMUNIST EAST BLOCK, THE SO CALLED NON-ALIGNED NATIONS OF THE AFRO-ASIAN
BLOCK AND THE WESTERN LIBERALS, IT WON BUT UNFORTUNATELLY ON THE 25 OF APRIL 1974 A LEFTIST
COUP KNOWN AS THE CARNATION REVOLUTION TOOK THE POWER AND INMEDIATELY THE THREE COUNTRIES
WERE HANDED OVER TO THE MARXISTS, A YEAR LATER THE CASTROITES MERCENARIES LACKEYS OF THE
SOVIET UNION CAME TO ANGOLA TO SUPPORT THE MARXIST REGIME OF THE MPLA; A BLOODY CIVIL WAR
ENGULFED ANGOLA AND MOZAMBIQUE THAT LASTED A DECADE AND A HALF.
THANKS TO THE MARXISTS REGIMES THE THREE AFRO PORTUGUESE COUNTRIES WERE COMPLETELY
DESTROYED AND BECAME VERY POOR EVEN BY THE AFRICAN STANDARS, HUNGER, TYRANNY, DISEASE
AND EXTREME POVERTY ARE THE LEGACIES OF THE SUPPOSED MARXIST "LIBERATORS".
FINALLY I STRONGLY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK AS AN ANTIDOTE TO THE POLITICAL CORRECTNESS
DISEASE THAT HAS PLAGUED THE WEST IN THE LAST HALF CENTURY.

The author has disected a period of military history completely erred by a one sided information source.
Pathetically inadequate. Avoid