Guerrilla Warfare

Insurgents, Rebels, and Terrorists from Sun Tzu to Bin Laden

David Rooney

• Publisher: Skyhorse
• Year: 2021
• eBook ISBN: 9781510754348
• Topic: History
• Subtopic: Military & Maritime History
• Index: History

The history of the world's most brutal surprise attacks: guerrilla warfare. Since man's earliest days, there has been conflict and, also from that point, unconventional forms of action where the norm was abandoned and the unorthodox employed. Here, historian David Rooney selects examples of the leaders who, for personal, religious, tribal, or national ambitions, have been trailblazers in this form of warfare. Tracing the origins of guerrilla theories back to the Maccabees, the author moves on through the Napoleonic Age and the Boer Wars before considering Michael Collins, Mao Tse Tung, T. E. Lawrence, Castro and Guevara, and the Guerrillas of World War II before considering the situation with Al Qaeda and Osama Bin Laden. The irregularity of this form of military action seems so pertinent in an age where convention and tradition in all walks of life is quickly abandoned in search of fast results; the warrior of the twenty-first century is more likely to adopt unconventional strategies than ever before. The topic is one of public debate and this explanation of its evolution can only increase our understanding and awareness of the topic.

Table of contents

• Front Cover
• Half-Title Page
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Table of Contents
• Preface
• Introduction
• Guerrilla War Origins
• The Age of Napoleon
• Garibaldi in South America, Prelude to Italy
• The Boer Commandos: Guerrilla War in Africa
• Michael Collins: Guerrilla War in Ireland
• Lawrence and Guerrilla War
• Mao the Guerrilla Leader
• Tito: From Guerrilla to World Statesman
• Guerrilla Fighters: World War II
• Che Guevara and Guerrilla War
• Al-Qaeda: Bin Laden and the Islamic Struggle
• Epilogue: 2004 – The Guerrilla Scene
• Select Bibliography
• Index