Armies of Sand: The Past, Present, and Future of Arab Military Effectiveness by

Description: Armies of Sand by Kenneth Pollack Armies of Sand asks, why have Arab militaries fought so poorly in the modern era? It examines the performance of over two-dozen Arab militaries from 1948 to 2017, and compares them to a half-dozen non-Arab militaries, to conclude that politics, economics, and culture all contributed to the past weakness of Arab armies. FORMAT Hardcover LANGUAGE English CONDITION Brand New Publisher Description Since the Second World War, Arab armed forces have consistently punched below their weight. They have lost many wars that by all rights they should have won, and in their best performances only ever achieved quite modest accomplishments. Over time, soldiers, scholars, and military experts have offered various explanations for this pattern. Reliance on Soviet military methods, the poor civil-military relations of the Arab world, the underdevelopment of the Arabstates, and patterns of behavior derived from the wider Arab culture, have all been suggested as the ultimate source of Arab military difficulties. In Armies of Sand, Kenneth M. Pollack assesses thesediffering explanations and isolates the most important causes. Over the course of the book, he examines the combat performance of fifteen Arab armies and air forces in virtually every Middle Eastern war, from the Jordanians and Syrians in 1948 to Hizballah in 2006 and the Iraqis and ISIS in 2014-2017. The book ultimately concludes that reliance on Soviet doctrine was more of a help than a hindrance to the Arabs. In contrast, politicization and underdevelopment were both important factorslimiting Arab military effectiveness, but patterns of behavior derived from the dominant Arab culture was the most important factor of all. Pollack closes with a discussion of the rapid changes occurringacross the Arab world, and suggests that because both Arab society and warfare are changing, the problems that have bedeviled Arab armed forces in the past could dissipate or even vanish in the future, with potentially dramatic consequences for the Middle East military balance. Sweeping in its coverage, this will be the go-to reference for anyone interested in the history of warfare in the Middle East since 1945. Author Biography Kenneth M. Pollack was a longtime Senior Fellow of the Brookings Institution, where he ran the Saban Center for Middle East Policy, and is currently a Resident Scholar of the American Enterprise Institute. Table of Contents ForewordAcknowledgmentsIntroduction: The Six-Day War and the Mystery of Arab Military Ineffectiveness1. Pattens of Arab Military PerformancePart I: Soviet Doctrine2. The Soviet Way of War3. Arab Militaries and Soviet Doctrine4. North Korea, Cuba, and Soviet DoctrinePart II: Politicization5. Politicization6. Arab Militaries and Politicization: Egypt7. Arab Militaries and Politicization: Iraq8. Politicization and the South Vietnamese Armed Forces9. Politicization and the Argentine Armed ForcesPart III: Underdevelopment10. Economic Development and Military Effectiveness11. Economic Development and Syrian Military Effectiveness12. Economic Development and the Libya-Chad Wars13. Economic Development and Chinese Military Effectiveness14. Economic Development and Arab Military EffectivenessPart IV: Culture15. War and Culture16. Arab Culture as an Explanation for Military Ineffectiveness17. Aab Culture: Patterns and Predilections18. Arab Culture and Arab Military Effectiveness19. Arab Culture and Civilian Organizations20. Culture and Education: The Causal Link21. Arab Military Training Methods22. Exceptional Arab Militaries: State Armed Forces23. Exceptional Arab Militaries: Nonstate ArmiesConclusions: The Past, Present, and Future of Arab Military EffectivenessNotesSelected BibliographyIndex Review "A masterful, wide-ranging, compelling study of why Arab armies have typically fared poorly in combat. With this certain-to-be classic work, Ken Pollack solidifies his position as one of the worlds foremost scholars on Middle Eastern military and political affairs." -- General David Petraeus (US Army, Ret.), former Director of the CIA"Ken Pollack argues convincingly that efforts to uncover causes of military success or failure must begin far from the battlefield. He shines new light on social, economic, political, and cultural impediments to improving military effectiveness in Arab states. His argument that the influence of culture is predominant is certain to generate introspection among Arab leaders and their overseas partners who support their military reform efforts. This should be readand debated by readers who want to understand better this complex and important region." -- H.R. McMaster, Former National Security Advisor and author of Dereliction of Duty"Few if any military analysts know as much, or have thought as deeply, about Arab armies as has Ken Pollack. In Armies of Sand-a masterpiece of political science-he distills a lifetime of learning to grapple with the most important and most difficult questions that lie at the intersection of technology, culture and politics. Essential reading for anyone interested in understanding the dynamics of warfare in the Middle East." -- Max Boot, authorof Invisible Armies"Armies of Sand belongs in the library of every military professional serving in the Middle East, whether Western or Arab. It is a unique blend of military history and social science that comprehensively explains the military effectiveness of our Arab friends and foes alike. Pollack has courageously and objectively tackled the sensitive subject of culture, which we ignore at our peril. Armed with its insights, future commanders might avoid thesurprises and frustrations that have long been the hallmarks of military operations in this theater of persistent conflict." -- Lieutenant General Sean MacFarland, U.S. Army (Ret.); Commander of Coalition forces inIraq and Syria, 2015-2016"This is a path-breaking volume on an uncomfortable topic: Arab military failure. Kenneth Pollack is the model of the engaged scholar, whose extensive field experience on todays battlefields complements his knowledge of military affairs and the Arab world more broadly. The volume is lucid, comprehensive and fascinating. His conclusions about the relationship between culture and military effectiveness will be controversial, but they are compellingly put andwill set the terms of debate for years to come." -- Eliot A. Cohen, Robert E. Osgood Professor of Strategic Studies, Johns Hopkins-SAIS Promotional In Armies of Sand, Kenneth Pollack provides both a sweeping history of Arab military failure since the end of World War II and a powerful explanation for why they have been so consistently unsuccessful. Long Description Since World War II, Arab armed forces have consistently punched below their weight--they have lost many wars that by all rights they should have won, and in their best performances only ever achieved quite modest accomplishments. Over time, soldiers, scholars, and military experts have offered various explanations for this pattern. Reliance on Soviet military methods, the poor civil-military relations of the Arab world, the underdevelopment of the Arab states, andpatterns of behavior derived from the wider Arab culture, have all been suggested as the ultimate source of Arab military difficulties. Armies of Sand, powerful and riveting history of Arab armies from the end of World War Two to the present, assesses these differing explanations and isolates the most important causes. Over the course of the book, he examines the combat performance of fifteen Arab armies and air forces in virtually every Middle Eastern war, from the Jordanians and Syrians in 1948 to Hizballah in 2006 and the Iraqis and ISIS in 2014-2017. He then compares these experiences to the performance of theArgentine, Chadian, Chinese, Cuban, North Korean, and South Vietnamese armed forces in their own combat operations during the twentieth century. The book ultimately concludes that reliance on Soviet doctrine was more of a help than a hindrance to the Arabs. In contrast, politicization and underdevelopment wereboth important factors limiting Arab military effectiveness, but patterns of behavior derived from the dominant Arab culture was the most important factor of all. Pollack closes with a discussion of the rapid changes occurring across the Arab world-political, economic, and cultural-as well as the rapid evolution in war making as a result of the information revolution. He suggests that because both Arab society and warfare are changing, the problems that have bedeviled Arab armed forces in thepast could dissipate or even vanish in the future, with potentially dramatic consequences for the Middle East military balance. Sweeping in its historical coverage and highly accessible, this will be the go-to reference for anyone interested in the history of warfare in the Middle East since1945. Review Text "A masterful, wide-ranging, compelling study of why Arab armies have typically fared poorly in combat. With this certain-to-be classic work, Ken Pollack solidifies his position as one of the worlds foremost scholars on Middle Eastern military and political affairs." -- General David Petraeus (US Army, Ret.), former Director of the CIA"Ken Pollack argues convincingly that efforts to uncover causes of military success or failure must begin far from the battlefield. He shines new light on social, economic, political, and cultural impediments to improving military effectiveness in Arab states. His argument that the influence of culture is predominant is certain to generate introspection among Arab leaders and their overseas partners who support their military reform efforts. This should be readand debated by readers who want to understand better this complex and important region." -- H.R. McMaster, Former National Security Advisor and author of Dereliction of Duty"Few if any military analysts know as much, or have thought as deeply, about Arab armies as has Ken Pollack. In Armies of Sand-a masterpiece of political science-he distills a lifetime of learning to grapple with the most important and most difficult questions that lie at the intersection of technology, culture and politics. Essential reading for anyone interested in understanding the dynamics of warfare in the Middle East." -- Max Boot, authorof Invisible Armies"Armies of Sand belongs in the library of every military professional serving in the Middle East, whether Western or Arab. It is a unique blend of military history and social science that comprehensively explains the military effectiveness of our Arab friends and foes alike. Pollack has courageously and objectively tackled the sensitive subject of culture, which we ignore at our peril. Armed with its insights, future commanders might avoid thesurprises and frustrations that have long been the hallmarks of military operations in this theater of persistent conflict." -- Lieutenant General Sean MacFarland, U.S. Army (Ret.); Commander of Coalition forces inIraq and Syria, 2015-2016"This is a path-breaking volume on an uncomfortable topic: Arab military failure. Kenneth Pollack is the model of the engaged scholar, whose extensive field experience on todays battlefields complements his knowledge of military affairs and the Arab world more broadly. The volume is lucid, comprehensive and fascinating. His conclusions about the relationship between culture and military effectiveness will be controversial, but they are compellingly put andwill set the terms of debate for years to come." -- Eliot A. Cohen, Robert E. Osgood Professor of Strategic Studies, Johns Hopkins-SAIS Review Quote "A masterful, wide-ranging, compelling study of why Arab armies have typically fared poorly in combat. With this certain-to-be classic work, Ken Pollack solidifies his position as one of the worlds foremost scholars on Middles Eastern military and political affairs." -- General David Petraeus (US Army, Ret.), former Director of the CIA "Ken Pollack argues convincingly that efforts to uncover causes of military success or failure must begin far from the battlefield. He shines new light on social, economic, political, and cultural impediments to improving military effectiveness in Arab states. His argument that the influence of culture is predominant is certain to generate introspection among Arab leaders and their overseas partners who support their military reform efforts. This should be read and debated by readers who want to understand better this complex and important region." -- H.R. McMaster, Former National Security Advisor and author of Dereliction of Duty "Few if any military analysts know as much, or have thought as deeply, about Arab armies as has Ken Pollack. In Armies of Sand-a masterpiece of political science-he distills a lifetime of learning to grapple with the most important and most difficult questions that lie at the intersection of technology, culture and politics. Essential reading for anyone interested in understanding the dynamics of warfare in the Middle East." -- Max Boot, author of Invisible Armies "Armies of Sand belongs in the library of every military professional serving in the Middle East, whether Western or Arab. It is a unique blend of military history and social science that comprehensively explains the military effectiveness of our Arab friends and foes alike. Pollack has courageously and objectively tackled the sensitive subject of culture, which we ignore at our peril. Armed with its insights, future commanders might avoid the surprises and frustrations that have long been the hallmarks of military operations in this theater of persistent conflict." -- Lieutenant General Sean MacFarland, U.S. Army (Ret.); Commander of Coalition forces in Iraq and Syria, 2015-2016 "This is a path-breaking volume on an uncomfortable topic: Arab military failure. Kenneth Pollack is the model of the engaged scholar, whose extensive field experience on todays battlefields complements his knowledge of military affairs and the Arab world more broadly. The volume is lucid, comprehensive and fascinating. His conclusions about the relationship between culture and military effectiveness will be controversial, but they are compellingly put and will set the terms of debate for years to come." -- Eliot A. Cohen, Robert E. Osgood Professor of Strategic Studies, Johns Hopkins-SAIS Feature Selling point: Provides a powerful explanation of the ineffectiveness of Arab militaries over the last half-centurySelling point: Compares Arab military performance with many other non-superpower combatants over the course of the last 75 years to establish his caseSelling point: Considers how the social and cultural changes that are currently transforming the Arab world may impact Arab military effectiveness going forward Details ISBN0190906960 ISBN-10 0190906960 ISBN-13 9780190906962 Format Hardcover Publisher Oxford University Press Inc Year 2019 Pages 696 Imprint Oxford University Press Inc Subtitle The Past, Present, and Future of Arab Military Effectiveness Place of Publication New York Country of Publication United States Short Title Armies of Sand Language English Author Kenneth Pollack Publication Date 2019-03-14 UK Release Date 2019-03-14 NZ Release Date 2019-03-14 US Release Date 2019-03-14 Illustrations 27 maps DEWEY 335.033017492709045 Audience Professional & Vocational AU Release Date 2019-01-15 We've got this At The Nile, if you're looking for it, we've got it. 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