As I'm interested in all aspects of warfare, this week will see me reading some of the least-known books of the genre as everybody and their hamster's cousin has read the basics like 42 rules and the Art of War. First up for this week is a rather interesting walkabout in the early 20th century, regarding the Irish Civil War and War of Independence.
The story is told from the first person by a member of a "Flying Column" or hit-and-run guerilla force. Given their utter lack of training and equipment, it would be a very interesting journey to follow. Starting with barely 2 hunting shotguns and their cousins for company, the gang in West Cork work their way toward engineering plastic explosives and a vast intelligence network.
It is very obvious that the book is written to glorify the Irish struggle, repeatedly pointing out the fact that Irish guerillas were "tall, handsome, fine young men" and UK black-and-tans would be described as "depraved, terrible villains". It doesn't detract from the read too much, but sometimes is a bit on the nose.
It's very interesting to learn about how one builds an intelligence network, propaganda branch, armory, logistics networks and much else nearly from scratch, and often by illiterate peasants. This book gives a great understanding of both the strategy and mindset of an insurgent and asymmetric warrior, which makes it a great read despite its obvious biases.
7/10