ABOUT THE AUTHOR

David Kilcullen was a senior advisor to General David Petraeus in 2007 and 2008, when he helped to design and monitor the Iraq War troop “surge”. He was then a special advisor for counterinsurgency to US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. From 2005 to 2006, he was Chief Strategist in the Office of the Coordinator for Counterterrorism at the US State Department. He has also been an adviser to the British government, the Australian government, NATO and the International Security Assistance Force. He is a former Australian Army officer and the author of three acclaimed books: The Accidental Guerrilla, Counterinsurgency and Out of the Mountains.

READ AN EXTRACT

A vivid, urgent account of the War on Terror by someone who helped shape its strategy, as well as witnessing its evolution on the ground.
Read An Extract
WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING

part history, part enlightened analysis, part commentary, part provocation and part mea culpa

expansive and ambitious … [Kilcullen] is a deft storyteller. The artful combination of his professional experience, insightful analysis and strategic recommendations makes for enthralling reading.

This brilliant, sober essay has the breathtaking compression of Helen Garner’s writing.

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