Reddit reviews A Savage War of Peace: Algeria 1954-1962 (New York Review Books Classics)

It's kind of frightening to think that there's so much to learn about the last 150-200 years just to be able to get some sense of of it all. We teach our children almost nothing in school and, somewhere along the line, being well-read became socially unacceptable and "good" writers fewer and farther between.

By the way, if you have any interest in French military history in Indo-China and Algeria, I can suggest:

Hell In A Very Small Place: The Siege Of Dien Bien Phu

Street Without Joy: The French Debacle In Indochina

A Savage War of Peace: Algeria 1954-1962

I find military history a good starting point to researching who\what\why\how of any particular time and place.

I'm also fond of the history of The Crimean War; absolutely fascinating glimpse into the start of what many would consider "how it all ended up this way". Just really neat history that branches off in so many directions.

I would highly recommend this book for anyone who is interested.

I am one of the mods at /r/geopolitics responsible for the wiki which has an extensive list of books and other references for those interested in international affairs. For your convenience, I have included the section on books and news sources on MENA below. If there is anything that you are specifically interested in, let me know and I can help you narrow down your search. As it is right now there is a lot of information out there.

Books on the Middle East & North Africa

General History

Author | Title | Synopsis
---|---|----
Albert Hourani | A History of the Arab Peoples | This is widely considered to be the definitive book on history in the Arab World, though a little dated.
Eugene Rogan | The Arabs: A History | Another essential and critically acclaimed book on Arab history.
Roy Mottahedeh | The Mantle of the Prophet | Role of religion and religious figures in Iran before and during the Islamic Revolution in 1979.
Mark Lynch | The Arab Uprising: The Unfinished Revolutions of the New Middle East | An outline of the causes, reactions, and consequences of the Arab Spring.

Military History

Author | Title | Synopsis
---|---|----
Kenneth Pollack | Arabs at War: Military Effectiveness, 1948-1991 | Probably the best book on Arab militaries culture and effectiveness and warfare in the Middle East between 1945-1991. Very extensive and informative.
Steven Ward | Immortal: A Military History of Iran and Its Armed Forces | A well-written history of Iran's military, from the Safavid Empire to the 21st century.
Ahron Bregman | Israel's Wars: A History since 1947 | A terrific book outlining Israel's strategic decision making for its military operations since its founding as a country.
Bruce Hoffman | Anonymous Soldiers: The Struggle for Israel, 1917-1947 | A look at Jewish terrorism and the establishment of Israel and the development of the current Arab-Israeli conflict.

Terrorism, Insurgencies, & Substate Violence

Author | Title | Synopsis
---|---|----
Daniel Byman | Al Qaeda, the Islamic State, and the Global Jihadist Movement: What Everyone Needs to Know | A terrific primer on al-Qaida, ISIL, and jihadism.
Lawrence Wright | The Looming Tower: Al-Qaeda and the Road to 9/11 | Probably the best book for outlining the history of al-Qaida and why 9/11 happened.
Michael Wiess and Hassan Hassan | ISIS: Inside the Army of Terror | One of several recent books on ISIL, this one provides an overview on the history and organization of ISIL.
Barry Rubin | Revolution Until Victory?: The Politics and History of the PLO | Although a little old (published in 1996), this books does a great job chronicling the history of the PLO and its role in the Palestinian struggle.
Alistar Horne | A Savage War of Peace: Algeria 1954-1962 | The definitive book on the Algerian War and the effects that it had in Algeria, France, and the rest of the world.
Charles Lister | The Syrian Jihad: Al-Qaeda, the Islamic State and the Evolution of an Insurgency | Written by an expert on jihadism in Syria, this books looks at the history and evolution of jihadists in the Syrian conflict.

U.S. Foreign Policy in the Middle East

Author | Title | Synopsis
---|---|----
Bob Woodward | Obama's Wars | Outline of the U.S. foreign policy decision making towards Iraq and Afghanistan in the early years of the Obama administration.
Kenneth Pollack | The Persian Puzzle: The Conflict Between Iran and America | A good overview of the history of support and tensions between the United States and Iran.
Michael R. Gordon | The Endgame: The Inside Story of the Struggle for Iraq, from George W. Bush to Barack Obama | Follows U.S. strategic and political decision making process during the Iraq War and the U.S. occupation.
Peter R. Mansoor | Surge: My Journey with General David Petraeus and the Remaking of the Iraq War | An extensive outline of the development and outcome of the Surge during the U.S. Occupation of Iraq.
Mark Mazzetti | The Way of the Knife: The CIA, a Secret Army, and a War at the Ends of the Earth | An overview of the CIA's targeted killing program against terrorist organizations.
Michael Morrell | The Great War of Our Time: The CIA's Fight Against Terrorism--From al Qa'ida to ISIS | Written by the former acting director of the CIA, this book examines U.S. counterterrorism successes and failures of the past two decades.

International News Sources that have good reporting on MENA

• The Economist - One of the most highly acclaimed English-language news sources that focuses on international news with in-depth reporting and analysis. Openly takes an editorial stance supportive of classical and economic liberalism.
  
• Financial Times - International daily newspaper with a special emphasis on international business and economic news.
  
• War on the Rocks - Reviews international political and security issues, U.S. national security issues, and alcohol.
  
• Foreign Policy - A website and semi-annual magazine that focuses on global affairs, current events, and domestic and international policy. A major publication in the field of field of international politics.
  
• International New York Times - The international version of one of the most preeminent American daily newspapers. Formerly known as the International Herald Tribune.
  
• Wall Street Journal - A highly acclaimed, business-focused international daily newspaper with strong reporting on international developments. The largest American newspaper by circulation.
  
  

  Middle East and North Africa News Sources
  

• Al-Monitor - Provides reporting and analysis from and about the Middle East through both original and translated content. Has media partnerships with major news organizations from countries in the Middle East.
  
• Jihadology - A clearing house for primary sources from terrorist organizations. Good place to go if you want to know what the other side is saying. Arabic skills sometimes required.
  
• Middle East Week - Looks at issues and topics in the contemporary Middle East that are not frequently talked about.
  
• Syria Comment - Blog run by Joshua Landis, a Syria expert, with frequent quest contributors. Focuses on Syria since before the start of the civil war.
  
• Musings on Iraq - Blog on Iraqi politics and society started in 2008 to explain the political, economic, security and cultural situation in Iraq via original articles and interviews.
  
• Syria Deeply - A clearing house for news on the Syrian Civil War.
  
• Hurriyet Daily News - Oldest English-language Turkish news organization, with a secular and center-left position on political issues.
  
• Haaretz - Israel's oldest daily newspaper. Known for its strongly left-wing and liberal stances on domestic and foreign issues.
  
  

When it comes to the modern view of counterinsurgency and guerrilla warfare, I would say that the Algerian War (1954-1962) would be a great example of the complexity of an actual conflict like this. The politics, the military engagements, what the urge to drive a certain group of soldiers to do anything to win will make them do, and constant twists to an already complicated mess makes it particularly fitting as an example. Alistair Horne's book A Savage War of Peace: Algeria 1954-1962 is considered to be the definitive book on the subject matter, albeit I would say that it's slightly outdated (with constant footnotes referring to The Troubles, interestingly enough) - but it does what it's supposed to do.

Lots of great answers everyone. I see that I have a lot of reading to do and that is a good thing. Just for anyone also interested I compiled all of the named books into a list and sourced them, for your reading pleasure.



The Accidental Guerrilla by David Kilcullen

Counterinsurgency by David Kilcullen

Out of the Mountains by David Kilcullen

Learning to Eat Soup With a Knife: Counterinsurgency Lessons From Malaya and Vietnam by John Nagl

Tactics of the Crescent Moon: Militant Muslim Combat Methods by John Poole

Modern War: Counter-Insurgency as Malpractice by Edward Luttwak

A Savage War of Peace by Alistar Horne

The Bear Went Over the Mountain by Lester Grau

Invisible Armies by Max Boot

Vid Putivla do Karpat by Sydir Artemovych Kovpac

Fire in the Lake by Frances FitzGerald

Inside Rebellion by Jeremy M. Weinstein