Center for a New American Security

David Ucko is a friend of the blog and the author of a new book on the efforts made by the U.S. military to transform itself to meet the operational challenges of Iraq and Afghanistan. The New Counterinsurgency Era: Transforming the U.S.

Greg Jaffe is one the nation's leading defense correspondents, has won the Pulitzer Prize, and had the good sense to marry a girl from East Tennessee.

Congratulations, you've been selected as a combat advisor.

So, what to do next? Kip is hoping you have a bit of time for some professional development. The US military, you see, has learned some lessons along the way on advising. Alas, it has forgotten as much as it has learned...but whether you're a professional soldier or just interested in the most important military mission in Afghanistan and Iraq, here are some selections for you to look at.

As Kip was once making an enthusiastic presentation to a general officer, an aide to the general said, toward the end of the presentation, "I like his [Kip's] enthusiasm."

The general quipped, "I have learned never to mistake enthusiasm with capability."

Antonio Giustozzi, Koran, Kalashnikov, and the Laptop: The Neo Taliban Insurgency in Afghanistan Afghanistan, Book Club, insurgency, COIN

"War no longer exists.

For our 7th Book Club, guest contributor Tom Ricks has graciously permitted his fans at Abu Muqawama to reprint his review of Piers Mackesy's "The War of American 1775-1783," which originally ran in the Washington Post's Book World on 16 March 2008. Our thanks to him for drawing our attention to this rare feat of strategic history.

Five years into their war to retain control of America, the British thought they were winning.

Back by popular demand, the long-awaited Book Club has returned.

Wars are by their nature dialectical struggles in addition to being physical ones. Clashes of human interest are stemmed as much by clashes in belief as they are by clashes in human interest. Indeed, at times it becomes impossible to define the boundary between interest and belief.

Hey, folks, Abu Muqawama wants to bring a few things to your attention:

This week's edition of the COIN Book Club is another work of fiction: The Quiet American, by Graham Greene. Charlie will admit to this being one of her favorite books of all time.