War in the Shadows: The Guerrilla in History

by Robert B. Asprey, Illus. with maps (Illustrator)

This books tells the story of countries torn by armed insurgences & clarifies the causes of each conflict. It provides the broad viewpoint necessary for understanding them in the historical terms of guerrilla warfare. With the collapse of the Soviet Union, the end of the Cold War & a highly unstable new world order, this brand of rebellion has never been more powerful & potentially disruptive. As the author states in his Foreword: For a number of reasons guerrilla warfare has evolved into an ideal instrument for the realization of social-political-economic aspirations of underprivileged peoples. Illustrated.

Genres: History, Military Fiction, Nonfiction, War, Military History, Terrorism

1296 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1975

About the author

Robert Brown Asprey was an American military historian and author, noted for his books on military history published between 1959 and 2001.

Asprey received a bachelor's degree from the University of Iowa in 1949, after serving in World War II. He also studied at New College, Oxford, at the University of Vienna, and at the University of Nice.

In World War II, Asprey was a member of the secret Marine Beach Jumper Unit, then joined the 5th Marine Division. In the 1950s, he served in U.S. Army Intelligence in Austria before returning to the U.S. Marine Corps in the Korean War with the rank of captain. He received a Purple Heart and a Presidential Unit Citation for his service.

Reviews

[Simon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Despite its gargantuan length and seeming density, this is not an "academic" treatise on guerrilla warfare. The book's approach is chronological: one chapter or two is devoted to a particular instance of guerrilla warfare, beginning in antiquity and ending with the Viet Nam revolutionary wars.* Many chapters seem to be little more than syntheses of a handful of secondary sources on that particular conflict. (For example, the chapters on the 19th-century Philippine insurrection against the US occupation read like a book report on Wolff's "Little Brown Brother," so heavily does the author rely upon that classic work). But taken as a "popular" history, Asprey's book is first-rate. His writing style is engaging, and his copious use of quotations from contemporary observers and participants helps bring these (sometimes relatively obscure) conflicts to vivid life.

I only have two real complaints. First, Asprey relies a little too heavily on the accounts of journalists and counterinsurgents, rather than the firsthand accounts of the very guerrillas whose history he claims to be writing. (There are obvious exceptions to this complaint, e.g. the writings of T.E. Lawrence and General Grivas figure prominently in the footnotes). I realize that village-bred guerrillas don't tend to publish as many memoirs as do former colonial generals, but such sources are available if one scours the archives closely enough. (Perhaps Asprey lacked the resources to do this, given the millenia-long historical scope of his narrative). Second, the book focuses mainly upon events rather than tactics. In other words, this is primarily a book about history rather than military science. Those interested in the nuts-and-bolts of guerrilla tactics and strategy would be better served by other books on the subject.

That aside, Asprey more than held my interest for 1500-odd pages, and I did learn a great deal even about wars with which I already had some familiarity. Highly recommended.

*Mine is the first edition, so I haven't read the updated material on Afghanistan and Central America that appeared in later editions. Nor am I aware if Asprey has revised any of the original material since the first edition. Note that in my edition, most of the second volume is devoted to the Viet Nam wars. I don't know if this material was shortened for the later editions.

[Liam · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is simply the best written, most comprehensive study of guerrilla/irregular warfare I have ever come across. Absolutely brilliant; also, unfortunately, prophetic...

[Julio On Hiatus · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Please, don't shoot us now." This is what one UCLA matron told me when I once entered these two volumes, along with others on the same subject, in a student book collection contest at my alma mater. Be prepared: This is not a history of guerrilla warfare throughout the ages. Rather, in the words of Robert Asprey, a World War II veteran and expert on counterinsurgency, "an attempt to explain the U.S. military failure in Viet Nam in the light of the history of guerrilla warfare." Volume I, "Lenin's Legacy", stretches back to the campaigns of Alexander the Great and forward to World War I guerrilla wars, e.g. Lawrence of Arabia in the Sinai and Von Lettow in German East Africa. Volume II, "Ho, Ho, Ho Chi Minh" treats World War II insurgencies as a prelude to the American disaster in Indochina; a contest Asprey believed failed in every aspect: the U..S. air war on North Viet Nam, "search and destroy" missions against the Viet Cong, "pacification" of the countryside and the cause of these failures---that South Viet Nam was an artificial creation which no amount of military power or change in tactics could prop up.

[Christopher · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an excellent book that outlines guerrilla conflict from Darius of Persia to Vietnam. The first half is an interesting read where the author injects his conclusions throughout. Some have commented on the survey nature of this work - I would say that this is a great text from someone who is relatively well read on the subject of warfare. It provides insight into both unorthodox and conventional war. The survey approach to the book gives the reader the ability to discern patterns and principles for practical use. Those items common to multiple places and time. Volume II is next.

The second half is focused on Vietnam. I found the variety of citations, which are unclassified or leaked, tell an interesting story. In many places, policy advisors talked the same approach to the war that we are attempted in Iraq and Afghanistan. The major distinction was the gap between strategic and operational thinking and what tactical units were capable of executing - both physical and cognativly.

The book was well worth the read. Ive read many of the classics - and this complements theory with a broad range of history. While it lacks depth, the broad brush gives the reader the ability to see similarities over time.

[Billy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A lengthy two-volume set misleadingly subtitled "The Guerrilla in History." The rating is actually an average: 4 stars for the first volume; two for the second. The first volume might be a decent reference work to have on hand for various small wars that don't typically receive much attention. However, be aware that the author is clearly not an authority on the subject, so what you will be reading is a sort of pre-Wikipedia collection of essays. At least the bibliography is extensive and could point you in the right direction for further information.

The second volume is almost wholly on the U.S. involvement in Vietnam and is less an analysis than a rambling, repetitious, almost histrionic treatment of the subject. The second volume also steps far away from "guerrilla in history" as the author spends a great deal of time criticizing the various diplomats, generals and politicians who botched the campaign. He does make several interesting points about the distinction between what is strategically vital and what is strategically convenient. However, such nuggets are buried under page after page of digression, error and outright contradiction. As an example, Asprey states that large-scale U.S. sweep tactics had little effect on VC strength. Then he states that the North Vietnamese had to change their strategy because the war had depleted their manpower. The volume concludes before the end of the Vietnam conflict, so it is incomplete. He also acknowledges that he has no access to documents from the NVA side, so the book is very lopsided. It's a cautionary tale about trying to write history about events in progress.

If you're looking for a primer on how guerrillas go about their business, these are not the books for you.

[Herb Hastings · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent and comprhensive military history. It is written in a highly readable style and despite its through exploration of the subject, it is not a dry academic tome. As a friend of mine once said, as he recommeneded this book to me, "It is such a complete history of the Viet Nam Conflict that it begins with the ancient Greeks and takes you step by step up to the modern day."
I highly recommend this work.

[Gregory Rhoden · Rating 3 out of 5]

Military officers and political scientists alike should read this book on guerrilla warfare. Comprehensive and thorough account of the tactics, techniques and procedures practiced by such organizations from the Civil War to the Vietnam War.

[Matthew Kent · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very good book. This is a must read on book on the history of Insurgency and asymmetric warfare and thinking out outside the box. Its also about studying the enemy or the target and exploiting their weakness as a strength of the as the attacker. Outlines the dimensions of 3D warfare on the battlefield and how it been read, studied and exploited the last 2000 years. Very exciting.

[Dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Necessary reading for understanding Vietnam, guerrilla warfare, and the US's failures in Iraq.

[Ash Higgins · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book covers every major guerrilla style conflict since we started having a name for war. The tactics haven't changed, but the weapons have. Very comprehensive and in depth.