Losing Small Wars: British Military Failure in the 9/11 Wars

by Frank Ledwidge

Overview

This new edition of Frank Ledwidge’s eye-opening analysis of British involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan unpicks the causes and enormous costs of military failure. Updated throughout, and with fresh chapters assessing and enumerating the overall military performance since 2011—including Libya, ISIS, and the Chilcot findings—Ledwidge shows how lessons continue to go unlearned.
 
“A brave and important book; essential reading for anyone wanting insights into the dysfunction within the British military today, and the consequences this has on the lives of innocent civilians caught up in war.”—Times Literary Supplement

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780300227512
Publisher:	Yale University Press
Publication date:	04/25/2017
Edition description:	Second Edition
Pages:	344
Product dimensions:	5.10(w) x 7.70(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

Frank Ledwidge is a former barrister and military intelligence officer. He has served in many conflict zones including Iraq, Afghanistan, and Libya.

Table of Contents

Preface to the Second Edition viii

Acknowledgements xiii

Introduction 1

Part 1

Chapter 1 'Ridiculous Expectations' 15

Chapter 2 'Defeated, Pure and Simple' 41

Chapter 3 'Where's Helmand?' 64

Chapter 4 Uncashed Cheques: The Helmand Endgame and Libya 89

Part 2

Chapter 5 Dereliction of Duty: The Generals and Strategy 117

Chapter 6 Cracking On and Optimism Bias: British Military Culture and Doctrine 146

Chapter 7 'Tactics Without Strategy?' The Counterinsurgency Conundrum 166

Chapter 8 Managing Violence: The Question of Force 189

Chapter 9 Strangers in Strange Lands 210

Chapter 10 Fixing Intelligence 231

Chapter 11 Thinking to Win 249

Conclusion 274

Abbreviations and Acronyms 282

Notes 284

Select Bibliography 307

Index 314