Reborn: Selected Poems

Book Description

Armies are invariably accused of preparing to fight the last war. Nagl examines how armies learn during the course of conflicts for which they are initially unprepared in organization, training, and mindset. He compares the development of counterinsurgency doctrine and practice in the Malayan Emergency from 1948-1960 with that developed in the Vietnam Conflict from 1950-1975, through use of archival sources and interviews with participants in both conflicts. In examining these two events, he argues that organizational culture is the key variable in determining the success or failure of attempts to adapt to changing circumstances. Differences in organizational culture is the primary reason why the British Army learned to conduct counterinsurgency in Malaya while the American Army failed to learn in Vietnam. The American Army resisted any true attempt to learn how to fight an insurgency during the course of the Vietnam Conflict, preferring to treat the war as a conventional conflict in the tradition of the Korean War or World War II. The British Army, because of its traditional role as a colonial police force and the organizational characteristics that its history and the national culture created, was better able to quickly learn and apply the lessons of counterinsurgency during the course of the Malayan Emergency. This is the first study to apply organizational learning theory to cases in which armies were engaged in actual combat.

Customer Reviews:

COIN.......2007-09-27

Haven't read the book quite yet. I plan to get it done by the time I am to attend CCC though.

Terrific Research and Analysis!.......2007-09-05

For this reader, Learning to Eat Soup with a Knife's value centers on two main premises: 1) those who fail to learn the lessons of history are condemned to repeat them; and, 2) a large, monolithic organization such as the U.S. Army will struggle to adapt unless it adopts a learning culture. Both relate to the U.S. Army's experience in Viet Nam. It is clear that the U.S. Army has only recently begun to learn from its earlier failures fighting a stubborn insurgency in 2004-06 and to implement strategy and tactics appropriate to the situation.

Eminently readable for an Oxford PhD thesis, what sets Learning to Eat Soup with a Knife apart from many other books attempting to explain the failures in Viet Nam is the degree to which the author supports his arguments. He combines exceedingly thorough research befitting a PhD thesis with fully developed and clearly articulated arguments. By examining the British Army of the Malay Campaign and the U.S. Army fighting in Viet Nam in terms of their organizational cultures - that is, the degree to which they promoted learning, flexibility, and adaptability - the author does a superb job of explaining why the British were successful in defeating the communist insurgency on the Malay Peninsula and why the Americans failed in South Viet Nam.

Of course, Nagl has his detractors. There are those who would suggest that the conflict in Malaya in the 1950s differed markedly from the conflict in Viet Nam in the 1960s and early 1970s. For instance, the Viet Cong were able to leverage a well-funded, well-organized, and well-trained North Vietnamese army against the U.S. Army in South Viet Nam. By contrast, the British really only had to confront a communist insurgency in Malaya. However, those readers who point to the dissimilarities in the two conflicts are really missing Nagl's point.

The author's contention that the British Army eventually succeeded in defeating a thinking, adaptive enemy is instructive. In Learning to Eat Soup with a Knife, we are told that for any institution to be successful when faced with new and decidedly different operational challenges, it must be capable of learning and adapting. This includes everything from changing strategy and tactics to completely reorganizing. In fact, it may even need to develop a whole new set of core competencies. In the context of armed warfare, this may mean viewing victory through a different lens. As members of the Bush Administration have readily pointed out, the war in Iraq will not end with a formal surrender aboard a U.S. battleship. More to the point perhaps, Nagl's work compels us to think differently about how we define success in a counterinsurgency.

For the U.S. Army currently operating in Iraq, adapting really means moving away from war fighting strategy and tactics appropriate to a linear battlefield and more toward an approach that better recognizes the nature of the threat. The current threat in Iraq is more socio-political than military. In fact, it is now an article of faith that for our counterinsurgency efforts to be successful, U.S. war fighters must win the hearts and minds of the local populace. If the local Iraqi citizens believe they are more secure and hence can live productive lives, they will be more willing to cooperate with the "occupying" Army. That cooperation will take the form of alerting nearby ground troops to the presence of Al Qaeda fighters and Sunni insurgents.

For any large military organization, adapting to an entirely different threat characterized by a highly complex and dynamic situation involving ethnosectarian conflict, religious persecution, and violent criminal activity such as we see in Iraq today requires tremendous innovation and agility. As Nagl points out, the British were able to eventually embrace change and pursue an effective counterinsurgency strategy while facing a similar set of conditions. He argues persuasively that British and Malay counterinsurgency forces eventually were structured to respond quickly to the communist insurgent threat precisely because they were quite flexible. In large part, the Brits' success can be traced to their approach to counterinsurgency warfare in that era - centralized command with decentralized control. This approach recognizes that the fight is really very different in each province and therefore strategy and tactics will need to be different to attain success.

As Nagl points out, to enjoy the kind of success the Brits had in Malaya, the U.S. Army "will have to make the ability to learn to deal with messy, uncomfortable situations an integral part" of its organizational culture. It must, per T.E. Lawrence, be comfortable "eating soup with a knife." Additionally, as a previous reviewer states quite clearly, "it must be ready to work with outside resources as well, such as the United Nations, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and various religious institutions."

Overall, Nagl offers terrific analysis. This work should be required reading for all officers of all branches of the U.S. military.

Counterinsurgency Mandatory Reading.......2007-07-21

Since the Iraq War effort collapsed into something other than a simple liberation of oppressed people, I have tried to gain insight into our problems there by studying books on Iraq's current situation, on US foreign relationships, ancient and recent Mesopotamian history, Israeli and Palestinian Middle East history, and historic counterinsurgency successes and failures in various parts of the World.

Learning to Eat Soup with a Knife is the most illuminating that I have encountered. Col. John A. Nagl very meticulously converts knowledge obtained in writing his Masters and Doctorate theses into a readable analysis of military success in Malaya and non-success in Vietnam.

You must read his preface to the paperback edition both before and after reading the book; this in fairness to our gallant folks serving in the Middle East. You must also abandon any hopes you may have for a blood-and-guts exposé of battleground behavior.

This is science, not sensationalism.

I wish that our military AND our civilian leaders had been able to study this book and to do serious, long-term advanced planning for Iraq based upon it. I am convinced that such luxury would have placed us in a vastly different position than our current one.

Counterinsurgency.......2007-07-03

This book is an excellent review of the successful British counterinsurgency war in Malaysia and the unsuccessful US counterinsurgency in Vietnam. The author draws the correct conclusion that it is necessary to win the support of the people. The author misses the important lesson that the British war cost Britain probably 100 dead vs. the Vietnam cost to the US of 50,000. The second lesson that the author should have learned is that it is critical to keep our casualties low. It is better to take a long time (like the British did - 12 years) that to suffer higher casualties.

Insightful Book for military buff.......2007-06-18

I bought a copy of this book for my boyfriend, serving in the US Army. He enjoys it, recommended it to his fellow officers.

Designing Sustainable Communities: Learning From Village Homes

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Sustainable Communities

Designing Sustainable Communities: Learning From Village Homes
Michael Corbett , and Judy Corbett
Manufacturer: Island Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1559636866

Customer Reviews:

Sustainable Communities.......2000-04-03

Judy and Michael Corbett have written a brief and thoughtful, not to mention well-informed book on the subject of designing and building sustainable communities. The various chapters on the history of their subject, on their seminal and justifiably respected community in Davis, CA, and on elements of the planning process and the integration of real estate pragmatics with environmental ideals will serve as both a user-friendly introduction for lay readers and a handy reference for professionals looking to expand their horizons. The writing is clear and uncomplicated, the design of the book is simple and straightforward, and there is the nice sense throughout that it has been put together by people who know wherof they speak. One complaint: it's unclear why a paperback published by a non-academic press would be priced a bit high but it is unfortunate, as it will serve to prevent this book from reaching the broader audience it deserves.

Social and General Analysis in Natural Resource Development : Learning Studies and Lessons From Asia

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Social and General Analysis in Natural Resource Development : Learning Studies and Lessons From Asia

Manufacturer: Sage Publications Pvt. Ltd
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Product Description

This volume presents encounters with rural men and women in South Asian and Southeast Asian countries working for local and national governments and for non-governmental organizations. The six case studies-drawn from India, Nepal, China, Viet Nam and Mongolia-highlight a diversity of efforts to integrate social and gender analysis into natural resource management research. They represent 'learning stories' for those involved in farming and livestock interventions in the upland areas of Asia. They point to the importance of local history and to the interlocking of 'local' and 'supra-local' forces. The cases selected present examples of challenges and opportunities, as also successes and disappointments, encountered while integrating social and gender analysis. They also highlight the variety of methods used and adapted in diverse contexts, reflect on what has been done and is being done in terms of capacity development and, most importantly, how this is being done and the enabling and constraining factors that affect the process.

Community Forestry in the United States: Learning from the Past, Crafting the Future

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Community Forestry in the United States: Learning from the Past, Crafting the Future
Mark Baker , and Jonathan Kusel
Manufacturer: Island Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1559639849

Book Description

Across the United States, people are developing new relationships with the forest ecosystems on which they depend, with a common goal of improving the health of the land and the well-being of their communities. Practitioners and supporters of what has come to be called community forestry are challenging current approaches to forest management as they seek to end the historical disfranchisement of communities and workers from forest management and the all-too-pervasive trends of long-term disinvestment in ecosystems and human communities that have undermined the health of both.

Book Description

Through generations of innovation and experiment, smallholder farmers have nurtured a rich diversity of plants and animals, both wild and domesticated. This publication is based on the fieldwork of the United Nations University Project on People, Land Management and Environmental Change (PLEC), a project that studies how farmers use their knowledge and expertise to efficiently manage biodiversity and environmental resources. It highlights smallholder farmers' positive experiences and draws lessons in support of agrobiodiversity.

Crazy Mountains: Learning from Wilderness to Weigh Technology (S U N Y Series in Environmental Public Policy)

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Excellent insight into technology
Good but derivative

Crazy Mountains: Learning from Wilderness to Weigh Technology (S U N Y Series in Environmental Public Policy)
David Strong
Manufacturer: State University of New York Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0791426513

Book Description

Reality is slipping away, writes David Strong in Crazy Mountains, and is being eroded by a glut of technological devices and commodities. But all is not lost if we learn to care for the things at the center of the good life.

Written in the tradition of Walden and A River Runs Through It with philosophical clarity and literary power, this book opens with a vivid account of the Crazy Mountains of Montana, an island of high, craggy peaks, forest, meadows, and rushing streams, surrounded by the sweep of the high plains. A newly-bulldozed road and a planned timber sale jeopardize the wild character of the range and trigger the wide-ranging reflections of this remarkable book.

Technology is transforming Earth in increasingly extensive ways, and Strong urges us to awaken from the spell of technology--from the unexamined belief that its devices and commodities make our lives good. He warns that even an environmental ethic can be subverted by the glamorous pull of the consumer culture. From wilderness we learn what things are real and how this reality can re-order our lives, our communities, and our nation. We learn another way to be.

This is a one-of-a-kind book. It soars gracefully, yet presents a comprehensive vision of the challenge wilderness offers to our contemporary culture.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent insight into technology.......2007-05-09

Strong gets to the heart of the matter of modern technological society in Crazy Mountains. He explores the nature of technology and how it casts its spell on modern society. The solution he discusses for resisting this hold of technology on our lives is insightful and provocative. Drawing from Albert Borgmann's work, he brings a level of eloquence and personal interaction to the discussion not found in Borgmann.

Good but derivative.......1998-05-08

A good book that answers the tough philosphical question--what makes vicarious technological experience less rich than 'authentic' experience. Borrows a lot from author's mentor's work which is excellent--Albert Borgmann's Technology and the Characater of contemporary life

The Holy Land: A poem on the restoration of learning in the East ; Joseph made known to his brethren ; A few sonnets attempted from Petrarch ; Hendecasyllabi (Romantic context)

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The Holy Land: A poem on the restoration of learning in the East ; Joseph made known to his brethren ; A few sonnets attempted from Petrarch ; Hendecasyllabi (Romantic context)
Francis Wrangham
Manufacturer: Garland Pub
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Integrated River Basin Governance: Learning from International Experience

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Integrated River Basin Governance: Learning from International Experience
Bruce Hooper
Manufacturer: IWA Publishing (Intl Water Assoc)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Environmental & Natural Resources Law | Law | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 1843390884

Learning from China?: Development and Environment in Third World Countries

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Learning from China?: Development and Environment in Third World Countries

Manufacturer: Unwin Hyman
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Development & Growth | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

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LEARNING FROM DIFFERENCE: TEACHING MORRISON, TWAIN, ELLISON, AND E

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New paradigm for contemporary American literature studies

LEARNING FROM DIFFERENCE: TEACHING MORRISON, TWAIN, ELLISON, AND E
RICHARD C. MORELAND
Manufacturer: Ohio State University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Curricula | Education | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0814208231

Customer Reviews:

New paradigm for contemporary American literature studies.......1999-10-22

Moreland's insightful, persuasive book blazes a new trail for anyone interested in teaching or reading 20th century American lit. This book is essential to the developing New canon.

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