Concise insight into contemporary special operations and operators
598853
While certainly a historically important first-hand account of Operation Neptune Spear, this book's true value lies in the insight it imparts to the reader regarding contemporary special operations and special forces operators.  Special operators are, for all intents and purposes, professional athletes.  Special operations will continue to grow in importance as the US struggles to combat asymmetric, unconventional, non-state adversaries.  Straightforward, informative, an easy read, this book dispels myths and supplies facts.  There is no better book available to provide the information this book provides.
507647
Mr. Stiennon has created a seminal work on Computer Network Operations (CNO) which readable, not jargonistic nor apologetic for the drama of cyber conflict. Within 162 pages Richard Stiennon has managed to capture the essence of the international context focused on cyberwarfare. This is a HIGHLY recommended read on current cyber warfare!
4760359
Jaiswal provides the most recent land power-focused military operations research volume.  He provides a basic survey of the field, beginning with a very brief discussion of the origins of OR in the military.  His topics include search and detection, military simulation, cost effectiveness analysis, optimization, the Analytic Hierarchy Process, Lanchester equations, and a quantified approach to intelligence analysis.  The reader should be aware that his coverage of various specific military simulation models is a bit dated, as one should expect in a book, and limited in scope.  Beyond that topic, his treatment is broad and therefore less sensitive to the passage of time.  The book is a survey, so depth of treatment is not present.  But it fills the intended role of pulling together disparate topics of land-based military OR.  It also provides some perspective on non NATO defense issues.  It must be challenging to decide what to exclude, but surprisingly there is no coverage of network flows, queuing theory, decision analysis, or game theory which have clear military applications.  The focus is also on operations rather than the logistics of military analysis.
2483800
P.W. Singer's Corporate Warriors is an excellent book about the world of private military firms (also called private military security contractors).

When he wrote this, the United States was not yet involved in Iraq, let alone against ISIS. It was updated in 2008 as Barack Obama was running for president so it has been somewhat updated though not completely. It could definitely use another given the events of the past eight years.

Nonetheless, it is an invaluable introduction to the subject (there are several newer books available now), a subject about which I knew very little going in. It presents a disturbing picture of the world in which private military firms are largely unregulated by both national and international law, presenting all sorts of potential difficulties. We have already seen some of these in the Abu Ghraib scandal and in the behavior of Blackwater during the Iraq War and subsequent occupation and civil war.

Singer goes into great detail regarding the history and development of these contractors and the various uses for which they have been hired by our own and foreign governments. There is an example order of battle and a sample contract, both of which are very illuminating. It is heavily footnoted and you can tell Mr. Singer, who is known also for his books about robots and warfare and cybersecurity, did his homework.

Highly recommended for anyone interested in the subject or in national security and foreign policy.
4159218
If you are interested in understanding the day to day mechanics, movements, and challenges of protecting the most threatened man in the world, this book is for you. The writing is quick, staccato, and cannot be accused of being superfluous with word choice. Also, it doesn't get mired in the politics surrounding American adventurism in Iraq (other than periodically reminding the reader how hard Ambassador Bremer worked his thankless task).
2339159
Matt Martin provides unique insights to critical issues of Remote-controlled aircraft and Air warfare.  He is in on the ground floor, plus his Air Force experience puts him in the lead ship.  By carefully reading one detects the problem the vehicle gives senior AF leadership of integrating Unmanned aircraft into a "fly-boy" world that can do combat work.  Likewise we are exposed to inter-service completion striving to protect "boots on the ground" concepts and earned rights to destroy selected targets.  Thanks Matt for writing the book.  Don Gaylor
106980
Walter Boyne has given us a superb initial look at Operation Iraqi Freedom. Using his deep understanding of war in general and airpower in particular, he has taken what has so far appeared in the open press and has packaged it into a clear and concise narrative of this short but intense conflict.
Perhaps more importantly, he has detailed for us how the improvements that we made in our military forces post Desert Storm have given us the ability to dominate any military force. Precision guidance, information dominance, C4ISR, the close integration of SOF and conventional forces, the linking of ground forces to "on call" fighters, bombers, and massive AC-130 gunships are all highlighted by Boyne as he weaves their development and use into a larger narrative of the daily events of the conflict. It is a powerful story. And he looks at failure too, delving into incidents of fratricide and losses due to the terrible sand storms.
  Many details are, of course, missing. Only time can correct that. But Walter Boyne has produced a useful work which helps to understand how we fought the second Gulf War. It is a bench mark for subsequent books.
1662123
Very digestibly disseminates the basic principles of effective military execution that parallel logical operational systems necessary to ensure efficiency and enable success in any task, leading from any level of superiority or subordination.  Ease of understanding and relative quick reading time make the lessons learned or reinforced worth the investment.
162858
This is a great book at an unbeatable price for people new on the subject. It compiles a lot of information about the history of special forces. There are also a lot of pictures with explanations. Special Operations of most wars since WW 2 are explained and a lot of information about weapons, tactics, guerilla warfare and so on are given. Most world-famous special forces(like the British SAS,German GSG9 or US Navy SEALs) are included, with some of their best-known operations captured in word and picture. If you don't have it, you need it! Especially at this price!
4772390
Robert M. Clark's "Intelligence Analysis: A Target-Centric Approach" is an up-to-date, practical manual on the conduct of analysis in the context of the current global war on terrorism.  This manual is well suited for classroom use for intelligence professionals, whether in the military, in civilian government agencies, or private industry.

Clark divides his topic into three principal sections.  In the first, he provides a detailed break-down of the target-centric approach as the collaborative, interactive, information network-enabled analysis that has replaced the hierarchial stovepipe architecture of the Cold War.

In the second section, on modeling, Clark explains in clear and understandable language the process by which analysts synthesize available information into a conceptualization of the intelligence problem.  This key step produces the basis to which analysts will apply predictive analysis.

The heart of the book is Clark's exploration of the techniques and potential pitfalls of predictive analysis.  Clark discusses a variety of methods to approach analysis, along with their practical limits and familar challenges such as bias and customer interaction.  His liberal use of examples from recent intelligence failures help make clear just what a challenging combination of art, science, and team effort good intelligence analysis should be.

This book is not without some faults.  His definitions of Strategic, Operational, and Tactical intelligence are imprecise and not those commonly in use in, for example, the Department of Defense.  Strategic intelligence is better defined by the level of the customer served and not by whether it is long range or short range.  Similarly, his breakdown of the standard intelligence disciplines achieves simplicity at the expense of considerable accuracy.  As an example, his explanation of TECHINT confuses the acquisition of foreign materials with their actual exploitation for intelligence value.  It should be noted in Clark's defense that the U.S. Intelligence Community lacks standardization, which fault contributes to the challenges of collaboration.

As of 2016, this book has been updated and reissued.  The value of a comprehensive approach to analysis has only been re-emphasized over the last few years in the Intelligence Community's approach to terrorism, illicit drug smuggling, cyber warfare, and other areas of intelligence interest.  It turns out that a great many problems can be successfully approached using intelligence analytical techniques.

This book is very highly recommended to intelligence professionals interested in a systematic and unclassified exploration of the techniques of good analysis.
3907071
Reading Waller's book is like a print edition of a Discovery/History  Channel TV special on an American elite force, focusing on the  trials/tribulations of the process it takes to join the U.S. military's  elite forces. In this, this book is invaluable and has placed itself in its  own niche as a must-read book. What is exceptional is that Waller has  placed the Air Force special operators in the same category as the ground  grunt SOF types (SEALs, Green Berets etc) and this is fitting as it DOES  take a special kind of courage to fly in aircraft at the edge of the  envelope daily while popular perceptions do not reward you with the respect  the ground-SOF types get as being "killers". Waller walked the  ground and carried a rucksack to write his book and you have to respect his  honesty and desire to get the truth. As an introduction to U.S. Special  Operations, Waller achieves his purpose.
Airborne!
444905
This is a very good book that I have referred back to several times in the years I have owned it.  I'm not normally a fan of books that fall in the realm of self-help or 'how-to', but this book is an exception.  I especially like the lack of fluff and the great use of examples to illustrate points on leadership.  While written by a Soldier who focused on special operations for a career, this book in no way is limited to those in the special operations or combat arms community.  This is a book that should be on everyone's professional reading list.
4201540
As an investigative journalist specializing in organized crime and black markets, I found this book particularly enlightening. As a beginner's guide, it elucidates clearly how the small arms trade is a global concern. With clear prose, the book's authors make a clear argument for why global leaders should be worried about this under-reported phenomenon.

Not new to the study of small arms, I also found the book a refreshing review that goes beyond a beginner's interests. After reading Schroeder's chapters, I learned a great deal about portable air defense systems in Nicaragua, an important issue for the region I cover and for US leaders.

Overall, I give this book a high mark because it caters to students in their search for a complete understanding of the small arms trade. For venerated researchers and experts, this book is also a worthwhile reference.

I look forward to the next edition.
2060320
While Rob can't reveal too much info about his training or operations, he does share with the reader detailed information about his life, serving with the Royal Marines, as a Police Member in NZ and then later on in the SASR.  A great look in to what is involved in being the best of the best, and then above all, the best, an SF sniper.  For those interested in modern conflicts and SASR training and operations this book is worth your while.
4400942
With a Ph. D. in History from Harvard and 41 years of experience (including the highest analytical levels) in the US Intelligence Community, Mark Lowenthal provides a unique overview of the US Intelligence Community and its relationship with Policymakers.  The book which is excellently organized and documented serves two principle purposes: 1. Discussing and Specifying the relationship and Cycle of Feedback between Policymakers and Intelligence Collection and Analysis; 2. Providing a well documented and organized textbook for those studying intelligence whose background may be more focused on other functions of government and history.

Two particular facets of this edition are salient in addition to the qualities which have made it a standard reference in the field for six prior editions.
vignettes and citations of recent events which were well or poorly handled by the Intelligence Community provide a frame of reference for examining current issues facing the Intelligence Community and its relationship with US Policy.  A brief but well organized and up-to-date summary of the organization and current concerns of Allied and Opposing Intelligence Communities are presented and documented.

Finally a current and extensive list of citations with Web URL's is given at the end of this edition.
2719008
The book is a good account of the soviet special operations in WWII. Its Main character is the Lieutenant Viktor Kalganov, dubbed "the beard" and his Navy Spetsnaz Unit which fight, mainly, in the Black Sea and Balkans area in the world war.
Kalganov's unit tactics are typically Soviet, where a recon unit could develop direct action operations, like capture prisoners, "tongues" in the soviet slang, or set up ambushes to the same purpose. A remarkable point is the collaboration between partisan units and Spetsnaz. The recon and capture a prisoner after an infiltration by the drainage pipes in Budapest is a valuable lesson of how to use the subsurface are in Urban Operations, in special for the detail of use a field telephone to report the information in real time where the radios couldn't do it. Target acquisition, another typical mission of recon units, is described in the Chapter 3.

The only fault of the book is some communist propaganda; however this doesn't interfere the reading of the book.

The book is well written and translated and it is easy to read for people like me, whose mother tongue is not English.  Moreover, is a source of tactics, techniques and procedures for recon units
4207370
This book is very informative to anyone looking to get into the world of Air Force Special Tactics Teams. Allows you to see what the jobs are of these brave individuals, and what you must endure during the riggors of earning the title of combat controller or a "pj".  Although I do believe the past standards in this book are the older ones and they have been changed.