Invisible Armies: An Epic History of Guerrilla Warfare From Ancient Times to the Present

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As fitting for the twenty-first century as von Clausewitz’s On War was in its own time, Invisible Armies is a complete global history of guerrilla uprisings through the ages.Beginning with the first insurgencies in the ancient world—when Alexander the Great discovered that fleet nomads were harder to defeat than massive conventional armies—Max Boot, best-selling author and military advisor in Iraq and Afghanistan, masterfully guides us from the Jewish rebellion against the Roman Empire up through the horrors of the French-Indochina War and the shadowy, post-9/11 battlefields of today. Relying on a diverse cast of unforgettable characters—not only Mao and Che but also the legendary Italian nationalist Giuseppe Garibaldi, the archaeologist-turned–military commander T. E. Lawrence, and the “Quiet American” Edward Lansdale, among others—Boot explodes everything we thought we knew about unconventional combat. The result is both an enthralling read and our most important work on nontraditional warfare. 70 illustrations; 8 mapsReview“A sweeping panorama that ranges over a vast terrain... thoughtful, smart, fluent, with an eye for the good story.” (Mark Mazover - *New York Times Book Review, Front Page Review* )“Fascinating. . . . Beginning with the barbarians at the gates of the Roman Empire, a wonderful and valuable historic narrative filled with colorful characters.” (Walter Isaacson )“Max Boot has written a landmark book about a perennial and important challenge: guerilla warfare.” (Jon Meacham, author of the Pulitzer Prize–winning *American Lion: Andrew Jackson in the White House* )“A penetrating writer and thinker.” (Wall Street Journal )“[D]estined to be the classic account of what may be the oldest as well as the hardest form of war.” (John Nagl - *The Wall Street Journal* )“Max Boot has produced the most definitive and comprehensive work to date on the dominant form of warfare of our times. From the origins of guerrilla warfare to current conflicts the reader travels through the centuries of time understanding the nature and character of unconventional warfare yet because of the power of Boot's narrative and sheer ability to tell a story, the reader can live the experience. A must read for scholars, military and government professionals and a fascinating journey for the general public.” (General (ret.) Jack Keane, former Army Vice Chi )“This is the definitive treatment of guerrilla warfare through the ages—a tour de force by a preeminent military historian who has advised generals, policymakers and political leaders on the subject.” (Senator John S. McCain )“Sweeping, meticulous, and exceptionally thoughtful. Max Boot's Invisible Armies is an important, compelling contribution to our understanding of how men make war.” (Rick Atkinson, author of An Army at Dawn and *The Day of Battle* )“An expansive nuts-and-bolts historical survey from a keen military mind.” (Kirkus Reviews )“...[I]mpressively researched, astutely synthesized, and eminently readable.” (Booklist )“Starred review. A military historian and senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, Boot presents a sweeping, well-written, and comprehensively documented history of guerilla war… The result is a compelling narrative and perceptive analysis: a must read in today's world.” (Publishers Weekly )“The word “magisterial” is bandied about far too freely these days, but in the case of Max Boot’s sweeping and deeply researched history of guerrilla warfare, it proves fair. Somewhere in the first third of Boot’s book, you begin to realize that guerrilla wars (and terrorism and insurgencies) are the way we fight, while the formal set battles of, say, the Napoleonic wars are but an exception.” (Lucas Wittmann - *The Daily Beast* )“For the historian and journalist Max Boot to use the phrase ‘an epic history’ in the subtitle of his own book implies a magnificent lack of modesty in his own capabilities. The work more than matches the hype…. This pathbreaking book should thus be on the reading list of every NATO officer hoping to defeat an insurgency.” (Andrew Roberts - *Commentary* )“There’s no better guide to both the past and the future than Invisible Armies, the tour de force of a scholar as well as a man who’s seen American adversaries and soldiers at work up close.” (The Weekly Standard )“Lively.... A timely reminder to politicians and generals of the hard-earned lessons of history.” (The Economist )“Enormous, brilliant, and important...should be required reading in the White House and Pentagon.... Lucid, enlightening, and highly readable.” (Michael Korda - *The Daily Beast* ) About the AuthorA Senior Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations and a renowned military historian, Max Boot is a regular contributor to the Wall Street Journal. The author of The Savage Wars of Peace and War Made New, he lives in New York.