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Endless War: Middle-Eastern Islam vs. Western Civilization by Peters, Ralph(January 24, 2011) Paperback
A former Military Intelligence officer, Peters extends his successful series on strategy and security affairs that have won him diehard fans for his insight, firsthand experience, and frankness.
Unknown Binding
First published March 1, 2010
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About the author
Ralph Peters
77 books226 followersRalph Peters is a novelist, an essayist, a former career soldier, and an adventurer in the 19th-century sense. He is the author of a dozen critically acclaimed novels, two influential works on strategy, "Beyond Terror" and "Fighting for the Future".
Mr. Peters' works can also be found under the pen name "Owen Parry." He also appears frequently as a commentator on television and radio networks.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/ralphp...
Mr. Peters' works can also be found under the pen name "Owen Parry." He also appears frequently as a commentator on television and radio networks.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/ralphp...
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
March 13, 2011
Thought-provoking read by one of this country's greatest military strategists. I've enjoyed watching Peters appear on the Fox News channel and was every bit as impressed with his writing as I am with his on-the-spot analysis of our military involvements around the world.
The first 50 or so pages were over my head, as Peters quickly summarized hundreds of years of war and bloodshed. My background knowledge on subjects like the Turks, the Crusades, the Ottoman Empire, etc, is limited at best; so putting all this info together was difficult. I suppose all this was included to give the reader an understanding that war has always existed and will continue to exist because there will always be people who hunger for power and control.
Ralph Peters' assessments are as astute as they are intuitive; brilliant as they are profound. Not only is he knowledgeable on the subject, but his direct and no-nonsense manner is refreshing and much appreciated. He also has a gift with language. He doesn't mince words and he effectively communicates his point with fantastic metaphors and illustrative articulation. Phrases such as "Wars are won by officers who know the smell of the streets, not by those who swoon over the odor of political science texts" are scattered throughout the book.
Peters is not afraid to talk about the truth. He is quick to point out some of the blunders in Iraq; but also the necessity for which that war was/is fought. He praises our men and women in uniform and criticizes those politicians who have created obstacles in getting the job done. Fighting to win (and not worry about being PC), trusting the leaders who have been on the ground and not in the universities, and acknowledging that there will always be people--who cannot be reasoned with--wanting to wage war are just a few of the many central themes of the book.
The first 50 or so pages were over my head, as Peters quickly summarized hundreds of years of war and bloodshed. My background knowledge on subjects like the Turks, the Crusades, the Ottoman Empire, etc, is limited at best; so putting all this info together was difficult. I suppose all this was included to give the reader an understanding that war has always existed and will continue to exist because there will always be people who hunger for power and control.
Ralph Peters' assessments are as astute as they are intuitive; brilliant as they are profound. Not only is he knowledgeable on the subject, but his direct and no-nonsense manner is refreshing and much appreciated. He also has a gift with language. He doesn't mince words and he effectively communicates his point with fantastic metaphors and illustrative articulation. Phrases such as "Wars are won by officers who know the smell of the streets, not by those who swoon over the odor of political science texts" are scattered throughout the book.
Peters is not afraid to talk about the truth. He is quick to point out some of the blunders in Iraq; but also the necessity for which that war was/is fought. He praises our men and women in uniform and criticizes those politicians who have created obstacles in getting the job done. Fighting to win (and not worry about being PC), trusting the leaders who have been on the ground and not in the universities, and acknowledging that there will always be people--who cannot be reasoned with--wanting to wage war are just a few of the many central themes of the book.
January 17, 2015
Peters is a brilliant hard-eyed writer, who looks head-on, with brutal honesty, at how wars are won and lost, in this case, the episodic, but never ended war between two religions/civilizations: the West and the Middle East - the former an amalgam of Greek and Jewish civilizations, embodied in Christianity and the latter, Islam, a religion which is also a complete way of life and form of political organization. (And as recent events in Europe have shown, how will we live together when we live together).
Peters writes about what the implications of a nuclear-armed Iran, the deterioration of Israel's military (how the citizen soldier no longer serves the country), why America loses, tactically, so many wars against insurgent tactics, how current military planning and tactics focus on small evils and thereby abet large ones. And overall, what are the implications of the eradication of genuine historical studies in our schools: that we are raising a generation of people who do not see patterns and trends, who have little comprehension of the sacrifices required to win a war, and the true damage of the arrogance of those so uneducated on both left and right. The book is beautifully written, by a man who knows what it takes to win or to lose a war.
Peters writes about what the implications of a nuclear-armed Iran, the deterioration of Israel's military (how the citizen soldier no longer serves the country), why America loses, tactically, so many wars against insurgent tactics, how current military planning and tactics focus on small evils and thereby abet large ones. And overall, what are the implications of the eradication of genuine historical studies in our schools: that we are raising a generation of people who do not see patterns and trends, who have little comprehension of the sacrifices required to win a war, and the true damage of the arrogance of those so uneducated on both left and right. The book is beautifully written, by a man who knows what it takes to win or to lose a war.
November 6, 2025
When I was working as a software developer and we were having meetings there were times when very imaginative statements were made regarding the features to be added and the time it would take to implement them. I would often raise questions as to whether the plan was realistic and my concerns would sometimes be received by the comment, “Charlie, you are so cynical.” My response was often, “I prefer the term ‘experienced’.”
In this series of essays, Peters expresses opinions that are both cynical and experienced. He uses the events of history to convincingly argue that war and conflict is a fundamental component of the human condition. He takes a hard view concerning religious strife arguing that religious conflict is based on emotion, so it foolish to think that such conflicts can be reasoned to conclusion.
Using history all the way back to the ancient Greeks, Peters points out that where conflict is possible, it will generally happen. Wars end when both sides are exhausted or when one side overwhelms the other. Peters cites many examples of what the main thesis of the book is: when you go to war, do so with maximum force with a clear objective. Killing as many of your adversaries as quickly as possible is the way to minimize casualties over the long term.
Peters is contemptuous of most of what is now the national security apparatus in the United States. From the halls of academia to the halls of a Congress that are largely purchased to the military officers that toe the line to the defense contractors that make massive amounts of money producing military equipment. He sees most of it as counter-productive in the goals of U. S. national security.
This book is one of the most interesting that I have read. The points are strong and backed up by history. Peters spares no one in his criticisms of how America had been fighting wars over the last ten years. I was particularly impressed with his statements about Afghanistan and the absurd notion that it will ever be a cohesive nation or even if it will ever come close to being a country that has risen out of a feudal state. Those of us that know the history of that region and the cynical actions of the Pakistani security forces knew very early that the United States would someday be leaving in a hurry and with the conservative forces back in power. Peters in essence predicted the result of the U. S. presence in Afghanistan.
In this series of essays, Peters expresses opinions that are both cynical and experienced. He uses the events of history to convincingly argue that war and conflict is a fundamental component of the human condition. He takes a hard view concerning religious strife arguing that religious conflict is based on emotion, so it foolish to think that such conflicts can be reasoned to conclusion.
Using history all the way back to the ancient Greeks, Peters points out that where conflict is possible, it will generally happen. Wars end when both sides are exhausted or when one side overwhelms the other. Peters cites many examples of what the main thesis of the book is: when you go to war, do so with maximum force with a clear objective. Killing as many of your adversaries as quickly as possible is the way to minimize casualties over the long term.
Peters is contemptuous of most of what is now the national security apparatus in the United States. From the halls of academia to the halls of a Congress that are largely purchased to the military officers that toe the line to the defense contractors that make massive amounts of money producing military equipment. He sees most of it as counter-productive in the goals of U. S. national security.
This book is one of the most interesting that I have read. The points are strong and backed up by history. Peters spares no one in his criticisms of how America had been fighting wars over the last ten years. I was particularly impressed with his statements about Afghanistan and the absurd notion that it will ever be a cohesive nation or even if it will ever come close to being a country that has risen out of a feudal state. Those of us that know the history of that region and the cynical actions of the Pakistani security forces knew very early that the United States would someday be leaving in a hurry and with the conservative forces back in power. Peters in essence predicted the result of the U. S. presence in Afghanistan.
October 2, 2011
This was a free Kindle download I got because I felt like I was not paying enough attention to current events.
I enjoyed the history portion immensely. I realized that I actually had very little knowledge about the wars Islam had fought in the past.
The essays were very well written filled with many provoking ideas that required more thought. Some of the facts he states about the military were known to me, though not exactly thought of as a bad thing. However, when explained in relation to our current war, it does change my mind.
The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars, is because in several of the essays, he used the exact same sentences over again. While the thought was good, it could have been stated again differently.
I enjoyed the history portion immensely. I realized that I actually had very little knowledge about the wars Islam had fought in the past.
The essays were very well written filled with many provoking ideas that required more thought. Some of the facts he states about the military were known to me, though not exactly thought of as a bad thing. However, when explained in relation to our current war, it does change my mind.
The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars, is because in several of the essays, he used the exact same sentences over again. While the thought was good, it could have been stated again differently.
February 21, 2013
A good and interesting book, though not what I expected it to be based on it's title. It is a contemporary book and very interesting, though it also does cover a lot of historical fact. For anyone interested in the "current" war in Iraq and Afghanistan, the author directly discusses America's functioning in those countries and gives his opinions as to what should and should not be ways America's military is used. A lot of his points make good sense, but again, it was not at all what I expected the book to be based on the title.
January 16, 2015
Peters is a former Army officer who's second career has become punditry. This is a book about the causes of modern war. His thesis, "win at any cost", emphasis of empirical over emotional and "we don't understand each other" drive his conclusions. A collection of his essays, they now (2014) appear dated by US withdrawal from Iraq and Afghanistan, but "those who ignore history are doomed to repeat it." My question: As a Fox news commentator and author does he write from passion for the subject or just for profit?
December 14, 2012
Don't appreciate Peters' "win at any cost/it is immoral for america to win because of who we are" stance, however, that being said, he is completely right that our phobia to mention religion and our obsession with the supposed rationality of man in his decision making are defeating us strategically. We do not know what our enemies want because we suppose their desires/goals are rationally motivated. From that perspective, an extremely good book and worth reading for those reasons alone.
October 18, 2015
Understanding The Fix we're In
No better explanation of the present disastrous circumstances of current foreign policy. An irresponsible and willfully ignorant administration under Obama and others comes through clearly, Peters does not indulge in personal innuendo, but develops a well reasoned impeccable chronology. His thoughts are dated years before they transpire, reenforcing his credulity. His depths of personal knowledge and experience are amazing.
No better explanation of the present disastrous circumstances of current foreign policy. An irresponsible and willfully ignorant administration under Obama and others comes through clearly, Peters does not indulge in personal innuendo, but develops a well reasoned impeccable chronology. His thoughts are dated years before they transpire, reenforcing his credulity. His depths of personal knowledge and experience are amazing.
November 10, 2016
Military Policies
Review of military strategies. I liked the careful analysis and criticisms of military and political policies. I would recommend this book to readers of history because of the comparisons of the tactics and strategies of military leaders from different periods. I gave it 3 stars because it seemed to get bogged down in details.
Review of military strategies. I liked the careful analysis and criticisms of military and political policies. I would recommend this book to readers of history because of the comparisons of the tactics and strategies of military leaders from different periods. I gave it 3 stars because it seemed to get bogged down in details.
June 7, 2016
Not what I was looking for. Basically it was a compilation of OpEd by the author on defense and politics in the Middle East. I was expecting a more comprehensive study of the middle east.
Well written, insightful into politics and strategies, but not what I was expecting.
Well written, insightful into politics and strategies, but not what I was expecting.
June 11, 2017
Big thumbs up!
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August 3, 2011I absolutely love this book.
September 25, 2013
Ralph Peters is one of the best historians and observer of international events. A useful read for anyone trying to understand the Middle East.
January 13, 2014
Excellent and on point. Ralph Peters is one of my favorite writers on current events. Good stuff.
July 7, 2015
Insightful series of essays on the clash of civilizations. This volume should be required reading in every college in the United States.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews