Tactics of the Crescent Moon: Militant Muslim Combat Methods by H. John Poole, Ray L. Smith (Foreword by)

From the Publisher

Tactics of the Crescent Moon comes none too soon for deployed U.S. service personnel. Little, if any, of their battlefield intelligence has been tactically interpreted. U.S. analysts are generally more interested in the enemy's technological capabilities. Even if those analysts did want to tactically assess their vast quantities of information, most lack the infantry and historical background to do so. This book fills the void. It reveals—for the first time in any detail—the most common small-unit maneuvers of the Iraqi and Afghan resistance fighters. Its author is a retired infantryman and recognized authority on guerrilla warfare. He has traveled the world extensively and still trains active-duty U.S. units.

Tactics of the Crescent Moon could save many lives (if not turn the tide of war) in the Middle East. It is a heavily researched, well-illustrated, and spell-binding account of how Muslim militants fight. While the book mainly delves into their tactical method, it also covers their cultural orientation. This nail-biting nonfiction covering events as recent as 15 September 2004.

Atlantic Monthly

John Poole ... [says] that bombarding cities ... almost always backfires, because embittered civilians provide more cover to guerrillas and terrorists.

Leatherneck

[Book] ... may help to turn the tide of this war.... [It] provides ... battlefield intelligence you can't get any other way.

Newhouse News Service

[T]he insurgency's ... mid-level leaders ... [are] from al-Qaida, the Lebanese Shiite ... Hezbollah, and ... Iran's Revolutionary Guards, said the author of Tactics of the Crescent Moon.

Camp Lejeune Globe

Tactics of the Crescent Moon comes none too soon for deployed U.S. military personnel... . It shows, for the first time in any detail, how Muslim militants fight at short range.

Savannah Morning News

'For decades now, U.S. forces have depended more on firepower than surprise,' Poole writes. 'They can no longer move unnoted along the ground.'

Washington Dispatch

For those who want to learn, Tactics of the Crescent Moon is an invaluable resource.

North County Times

Tactics of the Crescent Moon ... is a comprehensive interpretation of Muslim extremists' tactics, theory, and thinking.

Inside the Pentagon

To handle fourth-generation warfare at the tactical level, ... [contributors] recommend Poole and Ray Smith's October 2004 book, 'Tactics of the Crescent Moon'.

What People Are Saying

David H. Hackworth
Have become addicted to John Poole's savvy books on how to beat the enemy, written for the grunt down at the bayonet level. His latest ... is a must read for every soldier facing the terrorist enemy and every combat leader in the U.S. military.

William S. Lind
John Poole has again done the infantryman a great service with Tactics of the Crescent Moon. This book grasps Fourth Generation war against Islamic opponents far better than anything coming out of TRADOC or Quantico. Every company, platoon or squad deploying to Iraq or Afghanistan should ake along a copy.

Edwin H. Simmons
John Poole's well—titled Tactics of the Crescent Moon offers an absorbing nuts—and—bolts analytic study of ... Islamic guerrilla tactics. He begins with a fresh look at ... Gallipoli .... He then goes forward in time ... to ... the Iran—Iraqi War, Lebanon, Israel — Palestine, Chechnya, Afghanistan, al—Qaeda, and Iraq... . It is a book that deserves reading at all levels from private to general. (B.Gen. Edwin H. Simmons USMC (Ret.) former Head of History & Museums Div.)

John H. Admire
Tactics of the Crescent Moon helps us understand the threat of terrorism and what must be done to defeat it. (Maj.Gen. John H. Admire USMC (Ret.) former 1st Marine Division commander)

Robert V. Kane
In his superb new book, Tactics of the Crescent Moon, John Poole has again hit a home run. It tells of ... the twin struggles in Iraq and Afghanistan. ... [I]f we will adapt our training and operations to defeating the enemy on a small—scale basis, we can still prevail, but it will take a change in official military policy to do this. I heartily recommend this book to our leaders in the Army and Marine Corps. I hope they will heed its wisdom. (Col. Robert V. Kane U.S. Army (Ret.) publisher emeritus, Presidio Press)

Anthony C. Zinni
Once again John Poole has masterfully written an insightful handbook for today’s warrior. He has captured the nature of the new threat and conflict that faces our forces and produced a required read for our troopers' packs. (General Anthony C. Zinni USMC (Ret.), former CENTCOM commander)

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Product Details

• ISBN: 0963869574
  
• ISBN-13: 9780963869579
• Format: Paperback, 368pp
• Publisher: Posterity Press (NC)
• Pub. Date: January 2005
• Edition Description: 47 illustrations
• Sales Rank: 45,048

• Table of Contents
• Forewords & Introductions

Table of Contents

Forewords & Introductions

U.S. forces are now experiencing in Iraq what the Israelis endured in Lebanon for 18 years. They are also meeting more opposition in Afghanistan. While Hezbollah and al-Qaeda may be ultimately responsible, their mutual lack of organizational structure makes it difficult to pin down their tactical and training methods. To arrive at those methods, one must study the battlefield exploits of their subsidiary guerrilla movements: the Palestinians, Iraqis, Chechens, and Afghans. Then, any trends in technique would help to define their infantry maneuvers. Those maneuvers would almost certainly have collateral psychological and media value. They would inflict enough casualties to erode the foe's popular support, while being safe enough to bolster friendly morale. They would involve thorough planning, a quick strike with limited objectives, and a rapid pullback. To keep from playing into the guerrillas' hands, the U.S. will have to carefully measure each military response and then use a nonmilitary means to remove the root causes of the discontent.

This book attempts to make some sense of the thousands of recent media glimpses into Muslim combat. While the U.S. government may have access to more intelligence, it seldom tries to assess that intelligence from a tactical standpoint. It is generally more interested in the foe's technological profile. Many of its analysts are not even aware that the Eastern thought process differs from their own. As most Orientals, the people of Asia Minor will only show a Western opponent what they want him to see. Thus, the news from Iraq and Afghanistan must be carefullyanalyzed to determine enemy method—the book's ultimate goal.

Of course, this work cannot hope to completely unravel the political complexities of the Middle East. To gain media attention and protect each other, major terrorist groups may routinely take credit for things they didn't do. Many of the "militias" are actually amalgamations of factions. Still, the ruses and maneuvers of loosely confederated factions will naturally converge upon those that work best. That those factions are constantly seeking new ways to defeat the Western Goliath creates a thread of continuity. Tactics of the Crescent Moon covers—in considerable detail—how those militias fight. If their techniques are converging, U.S. troops deserve to know it. For by simply knowing what to expect, America's best could double their chances of survival.

When you are ignorant of the enemy but know yourself, your chances of winning and losing are equal.
— Sun Tzu