Dr. David Ucko & Dr. Thomas Marks | The United States, and the West, struggle to understand and respond to irregular warfare, whether by states or nonstate actors. Attempts to master the art have generated much new jargon, ranging from “hybrid war” to “the gray zone,” and most recently “integrated deterrence.” The terminology belies a struggle to overcome entrenched presumptions about war—a confusion that generates cognitive friction with implications for strategy. To inform a better approach, this monograph presents an analytical framework to assess and respond to irregular threats.

Why have special operations forces become a key strategic tool in the conduct of modern warfare? How do these specially trained and equipped elite units function? What types of missions do they conduct?

Dr. Robert Egnell & Dr. David Ucko | Building upon this detailed account of the Basra and Helmand campaigns, this volume conducts an unprecedented assessment of British military institutional adaptation in response to operations gone awry.

Dr. David Ucko | The New Counterinsurgency Era examines DoD’s institutional obstacles and initially slow response to a changing strategic reality. Ucko also suggests how the military can better prepare for the unique challenges of modern warfare, where it is charged with everything from providing security to supporting reconstruction to establishing basic governance—all while stabilizing conquered territory and engaging with local populations.

Dr. Thomas Marks | This study builds upon the earlier work of the author to provide a definitive exploration of the most effective means of irregular warfare yet devised. Comparing the Asian cases of Thailand, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, and Nepal—with Peru used as as a prominent out-of-area Maoist standbearer—Dr Thomas A. Marks examines the strategy and operational art that make people’s war such a devastating technique of armed politics.