Counterinsurgency

David Kilcullen is one of the world's most influential experts on counterinsurgency and modern warfare. In Counterinsurgency, Kilcullen brings together his most salient writings on this key topic. At the heart of the book is his legendary 'Twenty-Eight Articles'. In it, he shows company leaders how to practise counterinsurgency in the real world, "at night, with the GPS down, the media criticising you, the locals complaining in a language you don't understand, and an unseen enemy killing your people by ones and twos". Reading this piece is like reading a modern-day Sun Tzu - an essential read for officers in the field, and not infrequently an excellent source of wisdom for readers of all stripes, military or civilian. Other pieces in the book include Kilcullen's pioneering study of counterinsurgency in Indonesia, his ten-point plan for 'the Surge' in Iraq, and his frank look at the problems in Afghanistan.