What do you think?
Rate this book
Everyman's War
Everyman’s War is a collection of insightful essays that describe our participatory role in securing ourselves and our progeny. Defence, internal security and terrorism are important yet closely guarded issues. Even as outrage over safety of women and rising terror take centrestage, there continues to be limited access to information on the subjects of national defence and security - especially in a language that a layman can understand. Raghu Raman, an expert on security and terrorism, presents issues of defence, strategy and national security in an engaging narrative, with historical and contemporary examples. He recalibrates the great ‘India rising’ story with its real and present dangers and the role of a regular citizen in this everyman’s war.
- GenresNonfictionIndia
240 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 2013
20 people are currently reading
279 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
August 30, 2019
“Terrorism has matured as a psychological instrument of war whose main objective is terrorizing the mind of survivors rather than notching up a tally of absolute deaths.”
A very engrossing and engaging read, this book is a compilation of insightful articles. The simplistic tone of the book and the way it’s written is so positive even when the concepts explained are about terms such as terrorism, counterterrorism, national security, and the likes. The author not only jots down steps that are taken and must be taken at a national level but also emphasizes on the need to have a conscience at an individual level and what a common man can/should do to contribute.
The author educates about various world events like the world's first suicide bomber who was a mere 13yr old boy, LTTE holding the most number of suicide attacks, implementation of the Enactment of Patriot Act by US President 6 weeks after 9/11 attack, Operation thunderbolt of Israel.
There are also many eye-openers about India such as – ‘The private guarding business in India is the second-largest employer of manpower after the manufacturing industry’
The article on ‘How countries decide upon any weapon system’ stands out for me. How the choice of a weapon system has less to do with the specifics of its technical capability and more to do with the imperatives of strategic doctrine is beautifully explained. This book clearly deserves a read!
A very engrossing and engaging read, this book is a compilation of insightful articles. The simplistic tone of the book and the way it’s written is so positive even when the concepts explained are about terms such as terrorism, counterterrorism, national security, and the likes. The author not only jots down steps that are taken and must be taken at a national level but also emphasizes on the need to have a conscience at an individual level and what a common man can/should do to contribute.
The author educates about various world events like the world's first suicide bomber who was a mere 13yr old boy, LTTE holding the most number of suicide attacks, implementation of the Enactment of Patriot Act by US President 6 weeks after 9/11 attack, Operation thunderbolt of Israel.
There are also many eye-openers about India such as – ‘The private guarding business in India is the second-largest employer of manpower after the manufacturing industry’
The article on ‘How countries decide upon any weapon system’ stands out for me. How the choice of a weapon system has less to do with the specifics of its technical capability and more to do with the imperatives of strategic doctrine is beautifully explained. This book clearly deserves a read!
May 15, 2023
There is simply no way to achieve zero tolerance to terrorism in an environment that has high tolerance for every other crime.
“Everyman’s War” is a message. Loud. Direct. Clear.
That we are in some ways responsible for escalating terrorism and war in our sphere as we knowingly or unknowingly contribute to the success of those very channels which proliferate crimes, war and terror. That we remain ignorant, complacent and unwatchful in recognising the far-reaching consequences of each crime that we are surrounded by.
“Everyman’s War” is compilation of essays by Raghu Raman (an expert on terrorism and security) published as a part of the Mint Business Series.
Each essay in the book and each word is carefully planned and thought for. Simple facts. But hard-hitting. Resulting in reflection and new perceptions.
As the book clearly repeats again and again, terror and war is not a border-limited issue anymore. War and terror are imported into our geographies and live side by side with us. The format of war has changed.
Says Raghu Raman, “The format of terrorism is to put your people or inject them inside the location where the attack is going to take place.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iPnaP...
He is emphatic that we, as citizens, are not victims, but are collectively the frontline troops in the battle against terror.
The chapter, “Can’t afford to Ignore the Enemy at the Gates” focuses on this strongly-as parents and citizens, we are making the mistake of focusing on ‘our sphere of interest’ rather than our ‘sphere of influence’. The writer emphasizes strongly on not ignoring the enemy at the gates- we need to concentrate on basic security measures at home, at work, trying to improve the behaviours of our surroundings, leading to a healthier society, and maybe wistfully, healthier minds, and a safer world.
And the gravest effect, as the author rightly points out is the diversion of resources from development into security, which is so very detrimental to progress and growth.
While laying out his theories, he has differentiated between fight, conflict and war.
Fighting is a much baser instinct hardwired in our primordial brain.
Conflict is a mental and physical state where two different instincts are chosen depending on the situation.
War, on the other hand is a planned and coordinated form of theft that originated about 10,000 years ago.
The Chapter, Demons and Angels gives rise to self-introspection and self-thought. Humans can inflict terrible cruelty or be incredibly selfless-society needs to choose the right role model.
It is the last chapter which I really loved. ‘We Need a Hero to Fix the Mess’- And if we want to-we all can be one. All it takes is to get involved. Hope. Determination. Action.
#bookreview #review #nonfiction #security #strategy
“Everyman’s War” is a message. Loud. Direct. Clear.
That we are in some ways responsible for escalating terrorism and war in our sphere as we knowingly or unknowingly contribute to the success of those very channels which proliferate crimes, war and terror. That we remain ignorant, complacent and unwatchful in recognising the far-reaching consequences of each crime that we are surrounded by.
“Everyman’s War” is compilation of essays by Raghu Raman (an expert on terrorism and security) published as a part of the Mint Business Series.
Each essay in the book and each word is carefully planned and thought for. Simple facts. But hard-hitting. Resulting in reflection and new perceptions.
As the book clearly repeats again and again, terror and war is not a border-limited issue anymore. War and terror are imported into our geographies and live side by side with us. The format of war has changed.
Says Raghu Raman, “The format of terrorism is to put your people or inject them inside the location where the attack is going to take place.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iPnaP...
He is emphatic that we, as citizens, are not victims, but are collectively the frontline troops in the battle against terror.
The chapter, “Can’t afford to Ignore the Enemy at the Gates” focuses on this strongly-as parents and citizens, we are making the mistake of focusing on ‘our sphere of interest’ rather than our ‘sphere of influence’. The writer emphasizes strongly on not ignoring the enemy at the gates- we need to concentrate on basic security measures at home, at work, trying to improve the behaviours of our surroundings, leading to a healthier society, and maybe wistfully, healthier minds, and a safer world.
And the gravest effect, as the author rightly points out is the diversion of resources from development into security, which is so very detrimental to progress and growth.
While laying out his theories, he has differentiated between fight, conflict and war.
Fighting is a much baser instinct hardwired in our primordial brain.
Conflict is a mental and physical state where two different instincts are chosen depending on the situation.
War, on the other hand is a planned and coordinated form of theft that originated about 10,000 years ago.
The Chapter, Demons and Angels gives rise to self-introspection and self-thought. Humans can inflict terrible cruelty or be incredibly selfless-society needs to choose the right role model.
It is the last chapter which I really loved. ‘We Need a Hero to Fix the Mess’- And if we want to-we all can be one. All it takes is to get involved. Hope. Determination. Action.
#bookreview #review #nonfiction #security #strategy
November 22, 2020
The book is a collection of a series of essays on terrorism, it's origination, manifestation, impact, intention and successful/not so successful attempts made worldwide to tackle this problem.
The first part of the book inter-alia, provides quite a couple of instances taken from all around the world about the intentions of terrorists, strategies adopted by them and evolution of their strategies over a period of time. Excerpts on how they obtain young recruits, how they train them, how they are converted into ruthless killing machines and scuicide bombs are deeply fascinating.
The second part of the book focusses on how armed forces and governments have dealt with horrifying situations perpetrated and unreasonable demands made by them.
The third part, personally my most favourite part of the book attempts to make a realisation amongst the readers how as a society we can contribute towards addressing this problem. The fact I liked most about the book is that authors advocates creation of an environment, which once targeted to be created, will not only address terrorism but also other socio-economic challenges faced by India and world. Very aptly said a society or a country where there is some level of tolerance towards issues like poverty, loots, corruption can't successful aim to get rid of terrorism. Afterall terrorists do rely on infrastructure they intend to attack and take advantage of loopholes in the law implementation machinery of government.
Overall, the book is a great read for anyone interested to know more about terrorism, its affects on countries and solutions aimed to tackle this.
The first part of the book inter-alia, provides quite a couple of instances taken from all around the world about the intentions of terrorists, strategies adopted by them and evolution of their strategies over a period of time. Excerpts on how they obtain young recruits, how they train them, how they are converted into ruthless killing machines and scuicide bombs are deeply fascinating.
The second part of the book focusses on how armed forces and governments have dealt with horrifying situations perpetrated and unreasonable demands made by them.
The third part, personally my most favourite part of the book attempts to make a realisation amongst the readers how as a society we can contribute towards addressing this problem. The fact I liked most about the book is that authors advocates creation of an environment, which once targeted to be created, will not only address terrorism but also other socio-economic challenges faced by India and world. Very aptly said a society or a country where there is some level of tolerance towards issues like poverty, loots, corruption can't successful aim to get rid of terrorism. Afterall terrorists do rely on infrastructure they intend to attack and take advantage of loopholes in the law implementation machinery of government.
Overall, the book is a great read for anyone interested to know more about terrorism, its affects on countries and solutions aimed to tackle this.
July 21, 2025
I deeply admire Raghu Raman, someone erudite and scholarly, bringing a sense of the instilled army discipline in his demeanour to his speeches and public discourses. It is hard not to admire someone like him. I also find him, someone worthy of a consequence, given his stature and career trajectory he managed to take beyond his stint in the Indian Army.
With such tall expectations coming from someone as erudite as Raghu Raman himself, I was slightly expecting something worth calling literature from him. Instead this book felt like a bunch of blog posts, each regurgitated with a different spin (which, admittedly yes, were a bunch of articles combined together to form a book). There were rarely few articles that someone belonging to the general populace would have readily been able to relate to.
And while he attempts toward answering the question "What can normal citizens perform in critical war-like situations", it yet does not hide away the fact that most decisions pertaining to war-like situations are still going to be centralised, limited to the top brass in the government.
I don't particularly think there's really much to gain for a layman from reading a book like this, except gloat over the fact that we've got a fantastic army worth being proud of.
And a patriot, I deeply do. Thanks for your service, RR.
With such tall expectations coming from someone as erudite as Raghu Raman himself, I was slightly expecting something worth calling literature from him. Instead this book felt like a bunch of blog posts, each regurgitated with a different spin (which, admittedly yes, were a bunch of articles combined together to form a book). There were rarely few articles that someone belonging to the general populace would have readily been able to relate to.
And while he attempts toward answering the question "What can normal citizens perform in critical war-like situations", it yet does not hide away the fact that most decisions pertaining to war-like situations are still going to be centralised, limited to the top brass in the government.
I don't particularly think there's really much to gain for a layman from reading a book like this, except gloat over the fact that we've got a fantastic army worth being proud of.
And a patriot, I deeply do. Thanks for your service, RR.
May 20, 2018
A topic like national security is serious, complex and risks becoming academic. Raghu Raman definitely deserves credit for simplifying it for an audience that may not have the faintest idea of the subject. His writing is engaging and appeals to both intellect and emotion. Thanks to his diverse experience, his arguments present dimensions of a situation through multiple lenses, from the perspective of different stakeholders. Though there is a repetition of ideas (considering this is a compilation of his articles), it only serves to reinforce his messages.
January 22, 2021
This is the must read book for every Indians. Raghu Raman very describes very important issues and way to improve them in very excellent manner I will suggest everyone to read this book. This book will give you overview of where our country right now as compared to world. So must read
December 4, 2016
My Book Review can be read here.
http://booklibraryreviews.blogspot.in...
http://booklibraryreviews.blogspot.in...
September 17, 2016
Beautiful collection of essays. Full of trivia. It's the kind of book that would have godsend during my CBSE schooling days for the writing section of the English exam. The sentences are beautifully constructed, the advices rendered are generic and yet actionable.
A great introduction to military strategy from a society's perspective.
A great introduction to military strategy from a society's perspective.
February 20, 2014
Folks who are from the Security (Physical & Logical) and Defense domain do not need any introduction to the credentials of Captain Raghu Raman. Ex-Serviceman, CEO of a Security Consulting Group, Leadership speaker at Ivy League business schools and most recently CEO of National Intelligence Grid . The vast experience he holds which made me pick up this book.
This book is in three parts
1.Terrorism and Asymmetric Warfare
2.Lessons learned from Armed Forces
3.Understanding National Security and our role in securing our own environments
The topics covered in this book range from topics which is closer to us such as physical security to broader geopolitical issues. The language is simple to understand and it gives a common man a good understanding of the subject.
Few interesting points that I noted
1.The root cause of war is nothing but a competition to grab scarce resources. The main objective of war is often obscured in a religious or political dogma
2.Though being a defense personal and now working in a related domain, the author seems to be in most of his essays against the concept of war stating it to be an economic drain to the country.
3.He also states that the real aim of terrorism is to create fear psychosis and that it is an attack to the morale of the people. He stresses on increased costs of enhanced security which a nation has to go through as a result of these acts
I also loved the great nuggets of information and historical wartime anecdotes cited in this book. If you are interested in security strategy this book is for you. Go for it!
This book is in three parts
1.Terrorism and Asymmetric Warfare
2.Lessons learned from Armed Forces
3.Understanding National Security and our role in securing our own environments
The topics covered in this book range from topics which is closer to us such as physical security to broader geopolitical issues. The language is simple to understand and it gives a common man a good understanding of the subject.
Few interesting points that I noted
1.The root cause of war is nothing but a competition to grab scarce resources. The main objective of war is often obscured in a religious or political dogma
2.Though being a defense personal and now working in a related domain, the author seems to be in most of his essays against the concept of war stating it to be an economic drain to the country.
3.He also states that the real aim of terrorism is to create fear psychosis and that it is an attack to the morale of the people. He stresses on increased costs of enhanced security which a nation has to go through as a result of these acts
I also loved the great nuggets of information and historical wartime anecdotes cited in this book. If you are interested in security strategy this book is for you. Go for it!
December 23, 2013
Words are not enuf to summarize the importance of this book. A great insight and literally an eye opener at some places. Yes, this nation may be deteriorating piece by piece because of the intricacies it faces. If diversity is our strength then ironically it could be a weakness too. People can be broken/separated/classified/divided on the basis of language, religion, socioeconomic parameters etc. At last it is the people of this nation that will determine how to use it (diversity), as a potent tool, in crisis. After all it is the group effort that really matters.
May 12, 2016
Too disappointing for my expectation. It doesn’t cite proper examples of army situations and dilemmas, not even anecdotes of the men in action. The book is a collection of “insightful essays” so don’t expect anything in detail. The author just puts out vague ideas which a morally sound person already knows and adheres to. For a first-hand experience read the section from archives of the newspaper and then buy if it intrigues you.
March 13, 2014
The book offers deep, interesting insights into the problems of the world at large and how they affect India. It is an easy book to read and draws the reader into the subject by offering unique perspectives.
I loved the way the author finished each essay. Breathtaking and chilling at the same time.
I loved the way the author finished each essay. Breathtaking and chilling at the same time.
October 19, 2013
A good collection of the author's essays, which originally appeared in a weekly column in The Mint. While all essays make for interesting reading, some particularly stand out for their insight, particularly on terrorism and organized crime.
March 6, 2014
A compilation of thought proving essays on defense and internal security strategy. Appealing and highly recommended for all indian and international readers
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews