Had another chance to talk with Prof. Alaric Searle of the University of Salford on the ongoing war in Ukraine and related subjects.
Podcast 2 with Alaric Searle; Ukraine – Day 58
Playlist - Editorial Articles & Interviews
“China’s India War; Collision Course on the Roof of the World” (2018) by Bertil Lintner
On the topic of the 1962 Sino-Indian War, China’s India War is a revisionist text that re-examines the long standing opinion on this conflict that it was provoked by Indian intrusion into Chinese territory.
Lessons in Working with Indigenous Forces
An essay on some lessons learned from working alongside ethnic forces in Syria and Burma.
“Killing Rommel” (2008) by Steven Pressfield
It must first be pointed out that this is not a factual book; it is a novel and, as such, is an unusual selection to be on Military Matters, which generally deals with factual sources. The reason for its inclusion is that Pressfield manages to convey something in this book that most writers never seem to get right – the sheer confusion, boredom and terror of war.
“Under Fire; An American Story” (1991) by Oliver L. North with William Novak
Yes. THAT Oliver North.
For anyone who may not know, Lt. Col. Oliver North, USMC, was one of the most controversial figures of the late Cold War and continues to be a deeply polarising figure – for some a traitor, for others a hero.
Forgotten Weapons – One of the Finest Sources Online for Weapon Historians
Hosted by Ian McCollum, Forgotten Weapons started as an online blog and website which concentrated on some of the more obscure firearms that have been created. Videos tend to be between five and fifteen minutes long, though sometimes longer if dealing more fully with a subject, such as a whole weapon development program or a particularly interesting or historically important item.
“Intelligence and Espionage: Secrets and Spies,” (2019) by Drs. Daniel Lomas and Christopher Murphy
A book aimed as an introduction to Intelligence History for university students, Intelligence and Espionage: Secrets and Spies is understandably a thorough study of the subject. While it purports to provide only an introduction to the subject, the authors have written an excellent piece of work that provides great balance between high end academia and readability – two items that are quite often mutually exclusive.
“The Lion’s Gate; On the Front Lines of the Six Day War” (2014) by Steven Pressfield
Dealing with a subject that has had copious coverage – the astounding victory of the Israeli Defence Force over numerically superior Arab armies in the “Six-Day War” of 1967 – Pressfield adopts an unusual methodology in writing The Lions Gate, which he admits to immediately in the prologue.
“War Is a Racket” (1935) by Maj.Gen. Smedley Butler
Written by one of America’s most decorated soldiers, “War Is a Racket” warns of what became known of as the “Industrial-Military Complex”.
Camouflage on Rifles
Back in 2017 I provided Ian McCollum at Forgotten Weapons with some information on the weapons that the Kurdish snipers used in Syria against ISIS. One of the things that came out in the comments, somewhat to my surprise, was the interest in the camouflage I applied to my personal weapons,
About This Playlist
Find all my collected articles here, including longform essays, interviews, and film/book/website reviews. Recommended reads where I include personal experience: “Lessons in Working with Indigenous Forces” and “The Evolution of the Suicide Car Bomb, How to Stop Them and Why Militaries Need to Think About Them.”
