Dragon Days: Time for "Unconventional" Tactics - Softcover

H. John Poole

Softcover

ISBN 10: 096386954X ISBN 13: 9780963869548

Publisher: Posterity Press(NC), 2007

Synopsis

This book shows how to control a contested region with squad-sized outposts. North Vietnam and Iran have done it. Now, North Korea may try to consolidate the South with such a strategy. Scores of tiny Western outposts could do this too. After a short threat assessment, Dragon Days describes what a single U.S. rifle squad must do to safely accomplish such a mission in Asia. It will need the following Unconventional Warfare (UW) skills: (1) some police procedure; (2) obscurely defending; (3) finding an enemy weakness; (4) making a secret approach; (5) disguising the attack; (6) precluding a counterstroke; (7) rural E&E; (8) enhancing rural terrain (9) urban E&E; and (10) enhancing urban terrain. Because of Asia's bottom-up culture, the little picture is where such an ability originates. This heavily illustrated book contains more small-unit perspective than any U.S. govt. publication. In fact, it may still constitute America's only UW tactical-technique manual.

About this title

About the Author

Through an inverted military career, Poole has discovered a few things that more promotable people miss. After spending 2 out of his first 4 years as a combat commander, he did his last 7 as an enlisted tactics instructor. That allowed him to see why U.S troops have so much trouble quelling insurgency, and with short-range combat in general. The techniques in their tactics manuals are quite simply outmoded--so unlikely to surprise a "woods-wise" defender as to be "premachinegun" in format. This little oversight on the part of their commanders and how to correct it has formed the framework of Poole's work. Since retirement from the U.S. Marine Corps in 1993, he has has traveled extensively in both Communist and Islamist worlds and written 12 other tactics and intel. manual supplements. He has also conducted multiday training sessions for 41 U.S. battalions, 9 military schools, and 7 special-operations units from all 4 service branches. As most U.S. intelligence personnel know too little about the Eastern thought process and evolution of squad tactics, these supplements provide currently deployed GIs with a rare glimpse into their opponent's intentions. Poole has been stationed twice each in South Vietnam and Okinawa. He has further visited Japan, Taiwan, the Philippines, Indonesia, both Koreas, Mainland China (twice), Hong Kong, Macao, North Vietnam, Myanmar (Burma), Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia, Singapore, Tibet, Nepal, Bangladesh, India (5 times), Pakistan (twice), Russia, Turkey, and Iran. Between early tours in the Marine Corps, he worked for 2 years as a criminal investigator in Chicago for the Illinois Bureau of Investigation. While at the IBI, he studied Tae Kwon Do.

Review

"Marines, Soldiers, and other personnel who directly face 4GW threats will benefit from reading 'Dragon Days.' The author has researched and developed an impressive book on unconventional warfare tactics and techniques that should not be ignored."--(Naval) Proceedings Magazine, July 2008

"John Poole's writing on small-unit techniques is far advanced over what the U.S. armed forces offer in their manuals and teach in their schools (father of 4th-Generation Warfare theory)."--William S. Lind, 2007

"Part One of 'Dragon Days' shows how China has been hiding Maoist expansion behind Islamic insurgency. DoD must deploy foreign-aid workers in the law enforcement sector to help indigenous police and soldiers reestablish local security. Part Two contains their criminal investigative procedures, while Part Three has their unconventional warfare techniques."--Mil. Officers Assn. of America (MOAA) Magazine, February 2008

"John Poole has written another brilliant manual that superbly captures the tactics and techniques necessary to ... succeed on the complicated battlefields ... [of] today. His expertise in unconventional warfare makes [this book] ... a valuable addition to the considerable collection of insightful works he has [already] produced on this complex challenge (former head of CENTCOM)."--Gen. Anthony C. Zinni USMC (Ret.), 2007

"'Dragon Days: Time for Unconventional Tactics,' ... details the need for such units [squads with enough tactical skill to survive alone] in the current 4th-Generation Warfare being waged by terrorists to the benefit ... of China." --Aerospace Daily and Defense Report, 4 January 2008

"Poole, who is an undisputed expert in both 4th-Generation Warfare and the Asian culture ... teaches [the] tactics and techniques ... [of] unconventional warfare.... If you are a leader, at any level, you need to read this book and utilize it to train your warriors for the ongoing global war on terrorism."-- Leatherneck, December 2007

"[P]erfect ... for the counterinsurgent.... [An entire] collection of ... [the author's] supplements to official manuals would be helpful to most deployed soldiers."--Columbus Ledger-Enquirer (GA), 19 December 2007

"'Dragon Days' explains how to successfully counter terrorist groups.... Fighting terrorists ..., Poole points out, is more like police work than a military operation. I highly recommend this book."--Fort Knox Turret, 6 March 2008

"This book is packed with background on China's increasing involvement with Muslim insurgencies and terrorist activities in Asia, the Pacific, and Middle East. He [the author] also convincingly argues that American forces must fight like guerrillas to defeat guerrillas, and includes detailed chapters on ... [stalking] attack, rural and urban escape and evasion, and how best to [enhance] ... terrain."--Mil. Officers Assn. of America (MOAA) Professional Reading List entry, January 2009

"I ... recommend this book highly to all U.S. infantrymen and special operators. The tactical techniques of UW [unconventional warfare] are new to the literature and not covered by any government manual. They should serve as a welcome supplement to the mostly conventional skills that those, who must ultimately win the War on Terror, already have (former commander of Camp Lejeune)."--Maj.Gen. Ray L. Smith USMC (Ret.), August 2007

"Poole brings us ... [our real foe's] identity: need true light infantry trained in ... unconventional warfare.... This is .. a great departure from ... reliance on ... firepower, already proving ineffective in both Iraq and Afghanistan. 'Dragon Days' should be studied by our military professionals and its lessons incorporated into infantry training (publisher emeritus, Presidio Press)." --Col. Robert V. Kane U.S. Army (Ret.), August 2007

"Fighting the terrorist ..., Poole points out is more like police work than a military operation.... Poole [also] stresses the United States military has to be more unconventional in its tactics.... I highly recommend the book."--Quantico Sentry, 7 March 2008

"War is about diplomacy and violence as well as deceit and manipulation. In 'Dragon Days',... Poole ... postulates as to which nations are practicing what strategies in their quest for recognition and dominance (former commander of 1st Marine Division)."--Maj.Gen. John H. Admire USMC (Ret.), 2007

"Sherlock Holmes [said] ... to solve a crime look to see who profits by it. When 9/11 happened, few Americans ... knew that the ... [veiled] proposal to use jet passenger liners to attack high rise buildings ... had been [already] written by two Chinese Army colonels.... [This is Poole's] continuing research ... on the threat posed to Western Civilization (professional military historian)."-- Kim B. Holien, 2007

"Poole ... offers two studies in 'Dragon Days': how a rising superpower may be hiding its Maoist expansion behind Islamic insurgency, and what America's armed forces must do to curtail either." --Oberlin Alumni Magazine, Summer 2008

"Probably the most important book [so far].... Part One is a most valuable historical review of the growth and spread of PRC and Muslim terrorism. To read it is to reveal what may transpire in our very uncertain future.... [The] research is not only thorough but magnificent in detail.... [An] outstanding piece of work!" --Vice Adm. Thomas R. Sargent USCG (Ret.), August 2007

Edition details

• Publisher: Posterity Press(NC)
• Publication date: 2007
• ISBN 10: 096386954X
• ISBN 13: 9780963869548
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 484
• Illustrator: Mike Leahy