SFQC Reading List
 

This is the reading list developed in 1996 for the SFQC students.

It is not all inclusive nor would one stop after reading these, as an SF soldier is always seeking to learn new things.

It is presented to provoke discussion, and to answer a frequently asked question.

I can present a brief summary of any of these books of interest.

HTH.

TR

TR,

Thank you for posting that. It is always slightly difficult to find any accurate books on the topic of SF and insurgencies because both fields are fairly mysteries, certainly the former is.
If you have any other reading lists, it would be much appreciated.

Solid

I would add three more texts to this list:
Human Factors Considerations of Undergrounds in Insurgencies which is a DA Pam NO. 550-104, Sep 1966.

Insurgent Era by Richard H. Sanger

Total Resistance by Major H. von Dach Bern, Swiss Army.

Jack Moroney

I'm having massive trouble finding Human Factor Considerations in Underground Insurgencies. Is there any chance I could, when I move stateside, purchase or borrow one of your books?

Thank you,

Solid

I didn't find it either, but I did find a very interesting little piece while searching.

TR

http://www.statecraft.org/chapter10.html

I found the same thing. Printed it, but haven't read it yet.

Solid

The other Chapters are not bad either.

TR

When I saw the website for the first time, I started to look around to find out who the author was to see what position was being taken. I found this:

The tone seems pretty anti-american, and I was worried that the bias might filter through into the work. McClintock has been a human rights monitor for sixteen years. Having said that, I have yet to read the piece. I suppose the question I should ask is- did you find an anti-american bias in his work?

Thank you,

Solid

He uses the right sources, and the rest of the piece, especially the chapters pertaining to SF and other areas I am familiar with are not particularly Anti-American, but more a historical retrospective.

I have scrolled through about three chapters, and saw that he took a small shot at Lansdale, other than that, it was pretty clean. Even then, it was more along the lines of whether we should be moral relativists and if the ends justify the means.

You have to occasionally look at things from another perspective, particularly one which is well researched and scholarly, in order to get some small sense of reality and how you are perceived.

Just my .02, YMMV.

TR

Two More
 

Two that were on the list in 1963 were "Street Without Joy" about Dien Bien Phu; an"d Lawrence of Arabia." TYhe movie gives as good of an example of adviser/advisee relationships as I have ever seen.

TS,
That's amazing: I checked last week and there was nada. Thank you for taking your time to find that for me, having that book means a lot.

TR,
I absolutely agree that if the 'other viewpoint' is well researched and scholarly, it deserves to be read and potentially incorporated into one's own view. However, determining whether that viewpoint is well researched and bears a modicum of truth is difficult when experience in the field is as limited as my own. Lies often go several books backwards in the bibliography, making on-the-spot fact-checking difficult, especially, as I said before, when it comes to the 'shadowy world of SF'.
Regardless, I read everything I can, this work will not be an exception.

Thank you for your opinion, and TS thank you for your time,

Solid

Thanks, TR. I will have to read some of these.

I find it interesting that Bravo Two Zero is on the list, given some of the comments made here about it by qualified personnel.

The Ugly American by William Lederer

The Jungle Is Neutral by F. Spencer Chapman

Re: Two More
 

They were still on the list in '85. While I think T.E. Lawrence is overrated as a G, the book is good. Street Without Joy is outstanding.

Good luck finding Dare To Win.

Another list
 

Found.

6 seconds...:D

http://www.kowhaigold.co.nz/military1.html

'Dare To Win' by W.D. Baker
Story of New Zealand SAS
Bk No. 008331
$65.00

Much cheaper here...

Dare to Win
by W.D. Baker

Edition: Hardcover


http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/off...?condition=all

Holy shit! I near fell out of my chair when I saw that.

Last time I searched for it, I got the "You'll burn in hell before you find this book, punk!" type message. :D

Thanks TS! :cool:

I get that message everytime I'm looking for Jimmy Hoffa.....

I'm finding The Interrogators to be an interesting read with valuable bits of info.

Edited: Learning disturbing things about the author which may cast the book in a different light, we'll see....

Brave Two Zero is a very useful book to read. Once you've been trained (or as you are training), you realize how many mistakes were made by that team and why you learned/are learning to do things in a certain way.

Exactly.

Within 10 pages of starting it, I began thinking, 'man, these guys are really messed up.'

Just one of the three stories of the mission, regardless.

TR

I've read both B-20 and The One That Got Away, but not 'the third story'. I was wondering what the third was, and also if the stories each paint a picture of poor planning and inefficiency?
I find it interesting that to the nonmilitary public (read- me at age 12) B-20 read as a story of proper planning that had gone awry.

Solid

Soldier Five, by Mike Coburn is the third book. Theres also opinions on it in most of the other books, too.

He paints it more as bad on HQs part: Not keeping the units in isolation, crap maps, etc. Though he does say they fucked up in it, too.

Solid:

You got a search button there?

http://www.professionalsoldiers.com/...Bravo+Two+Zero

It would be the book by the Kiwi. I believe there is even a source cited.

TR

My apologies, that won't happen again. I figured that I wouldn't need the search button because I had literally read every single post on the site... I didn't count on my memory failing me, which was stupid.

An Ashamed Solid

FWIW, I have had very good results in the past by going here to find "out-of-print-books":

www.bookfinder.com

Eye of The Storm by P. Radcliff
(http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/193..._ya_oh_product)

He was the SGM of that Squadron during the Gulf War, he states that the team ultimately had final say in execution, but was strongly advised to take vehicles. He acknowledges the lack of mission support and supply issues in the book.
There is a lot of bad blood over this issue and a few others. I read another book to cover down and found it better and with some historical insights going back to the 50's;
Ghost Force by K. Conner

(http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/030..._ya_oh_product)


Just read With The Old Breed by EB Sledge, just another book that puts things in perspective when things start to suck.

Has anyone noticed a repeating theme here? Support, logistics, command structure.

Don't ever be fooled, when you absolutely, positively, have to have something, chances are it won't be there.

"Crazy Horse and Custer; The Parallel Lives of Two American Warriors", Stephen Ambrose