Insurgency and Terrorism: From Revolution to Apocalypse

by Bard E. O'Neill

A systematic, comprehensive, and straightforward textbook for analyzing and comparing insurgencies and terrorist movements, Insurgency and Terrorism was first published in 1990 to broad acclaim. Observers, scholars, students, military personnel, journalists, and government analysts worldwide found it worthy of study. Now Insurgency and Terrorism has been thoroughly revised and updated to cover activity that has since occurred in Afghanistan, Iraq, the Philippines, Colombia, and elsewhere and to address the new tactics and weapons used—and threatened.

Author Bard E. O'Neill, the director of studies of insurgency and revolution at the National War College, addresses insurgencies with respect to ultimate goals, strategies, forms of warfare, the role and means of acquiring popular support, organizational dynamics, causes and effects of disunity, types of external support, and government responses. Course syllabi included.

Genres: Military Fiction, History, Nonfiction, Terrorism, War, Political Science

240 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 1990

Reviews

[Ryan Hanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

In order to understand Insurgencies and how to deal with the threat they create several things are necessary. A thorough understanding of the topic of insurgency as well as an ability to apply that understanding in a systematic approach.

O'Neil seeks to accomplish this and does so quite well in my opinion. The book seeks to give readers at least a basic understanding of what defines an insurgency, why and how they come to exist, and how they carry out strategy to achieve their goals. It is certainly not a deep dive, but it does serve as a launching pad from which farther research can begin

A useful template and framework can be derived from this book and in fact it seems that this was the authors intention. This is useful for those who seek to study it as an academic endeavor as well practitioners and policy makers.

[Zanela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simply put, easily understood. Objectivity was this book's centerpiece and the implications provided by Dr. O'Neill on the international stage were well placed and backed. In a word, I loved this book. Amen.

[Raye · Rating 3 out of 5]

Highly recommend if writing a book and looking to understand motives, tactics and impacts both domestically and internationally of revolutions & insurgents.

[Malik Siraj Akbar · Rating 4 out of 5]

A remarkable book for those interested in the theory of insurgency, causes and strategies of insurgents. The book also comes with an excellent chapter about how governments perceive insurgencies and what they should do to win the "hearts and minds" of the people to defeat an insurgency.
The book cites numerous cases studies of insurgencies from this and previous centuries.
The author argues there is primarily no difference between insurgency and terrorism. Terrorism, he says, is a very emotive term. And insurgents fighting for political goals often feel offended if called terrorists but the author urges independent researchers and academics not to allow such tendencies influence their research work and judgement.

[Levie Galapon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing book on different kinds of insurgencies. This book is absolutely essentially to anyone in the field of counter-terrorism. Pin-points the many different kinds of insurgencies and how to deal with them. Bard O'neil correctly identifies mistakes that different governments have made in the past that actually made their insurgency problem harder. If your an instructor in this field, I would recommend this book as a text for your course.

[Bryan Reo · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you believe every rebel is "just a terrorist" and "every terrorist is just a thug" and you want to keep that simple Hollywood view of reality, then this book is not for you.

If you want to get a good overview accurate perspective of why revolutionary warfare occurs, and how no two revolutions or insurgencies are equal or the same, then this is the book for you.

[Kathryn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was the primary reading for a graduate course on insurgency and COIN, and there's a reason it's the standard text on the topic. O'Neill combines a conceptual framework with a multitude of historical examples, yet his writing is crisp and straightforward.

[Brian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Informative. Author seems to know his stuff. Not sure if I will ever have a chance to apply his lessons.

[David Kilpatrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Normally I wouldn't give a school book a decent rating but this one had lots of good info and even better it was concise and to the point.

[Nora W]

Read during Professor Elias's Weapons of the Weak class, Freshman Fall.

[Steven]

Good read.