Choice 评论

Covert military operations have a certain mystique, a peculiar attractiveness that few other topics elicit among contemporary readers, especially as events unfold in the war against international terrorism. As the public watches CNN reports from Afghanistan, a handful of writers have tackled the complexities of the subject, yet few, if any, have done as well as Harclerode in this book. The author provides a comprehensive historical account of unconventional warfare since 1945, including the unfinished business in the rugged terrain along the Afghan-Pakistani border. The most fascinating aspect is Harclerode's account of US and British efforts to destabilize Soviet domination in Eastern Europe immediately following WW II. Yet Kim Philby, Moscow's most important intelligence asset, compromised those efforts. Dangers existed for the West in employing covert means to achieve political ends during the Cold War. The most glaring example, according to Harclerode, was arming the Mujadhideen during the Soviet-Afghan conflict and then, on September 11, 2001, facing the demons the CIA helped to create. This book provides valuable information for both scholars and general readers seeking information on the secret war fought by stealth and cunning, often in the shadows far from prying eyes. All levels and collections. C. C. Lovett Emporia State University