AUTHOR'S NOTE: Cover art is in
Articles in the Press
Recent Comments
- Bill T. on RC LINKS: Mid July 2009
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Books To Read
Nick Reding: Methland: The Death and Life of an American Small Town
A chronicle of the impact of globalization on small town America.Misha Glenny: McMafia: A Journey Through the Global Criminal Underworld (Borzoi Books)
This is a detailed backgrounder on the rise of transnational criminal groups in every region of the world. Great read!Dmitry Orlov: Reinventing Collapse: The Soviet Example and American Prospects
Thought provoking analysis of the Soviet Union's collapse and its implications for the US.Benerson Little: The Sea Rover's Practice: Pirate Tactics and Techniques, 16301730
Excellent review and analysis of the tactics and social structure of piracy. Separates fact from fiction.John Arquilla: Our Own Worst Enemy: The Reluctant Transformation of the American Military
Just finished an early review copy (it's available for preorder). Excellent insight into how to revitalize the US military.- Frans P. Osinga: Science, Strategy and War: The Strategic Theory of John Boyd
The "go to" reference on Boyd's thinking. The U.S. Army/Marine Corps Counterinsurgency Field Manual
The US military's approach to Maoist Insurgency.Nassim Nicholas Taleb: The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable
An excellent book on uncertainty. Nassim's premise is that the big events that shape the world aren't predictable. He provides ways to identify them early.Frans Osinga: Science, Strategy and War: The Strategic Theory of John Boyd (Strategy and History Series)
An essential resource on Boyd's theory of warfare.Mike Davis: Buda's Wagon: A Brief History of the Car Bomb
A micro-history of smart lo-tech weapons that use humans for terminal guidance.John Robb: Brave New War
The future of global security. Available today!Robert Young Pelton: Licensed to Kill: Hired Guns in the War on Terror
A history of the rise of the modern mercenary industry. The author provides an excellent "feel" for the current personalities and their ambitions.Fred Charles Iklé: Annihilation from Within: The Ultimate Threat to Nations
The impact of rapidly advancing technological progress on security.Steven Johnson: Emergence: The Connected Lives of Ants, Brains, Cities, and Software
A great overview of emergent intelligence.Thomas P.M. Barnett: Blueprint for Action : A Future Worth Creating
Can big states survive in rapidly evolving global threat environment?Chet Richards: Neither Shall the Sword: Conflict in the Years Ahead
Chet makes the argument for privatizing large sections of the US military and turning it into a flexible force that can respond effectively to non-state threats.ROBERT BUNKER: Networks, Terrorism and Global Insurgency
Excellent collection of writing by some leading thinkers in 21st Century military theory. Use a corporate account to buy it (it's expensive).Samuel P. Huntington: The CLASH OF CIVILIZATIONS AND THE REMAKING OF WORLD ORDER
Excellent overview of why global guerrilla movements are proliferating.Francis Fukuyama: The End of History and the Last Man
Contains the assumption upon which the US is building nations in Iraq and Afghanistan.Moises Naim: Illicit : How Smugglers, Traffickers and Copycats are Hijacking the Global Economy
This book details the market mechanism underlying the emergence of global terrorism. It demonstrates, with excellent examples, how non-state threats are growing faster than the ability of states to respond to them. A must read.Hakim J Hazim: American Realism Revisited : Lethal Minds & Latent Threats
A great way to gain insight into militant cults. Worth the time.Thomas X. Hammes: The Sling and the Stone: On War in the 21st Century
Good discussion of 4th generation warfare (from the perspective of Mao and Ho). Great foundation for further study.Robert Pape: Dying to Win : The Strategic Logic of Suicide Terrorism
Martin Van Creveld: The Rise and Decline of the State
A detailed description of the decline of the state.Edward Luttwak: Coup D'Etat
A practical handbook on coup d'etat. The state as a machine that can be controlled.Anonymous: Imperial Hubris: Why the West is Losing the War on Terror
Makes the case for a broad-based global guerrilla movement.Thomas P. M. Barnett: The Pentagon's New Map
Excellent overview of the systemic approach to this war. A must read.George W. Allen: None So Blind: A Personal Account of the Intelligence Failure in Vietnam
Excellent book on the uses and misuses of military intelligence.PHILIP BOBBITT: The Shield of Achilles
A seminal book on the evolution of the nation-state. A must read. It provides a path for remaking the nation-state into an organization that can survive global system perturbations.Sean J. A. Edwards: Swarming on the Battlefield: Past, Present, and Future
Excellent overview of swarming tactics across history.
July 2009
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Tuesday, 13 February 2007
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On Brave New War
- Purchase Brave New War
- New York Times Op-Ed
...a fast, thought-sparking book.. -- David Brooks - Greenpeace
I read it twice and bought six copies for my friends -- John Passacantando (Exec. Dir. Greenpeace) - G. Gordon Liddy Show (radio)
...this is a seminal book in the truest sense of the term.. way ahead of the curve... go out and buy it right now -- G. Gordon Liddy - City Journal
Robb has written an important book that every policymaker should read -- Glenn Reynolds (Instapundit) - Small Wars Journal
Without reservation Brave New War is for professional students of irregular warfare and for any citizen who wants to understand emerging trends and the dark potential of 4GW -- Frank Hoffman - Scripps Howard News Service
A brilliant new book published by terrorism expert John Robb, titled "Brave New War," hit stores last month with virtually no fanfare. It deserves both significant attention and vigorous debate... - Thomas P.M. Barnett - Chet Richards DNI
John has produced an important book that should help jar the United States and other legacy states out of their Cold War mindset. You can read it in a couple of hours – so you should read it twice... - Washington Times / UPI
Robb correctly finds the antidote to 4GW not in Soviet-style state structures such as the Department of Homeland Security, but in decentralization -- William Lind (the father of 4th generation warfare). - Robert Paterson
Having painted a crystal clear picture of how a war of networks is playing out, he comes to an astonishing conclusion that I hope he fills out in his next book. - The Daily Dish
John Robb of Global Guerrillas has written the most important book of the year, Brave New War. - Daily Dish (The Atlantic) - Simulated Laughter
Well-written. Brave New War reads more like an action novel than a ponderous policy book. - Adam Elkus - FutureJacked
Go buy a copy of this book. Now. If you are low on cash, skip a few lunches and save up the cash. It is worth it. - Michael Flagg - ZenPundit
The second audience is composed of everyone else. Brave New War is simply going to blow them away. - Mark Safranski - Haft of the Spear
There aren’t a lot of books that make me recall a 12-year-old self aching for the next issue of The Invincible Iron Man to hit the shelves. Well done. - Michael Tanji - Ed Cone
His book posits an Army of Davids -- with the traditional nation state in the role of Goliath. - Ed Cone (Ziff Davis) - The Newshoggers
I highly recommend reading and re-reading this work. - Fester - Shloky.com
This is the first real text on next generation warfare designed for the general population and it sets the bar high for following acts. It is smart, it is a short read, and it will change your thinking. - Shlok Vaidya - Politics in the Zeros
I suggest this is something Lefties need to start thinking about now, as that decentralized world is coming. - Bob Morris - Hidden Unities
A thoughtful book that should be read more widely than the latest Tom Friedman whopper, Chalmers Johnson scare tale or Bill Kristol hack fest. - EB
Top Briefs
- 4GW -- Fourth Generation Warfare
- A SHADOW OPEC
- AL QAEDA'S GRAND STRATEGY: SUPERPOWER BAITING
- ALEXANDER THE GREAT AND THE SCYTHIANS
- BOYD ON AL QAEDA'S GRAND STRATEGY
- CASCADING SYSTEM FAILURE
- CHECHEN ECONOMIC ASSAULT ON RUSSIA
- DESIGN FLAWS: METHODS OF ATTACKING CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE
- DESTABILIZING TERRORIST NETWORKS
- EFFECTS BASED OPERATIONS
- EMERGENT COMMUNITIES DEDICATED TO WAR
- FEAR MANAGEMENT
- GLOBAL GUERRILLA FINANCING
- GLOBAL GUERRILLA SWARMING
- GLOBAL WARRIORS
- GREEN GUERRILLAS
- GUERRILLA ENTREPRENEURS
- HOMEMADE MICROWAVE WEAPONS
- INFRASTRUCTURE MELTDOWNS
- IRAQ: ELECTRICITY DISRUPTION
- LONG TAIL COUNTER-INSURGENCY
- LOYALIST PARAMILITARIES
- MAPPING TERRORIST NETWORKS
- MERCENARIES UNBOUND
- NETWORKED TRIBES
- PARTIAL vs. COMPLETE SYSTEM DISRUPTION
- PIERCING THE CORPORATE VEIL
- PRIMARY LOYALTIES
- SCALE-FREE NETWORKS
- SCENARIO: CHECHEN INDEPENDENCE (I)
- SCENARIO: CHECHEN INDEPENDENCE (II)
- SCENARIO: THE DISRUPTION OF SAUDI ARABIA
- SIZING THE IRAQI INSURGENCY
- STATE FAILURE 101
- STIGMERGIC LEARNING
- TARGET: CORPORATE PSYCHOLOGY
- TARGET: GHAWAR
- TARGET: HALLIBURTON
- TARGET: INVESTMENT
- TARGET: IRAQI OIL PRODUCTION
Great cover. Any YouTube clips on the book's themes or excerpts planned? I'd like to post some links at my blog and discuss when the time comes.
Thx
Posted by: Flagg707 | Tuesday, 13 February 2007 at 04:02 PM
I concur on the cover, which seems to convey the book's theme quite powerfully. I have pre-ordered a copy from amazon.ca (along with The Black Swan), and I am looking forward to reading it soon. Yet another reason to look beyond Calgary's winter.
Calgary, by the way, is an interesting study in the potential for systems disruption, as the city has few indigenous resources relative to its size and long supply lines for virtually everything. For people who come from such an isolated place, Saudi Albertans take little interest in logistics and infrastructure. Many are the perils of winning the hydrocarbon lottery, I suppose.
Anyway, I just wanted to say a quick thanks for the consistently thought-provoking (including mentions of Taleb and John Boyd) and high quality content.
Posted by: double plus ungood | Tuesday, 13 February 2007 at 05:02 PM
Excellent cover. Illustrative, ominous and visually striking.
Posted by: Phil (Pacific Empire) | Tuesday, 13 February 2007 at 05:50 PM
Very striking, John.
Posted by: zenpundit | Tuesday, 13 February 2007 at 06:31 PM
I love the shot used. What were the alternative subtitles and why did you select "The next stage of terrorism and the end of globalization" ?
Posted by: Azr@el | Tuesday, 13 February 2007 at 09:04 PM
Is that off of the 'Brave New World' by A. Huxley? I picked that book up in the local library over the weekend. Great art! Cover art is definitely in. There was a large piece in the weekend New York Times behind the mechanics of it. Work of authors featured, M. Chricton, D. Steel.
The Revolution Is Born!!
yhoo/goog search "invest_mavin"
'The World's Greatest Detetctive!'
Posted by: pm2075 | Tuesday, 13 February 2007 at 09:04 PM
Fantastic.
Posted by: shloky | Tuesday, 13 February 2007 at 10:00 PM
Really great cover.
It should be submited to BookCovers: http://covers.fwis.com/
Posted by: french swede the rootless vegetable | Wednesday, 14 February 2007 at 12:31 AM
Great cover. I look forward to reading the book.
Posted by: Kotare | Wednesday, 14 February 2007 at 03:38 AM
Thanks all! Flagg, YouTube microbriefs is a great idea.
Lots of alternative subs were tossed around. This one seemed to capture the evolving nature of terrorism as a form of warfare and not as just terrorism with bigger attacks -- also, the end of globalization "as we knew it!"
Posted by: John Robb | Wednesday, 14 February 2007 at 07:18 AM
Maybe an audio pod cast? Pushed out over iTunes as advance publicity as well.
Something for people to listen to as they drive to work in their big gas guzzler. =)
Posted by: tim302 | Wednesday, 14 February 2007 at 08:49 PM
The present stage of globalism equals, by and large, terrorism.
Posted by: gmoke | Thursday, 15 February 2007 at 12:07 AM
Try using stage 6 , it uses the the divx codecs and provides a much higher resoultion feed.
Posted by: Azr@el | Thursday, 15 February 2007 at 01:11 AM
Beer on me in Houston. John.
Posted by: Claymore | Thursday, 15 February 2007 at 04:09 AM
I like it's mood. Very desolate.
Posted by: subadei | Thursday, 15 February 2007 at 07:39 AM
John:
Excellent cover art.
I like especially the sub-title "The next stage of Terrorism and the End of Globalisation"
Posted by: enigma_foundry | Friday, 16 February 2007 at 02:03 PM
Mr. Robb
It looks like someone else has been reading this blog. But they forgot to give you credit! Even the cover is a similar to your book.
Best Wishes,
Jack
http://www.usnews.com/usnews/news/articles/070211/19terror.htm
Posted by: Jack Boot | Saturday, 17 February 2007 at 11:03 AM
“Iran is the trouble maker, trying to tip over apple carts all over Baghdad right now because they want America to pull out. And do you know why? It’s because they’ve already decided that they’re going to partition Iraq.
And half of Iraq, the western, northern portion of Iraq, is going to be called…. the Iraq State of Islam, something like that. And I’m sorry, I don’t have the official name, but it’s meant to be the training ground for the terrorists. There’s already an agreement made."
The Congress woman wouldn't have uttered and said it in great length if at least one half was true. She might have contrived the "training ground for the terrorists" part but i give credence and validity to Irans's ambitions! With that said ALL of this would have been moot if the American economy wasn't completely hinged on OIL!! We import a significant portion of our oil needs from unstable parts of the world! That's amazing for a great nation that invented risk adversity in financial markets with the word 'diversification.' What is even more surprising an a contradiction in terms that a once great general uttered the phrase 'military-industrial complex,' that reversing our so-called thirst for OIL isn't as easy as the means to create alternative sources of fuels or energy as market forces are seemingly advertising and the populous is increasing believing. That PROJECTION of POWER is the very thing that's creating our need for OIL! i.e. the military... the military industrial complex.
Posted by: pm2075 | Friday, 23 February 2007 at 07:42 PM
“Iran is the trouble maker, trying to tip over apple carts all over Baghdad right now because they want America to pull out. And do you know why? It’s because they’ve already decided that they’re going to partition Iraq.
And half of Iraq, the western, northern portion of Iraq, is going to be called…. the Iraq State of Islam, something like that. And I’m sorry, I don’t have the official name, but it’s meant to be the training ground for the terrorists. There’s already an agreement made."
The Congress woman wouldn't have uttered and said it in great length if at least one half was true. She might have contrived the "training ground for the terrorists" part but i give credence and validity to Irans's ambitions!
Some commercial print entity should piuck up the 'Global Crime' piece and make it available to the masses. That's just an opinion.
yhoo search "mavin," "nanotechnology"
invest_mavin
When A Revolution is Born!
Posted by: pm2075 | Friday, 23 February 2007 at 07:48 PM