Counterinsurgency: What the United States Learned in Vietnam, Chose to Forget and Needs to Know Today

David Donovan

Jan 2015 · McFarland

About this ebook

It has long been predicted that counterinsurgency will be the predominant style of American warfare in the 21st century: Thus far, the prediction has proven true.

Written for those who study counterinsurgency from a policy perspective as well as for those who do counterinsurgency in the field, this book demonstrates that the U.S. has had difficulty meeting the challenges of this special form of warfare because it has not properly processed important lessons from the past. Based on the author's wartime experiences, a broad range of topics are covered--from factors to be considered in accepting a counterinsurgency partner to "rules" for advisors in the field--with points illustrated by real-life examples.

About the author

David Donovan is the pen name of Terry T. Turner, a former advisor in a counterinsurgency program in Vietnam. For the last 35 years he has been a scientist and university professor and is currently professor emeritus at the University of Virginia. He lives in Moultrie, Georgia.