The Encyclopedia of Guerrilla Warfare - Softcover

Beckett, I. F. W.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0816046018 ISBN 13: 9780816046010

Publisher: Checkmark Books, 2001

Synopsis

An encyclopedia of articles examining guerrilla warfare throughout the world, focusing on military tactics utilized by minority groups within a state or indigenous population to oppose the ruling government or foreign occupying forces.

About this title

About the Author:

Ian F. W. Beckett is head of the Department of History at the University of Luton, Bedfordshire, England.

From Booklist:

Written by a British military historian, this comprehensive work begins with a table of contents and a clearly written introduction on how indigenous peoples have fought against occupiers or oppressors throughout history. The alphabetically arranged entries average one-half page although they are longer when necessary, such as nearly three pages for Northern Ireland. Although the introduction refers to guerrilla fighting in ancient history, the entries focus on the past few centuries, beginning in the American colonies.

The coverage is truly all-encompassing, from the Peninsular War against Napoleon (where the term guerrilla originated) to the Maori wars in New Zealand in the nineteenth century and from an uprising in Soviet Central Asia after the 1918 revolution to Cyprus after World War II. In addition to individual wars and campaigns, entries include individuals (George Armstrong Custer, Ernesto Che Guevara), groups (Italian army, Kuomintang, Tamils), locations (Ho Chi Minh Trail, Nicaragua), and terms (foco, the strategy that brought Fidel Castro to power in Cuba). Biographical entries include known theorists and leaders and the lesser known, for example, the developer of Soviet counterinsurgency (Mikhail Nikolaievich Tukhachevsky) and the leader of the Angolan independence movement (Dr. Agostinho Antonio Neto).

Entries are well written and current (the death of Pol Pot in April 1998 is included) and are followed by helpful see also references and suggestions for further reading. An extensive bibliography includes many recent titles, and an accurate index completes the work. Black-and-white photos are scattered throughout.

Although elements of guerrilla warfare can be located in other works, the thoroughness and comprehensiveness of this unique volume make it a useful title for many high-school, public, and academic libraries.

About this edition

• Publisher: Checkmark Books
• Publication date: 2001
• ISBN 10: 0816046018
• ISBN 13: 9780816046010
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 303