Military Book Buzz

Buy Special Operations Forces in Afghanistan: Afganistan 2001-2007 (Elite)

About the Author:  Leigh Neville is an Australian intelligence specialist who is currently studying for a degree in International Security. He has published a number of articles on the subject and has excellent contacts in the US, UK and Australian special forces. The author lives in New South Wales, Australia.

Book Description:  Intelligence specialist Leigh Neville identifies, describes and illustrates the Special Operations Forces (SOF) of the US and other Allied (Coalition) forces committed to the ‘War on Terror’ in Afghanistan since 2001, providing a fascinating insight into specific operations detailing weapons, equipment and experiences in combat. With a surprising amount of recently unclassified material from government departments that are yet to be published in the mass media, this is a ground-breaking analysis of the largest mobilization of Special Forces in recent history.

Extensive first-hand accounts provide an eyewitness perspective of the fighting including a description of the assault on Tora Bora, all illustrated with an array of unpublished photos and full color artwork. Containing detailed information on the US Delta Force, the British SAS, Australian and Canadian Special Forces as well as CIA and MI6 operational units this book provides a crucial study of their skills and success amidst Afghan mountains.

Buy Afghanistan: A Military History From Alexander The Great To The Fall Of The Taliban  

About the Author: Stephen Tanner is a New York-based writer who specializes in military history.

Book Description: This book is an excellent introduction to the “big” history of modern-day Afghanistan, providing an overview of empire building and collapsing (either Afghans pushing outward or others pushing inwards), succeeding waves of tribes and armies moving through the region, etc.  Very well researched and written. Even if you have very little knowledge of Afghanistan, you can understand and easily read this book. It is full of interesting history, along with it’s excellent explanation of the military information.  This book covers the regional peoples and ancient tribes who have made indelible contributions to modern Afghan society to the first years of U.S. intervention in the “War on Terror.”  The early chapters of the book are an interesting brief on Afghan history condensed. Featuring an exhaustive list of regions, tribes, villains and personalities that would otherwise require too much additional background to cover in-depth. Tanner’s modern-day material draws on British, or at least mostly Occidental sources, and covers the British and Russian experience in Afghanistan noticeably more in-depth. The connections Tanner makes between Afghanistan and Switzerland are brilliant and set the stage for his conclusion.  This book is filled with remarkable information, covering nearly 2,500 years and drawing from a vast number of sources and I highly recommend it.

 

Buy The Art of War by Sun Tzu - Special Edition

Book Description:  This Special Edition of The Art of War by Sun Tzu presents this timeless classic in two forms: Section I contains the complete thirteen chapters of Sun Tzu’s masterpiece in Chinese together with the English translation of Lionel Giles without notes or commentary. This presentation avoids the objection that commentary tends to clutter and obscure the clarity of thought of the ancient military genius. Section II contains the complete translation by Lionel Giles including his extensive introduction and the fully annotated text with explanatory notes and critical commentary. His Introduction includes an historical account of Sun Tzu’s work, evaluations by and of early Chinese commentators, an essay examining the traditional Chinese attitudes toward war and a bibliography that details Giles’ source materials. The text in this section includes critical commentary and notes by both the Chinese historians as well as by Giles himself. Having two copies of the translation in one volume makes this edition a real treasure. The explanations and details, like the story of training the concubines and several other tales, are not available in the plain translations and they add immeasurably to the richness of the book. By the same token, having a plain, unadorned version in hand so you can just follow Sun Tzu’s logical progression is a great plus. Having it all together in one volume is what makes this particular edition remarkable. Lionel Giles, as the Keeper of the Department of Oriental printed Books and Manuscripts of the British Museum, was uniquely qualified to translate and explain this great classic Chinese work to Western readers. First published in 1910, Giles’ translation is widely considered to be the definitive English version. If you are looking for the best version of Sun Tzu’s “The Art of War”, then look no further. This is it.