MARC details
000 -LEADER |
fixed length control field |
02676nam a22002897a 4500 |
003 - CONTROL NUMBER IDENTIFIER |
control field |
OSt |
005 - DATE AND TIME OF LATEST TRANSACTION |
control field |
20130424120953.0 |
008 - FIXED-LENGTH DATA ELEMENTS--GENERAL INFORMATION |
fixed length control field |
130424b xxu||||| |||| 00| 0 eng d |
020 ## - INTERNATIONAL STANDARD BOOK NUMBER |
International Standard Book Number |
9780300166712 |
040 ## - CATALOGING SOURCE |
Original cataloging agency |
DLC |
Transcribing agency |
DLC |
Modifying agency |
ACKU |
043 ## - GEOGRAPHIC AREA CODE |
Geographic area code |
a-af--- |
050 00 - LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CALL NUMBER |
Classification number |
DS79.765. |
Item number |
G7. |
Class number |
L43 2011 |
100 1# - MAIN ENTRY--PERSONAL NAME |
Personal name |
Ledwidge, Frank. |
245 10 - TITLE STATEMENT |
Title |
Losing small wars : |
Remainder of title |
British military failure in Iraq and Afghanistan / |
Statement of responsibility, etc |
Frank Ledwidge. |
260 ## - PUBLICATION, DISTRIBUTION, ETC. (IMPRINT) |
Place of publication, distribution, etc |
New Haven : |
Name of publisher, distributor, etc |
Yale University Press, |
Date of publication, distribution, etc |
c2011. |
300 ## - PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION |
Extent |
viii, 308 p. ; |
Dimensions |
24 cm. |
505 ## - FORMATTED CONTENTS NOTE |
Formatted contents note |
Contents: Ridiculous expectations—Defeated, pure and simple—Where's Helmand?—A bleeding ulcer—Dereliction of duty : the generals and strategy—Cracking on: British military culture and doctrine—Tactics without strategy? The counterinsurgency conundrum—Doing no harm? The question of force—Civvies—Bad influences—Opening networks. |
520 ## - SUMMARY, ETC. |
Summary, etc |
Abstract: Partly on the strength of their apparent success in "small wars" such as Malaya and Northern Ireland, the British armed forces have long been perceived as world class, if not world-beating. Yet under British control Basra degenerated into a lawless city riven with militia violence and fear, while tactical mistakes and strategic incompetence in Helmand province resulted in numerous casualties and a burgeoning opium trade. In both cases the British were eventually and humiliatingly baled out by the US military. In this thoughtful and compellingly readable book, former military intelligence officer Frank Ledwidge, a veteran of both campaigns, examines the British involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan, asking how and why it went so wrong. With the aid of copious research, interviews with senior officers and his own experiences, he looks in detail at how British strategy is developed and how senior officers are trained. He discusses the culture of the British military and argues that at the root of these flawed operations has been a reliance on obsolete structures, approaches and tactics, a culture of not asking difficult questions and -- above all -- an inability to adapt to new challenges. This is an eye-opening analysis of the causes of military failure, and its enormous costs. |
650 #0 - SUBJECT ADDED ENTRY--TOPICAL TERM |
Topical term or geographic name as entry element |
Iraq War, 2003-2011 |
General subdivision |
Participation, British. |
|
Topical term or geographic name as entry element |
Iraq War, 2003-2011 |
General subdivision |
Campaigns |
Geographic subdivision |
Iraq |
-- |
Baṣrah. |
|
Topical term or geographic name as entry element |
Afghan War, 2001- |
General subdivision |
Participation, British. |
|
Topical term or geographic name as entry element |
Afghan War, 2001- |
General subdivision |
Campaigns |
Geographic subdivision |
Afghanistan |
-- |
Helmand River Valley. |
|
Topical term or geographic name as entry element |
Strategic culture |
Geographic subdivision |
Great Britain. |
651 #0 - SUBJECT ADDED ENTRY--GEOGRAPHIC NAME |
Geographic name |
Great Britain |
General subdivision |
Armed Forces |
-- |
Management. |
|
Geographic name |
Great Britain |
General subdivision |
Military policy. |
942 ## - ADDED ENTRY ELEMENTS (KOHA) |
Source of classification or shelving scheme |
Library of Congress Classification |
Koha item type |
Monograph |