Race to the Swift : Thoughts on Twenty-first Century Warfare
by Simpkin, Richard E.
| Item type | Current location | Collection | Call number | Status | Date due | Barcode |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Books
|
General Stacks | Non-fiction | 355.0217 S588R 1996 (Browse shelf) | Available | 23709 |
Browsing Garrison Public Library Multan Shelves , Shelving location: General Stacks , Collection code: Non-fiction Close shelf browser
| 355.0217 S524E 2017 Escalation Patterns in South Asia : Future of Credible Minimum Deterrence | 355.0217 S588R 1985 Race to the Swift : Thoughts on Twenty-First Century Warfare | 355.0217 S588R 1985 Race to the Swift : Thoughts on Twenty-First Century Warfare | 355.0217 S588R 1996 Race to the Swift : Thoughts on Twenty-first Century Warfare | 355.0217 S588R 1996 Race to the Swift : Thoughts on Twenty-First Century Warfare | 355.0217 S588R 1996 Race to the Swift : Thoughts on Twenty-First Century Warfare | 355.0217 S588R 1996 Race to the Swift : Thoughts on Twenty-First Century Warfare |
Include Index and Bibliography.
"Race to the Swift" is a sweeping review of military strategy, organization and logistics that has suffered little for being 15 years old. Yes, the NATO references are dated, but they in no way impact a core thesis that is even today ahead of its time. That said, this not an easy book to read; in spite of Simpkin's rather engaging, almost conversational writing style, the material is technical and dense. Moreover, given the comprehensiveness of the work, the reader will sometimes find himself or herself losing focus. However, if you are a student of military theory, and comfortable with the field, this is a book well worth the time it takes to read.
As one might imagine, "Race to the Swift" is a call for speed and stealth in military action. It's not just about technology, however; Simpkin goes to great lengths to examine political/home-front issues, logistics, and military hierarchy. Ultimately, though, these all serve as supporting evidence for his core argument: that the current heavy mechanized divisions of today are too slow in light of the incredible increase in available firepower on the modern battlefield. As an alternative, he calls for armored, stealthy, heliborne cavalry. Traveling in something akin to airborne tanks, capable of deploying on conventional tracks when necessary, these new formations would deploy off of submersible helicopter carriers. Obviously, this thinking is more revolutionary than evolutionary, some of it even smacks of science fiction, but the core validity of his argument, that an exponential increase in speed is called for, is undeniable.
There are no comments for this item.