Publication

This book examines the role of modern firepower in limited war and its appropriate use. It is above all a history of firepower doctrine. Using the examples of the French Indochina War, the Vietnam War, the Soviet intervention in Afghanistan, and Britain’s Falklands War, the author demonstrates that timely and measured application of appropriate force is more relevant than the sheer quantity of destructive firepower. In limited wars, firepower is applied primarily to kill as many of the enemy as possible and make his continuation of the fight too costly. The author warns against overestimating the value of bombs and shells against insurgents.