Resisting Rebellion: The History and Politics of Counterinsurgency
In Resisting Rebellion, Anthony James Joes's discussion of insurgencies ranges across five continents and spans more than two centuries. Analyzing examples from North and South America, Europe, Africa, and the Middle East, he identifies recurrent patterns and offers useful lessons for future policymakers. Insurgencies arise from many sources of discontent, including foreign occupation, fraudulent elections, and religious persecution, but they also stem from ethnic hostilities, the aspirations of would-be elites, and traditions of political violence. Because insurgency is as much a political phenomenon as a military one, effective counterinsurgency requires a thorough understanding of the insurgents' motives and sources of support. Clear political aims must guide military action if a counterinsurgency is to be successful and establish a lasting reconciliation within a deeply fragmented society.
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Anthony James Joes, professor of political science at St. Joseph's University, is the author of America and Guerrilla Warfare and many other books.
"An intelligently written and easily readable work that is likely to become a standard text on counterinsurgency.... A valuable addition to anyone's self-directed professional military education and should be studied by all policymakers, military officers, and senior noncommissioned officers." -- Joint Forces Quarterly
"Joes has written a well-researched guide to counterinsurgency to show that with an intelligent strategy based on historical lessons America can fight and win asymmetrical conflicts." -- Journal of Conflict Studies
"Joes' research provides a detailed basis for Army officers to gain an understanding and historical appreciation to enhance individual analysis of the current operations from the tactical level to the strategic level." -- Military Review
"His thoughtful and informative analysis provides a useful basis for a comparative perspective that has been largely absent from many of the assessments of the guerrilla war in Iraq and America's counterinsurgency policies." -- Perspectives of Politics
""Offers useful historical background for analysts and policymakers who are grappling with these same questions as they seek to counter globalized Islamist insurgencies in far-flung places ranging from the ungoverned spaces of the Sahal to the archipeligoes of Indonesia and the Philippines."" -- Journal of Cold War Studies
