Resisting Rebellion: The History and Politics of Counterinsurgency

Resisting Rebellion: The History and Politics of Counterinsurgency by Professor Anthony James Joes is great reference manual regarding the practice and study of COIN. This well-researched book is sure to appeal to both COIN practitioners and general readers alike. Joes stresses the importance of several key criteria that militaries and governments must confront in order to conduct a successful counterinsurgency operation. He backs up these claims with reference to the successes and failures of several past campaigns, including conflicts in Vietnam, Malaya, The Philippines, and Algeria. As someone new to the study of COIN, I found the book a bit difficult to read from cover to cover the first time (not because of the way it was written, but rather due to the vast amount of information presented). However, after familiarizing myself more with the study of COIN, I have often found myself referring back to Professor Joes' book. A must read for anyone interested in the field.

Professor Joes has provided a well researched look into the many aspects of successful and unsuccessful counterinsurgency (COIN). This is well researched and very heavy on classics of the study as well as many lesser known writers. However, there is little in the way of organization to the book. Joes seems to have just randomly thrown together some chapters, some only a few pages long. He also has the irritating tendency to cite his own work. This book is a useful introduction to the study of COIN, and it has an excellent bibliography. The sloppiness of the organization of the book is the only thing that detracts from this well written book. I recommend this as a decent place to start study of COIN.