(Click on book title for details or purchase)

 

The Counterinsurgency Era: U.S. Doctrine and Performance, 1950 to the Present

The author was a CIA operative from 1950 to 1970 and an analyst for the Rand Corporation. He uses his knowledge and extensive research to analyze whether the United States, with all its management skill and technology, can make a positive difference in countering an insurgency in a poorly governed nation. Concentrating on foreign policy doctrine and military strategy, this book uses case studies of the 1960s to understand U.S. actions in Vietnam.

 

A Savage War of Peace: Algeria, 1954-1962

The best volume on the Algerian war of independence, this well-written work takes both sides into account and illustrates the doctrines of both insurgency and counterinsurgency.

 

Low-intensity Operations: Subversion, Insurgency and Peacekeeping

Kitson, a British Army general who served in Kenya, Malaya, Cyprus, and Northern Ireland, understands insurgency and briefly explains the basic fundamentals for success in low-intensity operations consistent with British doctrine. While the book's aim was to draw British soldiers' attention to the subject, the author provides considerable information on civil-military relations, insurgent tactics, and peacekeeping operations.

 

The Banana Wars: United States Intervention in the Caribbean, 1898-1934 (Latin American Silhouettes)

Langley's lively study examines the U.S. occupations of Cuba, the Nicaraguan activities of 1910-12, the seizure of Veracruz, the occupations of Haiti and the Dominican Republic, and the Sandino War of 1927-31. He argues that, during Caribbean interventions, U.S. military actions were as important in shaping events as civilian-made policies. This timely volume is important for gaining a historical perspective about U.S. military activities in Latin America.