Knife Fightsis the definitive account of counterinsurgency and its consequences by the man who was the doctrine's leading architect.
John A. Nagl is a retired lieutenant colonel of the U.S. Army. A graduate of West Point and a Rhodes Scholar, he received his PhD from St. Antony's College, Oxford. He is the former president of the Center for a New American Security and the ninth headmaster of the Haverford School in Pennsylvania.
Foreign Policy:
"[An] invaluable memoir of service...[KNIFE FIGHTS] is also a
cautionary tale of how the U.S. Army became an 'un-learning'
institution, 'over-learning' the lessons from Vietnam that were
most convenient to its bureaucratic interests and 'under-learning'
those lessons most central to victory in this type of
warfare...Nagl's exceptional memoir chronicles an important period
in the wars of insurgency the United States waged following 9/11;
it is also a story of how one professional soldier received a
brutal education not just in war but in the harsh reality of
politics."
Cleveland Plain Dealer
"Nagl, steeped in both the theory and practice of modern war,
speaks authoritatively... This distinguished soldier-scholar
continues to render valuable service with this thoughtful,
important book." Harper's Magazine:
"Nagl devoted the next twenty years to teaching the Pentagon table
manners. 'Eating Soup with a Knife' inspired the title of his
dissertation and his intellectual rallying cry. KNIFE FIGHTS is the
story of [Nagl's] career and an intellectual genealogy of
contemporary counterinsurgency doctrine... A window into how the
Pentagon thinks and, crucially, how it--slowly--changes its mind."
Foreign Affairs:
"This engaging book exhibits droll humor and a sharp grasp of the
limits and possibilities of the U.S. Army as a learning
organization." Washington Times:
"Writing a book about formulating military doctrine for a general
audience is no easy task, but Nagl has mastered the challenge. His
memoir, KNIFE FIGHTS, revolves around the writing of the American
doctrine for counter-insurgency, and his wry wit and writing skill
make it a good read, even for casual readers." Library Journal
"An honest and informative glimpse into both the past and the
future of the ongoing war on terror. Military buffs, policy wonks,
and anyone wishing to learn more about America's role in the world
should find Nagl's work an alluring and important read." Kirkus
Reviews
"A lively memoir that combines battlefield experiences with
military politics...A thoughtful, lucid, not-terribly-optimistic
autobiography of a scholarly soldier." Publishers Weekly
"Nagl writes evocatively about his wartime experiences, clearly
explaining his theories of waging asymmetric warfare. A critic of
the Iraq war ('a war that did not need to be fought'), Nagl offers
perceptive critiques of the serious mistakes made by Secretary of
Defense Donald Rumsfeld and the military's general officer corps...
Nagl makes a strong case that the next war the U.S. engages in will
require stronger counterinsurgency planning than Pentagon policy
makers currently anticipate." Booklist
"An essential addition to military history collections." General
David H. Petraeus, U.S. Army (Ret.), commander of the surge in
Iraq:
A wonderfully readable and strikingly forthright memoir by a
brilliant Army officer turned think tank leader who achieved an
exceptional record on the battlefield, in the academic arena, in a
high-powered job in the Pentagon, and as one of the so-called
'insurgents' who helped transform the way the U.S. military thought
about, prepared for, and conducted the wars of the post-9/11 era.
General Jim Mattis, U.S. Marines (Ret.):
John Nagl's illuminating journey as a combat Soldier-Leader-Thinker
provides a refreshing perspective of the changing character of
today's security challenges. To those searching for a relevant and
historically grounded understanding of today's erupting realities,
his book is uniquely enlightening. Admiral James Stavridis (Ret.),
Supreme Allied Commander at NATO 2009-2013 and current Dean of The
Fletcher School at Tufts University:
In Knife Fights, John Nagl takes the reader from the halls
of the Pentagon to the deserts of Iraq and Afghanistan, and
illuminates the modern battlefields - both in Washington and
overseas - in harsh and vivid light. His work on counterinsurgency
is deep and profound, and this book is the essential back story
both of the intellectual process that underpins it and the personal
journey that formed it. A powerful and meaningful memoir that will
resonate in today's Army and tomorrow's society. Peter R. Mansoor,
Colonel, U.S. Army (Ret.); author, Surge: My Journey with
General David Petraeus and the Remaking of the Iraq
War
A magnificent memoir from one of the most brilliant officers of his
generation. Knife Fights details John Nagl's journey from
the halls of West Point and Oxford to the battlefields of Desert
Storm and Operation Iraqi Freedom, as well as his struggles and
triumphs among Washington's power elite. Highly recommended for
those who seek to understand how the Army overcame its initial
dysfunction to wage the messy counterinsurgency wars in Iraq and
Afghanistan. F. G. Hoffman, National Defense University, Washington
DC:
There are many books from veterans of America's costly wars in Iraq
and Afghanistan. Few will combine the intellectual heft, emotional
power, and exemplary moral courage of John Nagl's Knife
Fights. It traces the development of the author from his early
days as a cadet at West Point to the darkest days of fighting in Al
Anbar province in Iraq and beyond. This book will stand on its own
special shelf as a personal memoir of a soldier/scholar, a warrior
and a great teacher. Highly recommended for all military students,
and anyone interested in the journey of an institutional insurgent
and patriot who followed his own path. Robert D. Kaplan:
Brimming with poignancy and integrity, John Nagl's book is an
instant classic of America's decade of war in the Greater Middle
East. Its core argument, moreover, is undeniable: that insurgency
and counterinsurgency have been part of the history of war since
antiquity and thus will be part of its future. May the United
States Army and Marine Corps hold close the lessons of this book!
David E. Johnson, senior researcher at the RAND Corporation;
inaugural director of the Chief of Staff of the Army Strategic
Studies Group; author of Fast Tanks and Heavy Bombers:
Innovation in the U.S. Army, 1917-1945, Hard Fighting:
Israel in Lebanon and Gaza, and The 2008 Battle of Sadr
City: Reimagining Urban Combat
John Nagl's Knife Fights is a brave book by a soldier -
scholar who has always put himself out there for the right reasons.
John's remarkable memoir is a directed telescope into how the U.S.
Army changed its doctrinal paradigm for the first time since World
War I from 'closing with and destroying the enemy' to 'protecting
the population.' Readers will also see that he was a key
intellectual force in this shift and how difficult these changes
are for the institutions - and for the catalytic advocates like
John. Peter Maass, author of Love Thy Neighbor
John Nagl has written an exceptional book that shows in words the
type of bravery he exhibited on the battlefield. Nagl deftly
reveals what worked and didn't work in Washington, Iraq and
Afghanistan after 9/11. His critique of Donald Rumsfeld is uniquely
powerful because he writes from the vantage point of an Army
officer who waged war in the Sunni Triangle and afterwards served
in the defense secretary's office. Knife Fights is essential
reading - the rare memoir of war that integrates ideas, combat and
politics. It is an invaluable addition to the literature of wars
that we are still trying to comprehend.
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