Read: The Defense of Jisr al-Doreaa by Michael L. Burgoyne and Albert J. Marckwardt, 2008, 9780226080932.
Cannot recall how I ran across this but I must have been looking for more history on Defence of Duffer's Drift. Both books cover fighting a guerrilla war and insurgency. Jisr teaches the lessons of 2006's Counterinsurgency Manual as applied to a platoon commander (a platoon commander with a full complement of men and equipment).
Formatted the same way with five successive dreams and the dreaming narrator applying the lessons learned from each dream until he achieves success. The modern tactics and rules of Jisr are an interesting juxtaposition to the Boer War lessons of Duffer's. Duffer's has English troops arresting and imprisoning any Dutch living near the novel's defensive position. Duffer's is not trying to assist or improve the lives of local people - they are there to kill the guerillas. Jisr's is about killing insurgents but, more importantly, preparing and planning for life after the war. Jisr wants a working government, local security and police, doctors and health facilities, a working electric grid.
I think the surge in Iraq and the change in counterinsurgency tactics worked. At least the surge worked well enough for the U.S. to get the hell out. Jisr points out the cultural disconnect between Iraqis and Americans. The differences could be so extreme as to provoke disgust by both sides. What a clusterfuck. (Not that I was there.)
This ILL'ed from Mankato State. Not that they call is Mankato State anymore.
There is a website. Www.defenseofJAD.com. The website has maps, graphics, and video content. I should take a look.
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