Texas A&M University

Florence & Bookman Peters Excellence Fellow

• Conducted research in government and NGO archives, in the US and abroad, utilizing government documents, private papers, maps, photographs and other media.
• Analyzed theory and practice of irregular warfare, including operations in: Ireland, Russia, China, Pakistan, India, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Burma and Philippines.
• Analyzed training in and communication of irregular warfare doctrine, including American and British experiences (publication pending).
• Presented research findings to numerous organizations across the US.
• Organized the War, Violence & Society Working Group to examine global conflict.
• Served as teaching assistant for History of England to 1688, Western Civilization since 1660, 19th Century Britain and American History since 1877. Duties included lecturing, writing exams and grading papers.

Institute of World Politics

Visiting Instructor

• Developed program of study for professionals from Departments of Defense and State and non-governmental organizations, and MA students of national security.
• Communicated information foreign policy of US and major international actors, including political, military, intelligence, economic and propaganda strategy.
• Assessed student mastery of information and analytic techniques.
• See http://www.iwp.edu/programs/course/twentieth-century-politics-and-diplomacy-case-studies-in-war-and-peace

Institute of World Politics

Administrative Assistant

Answered phones, made copies, provided hospitality to guests.

This was a pitch-hitting job I took up when several of the Institute's employees suddenly had security clearances come through and left for government jobs.

Telogical Systems

Pricing Monitor

Conducted telecommunications pricing research.

H. D. Vest Investigations

Research Analyst

• Analyzed World War II-era agencies, including the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), Strategic Services Unit (SSU), Office of Scientific Research and Development (OSRD), the Military Intelligence Division (MID) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
• Conducted field research, interviewing persons of interest.
• Produced briefing documents providing background to members of the investigative team.

Solidarity and Subsidiarity

Truth and Charity Forum

Much of contemporary political discourse consists of a debate between two camps: those who argue, “We need to do something about…” and those who contend that, “It’s not the government’s responsibility to…” The Catholic Church teaches that each approach, by itself, is inadequate. Ideologies derived from such sentiments should not be the yardstick of Catholic political activity. Rather, the Church presents to us two principles – solidarity and subsidiarity – which, together, provide a balanced and holistic means of thinking about political and social topics.

Solidarity and Subsidiarity

Truth and Charity Forum

Much of contemporary political discourse consists of a debate between two camps: those who argue, “We need to do something about…” and those who contend that, “It’s not the government’s responsibility to…” The Catholic Church teaches that each approach, by itself, is inadequate. Ideologies derived from such sentiments should not be the yardstick of Catholic political activity. Rather, the Church presents to us two principles – solidarity and subsidiarity – which, together, provide a balanced and holistic means of thinking about political and social topics.

Rediscovering Irregular Warfare: Colin Gubbins and the Origins of Britain's Special Operations Executive

University of Oklahoma Press

“Aaron Linderman has drawn from an impressive array of primary sources to trace the institutional development of irregular warfare in the years prior to World War II and as England deployed it against the Axis Powers during the war. By linking the development of Britain’s Special Operations Executive with the life and work of Major General Sir Colin Gubbins, Linderman shows the central role Gubbins played in the development of modern intelligence gathering and special operations. Insightful and valuable.”—William H. Kautt, author of Ground Truths: British Army Operations in the Irish War of Independence and Ambushes and Armour: The Irish Rebellion, 1919–1921 “A. R. B. Linderman has written a valuable book about Special Operations Executive (SOE) chief Colin Gubbins’s career development and pre–World War II study of irregular warfare. Linderman answers the critical question of how Gubbins tailored SOE to fight its brand of warfare, making Rediscovering Irregular Warfare a must-read for serious students of World War II special operations.”—Troy J. Sacquety, author of The OSS in Burma: Jungle War against the Japanese and Behind the Japanese Lines in Burma

Solidarity and Subsidiarity

Truth and Charity Forum

Much of contemporary political discourse consists of a debate between two camps: those who argue, “We need to do something about…” and those who contend that, “It’s not the government’s responsibility to…” The Catholic Church teaches that each approach, by itself, is inadequate. Ideologies derived from such sentiments should not be the yardstick of Catholic political activity. Rather, the Church presents to us two principles – solidarity and subsidiarity – which, together, provide a balanced and holistic means of thinking about political and social topics.

Rediscovering Irregular Warfare: Colin Gubbins and the Origins of Britain's Special Operations Executive

University of Oklahoma Press

“Aaron Linderman has drawn from an impressive array of primary sources to trace the institutional development of irregular warfare in the years prior to World War II and as England deployed it against the Axis Powers during the war. By linking the development of Britain’s Special Operations Executive with the life and work of Major General Sir Colin Gubbins, Linderman shows the central role Gubbins played in the development of modern intelligence gathering and special operations. Insightful and valuable.”—William H. Kautt, author of Ground Truths: British Army Operations in the Irish War of Independence and Ambushes and Armour: The Irish Rebellion, 1919–1921 “A. R. B. Linderman has written a valuable book about Special Operations Executive (SOE) chief Colin Gubbins’s career development and pre–World War II study of irregular warfare. Linderman answers the critical question of how Gubbins tailored SOE to fight its brand of warfare, making Rediscovering Irregular Warfare a must-read for serious students of World War II special operations.”—Troy J. Sacquety, author of The OSS in Burma: Jungle War against the Japanese and Behind the Japanese Lines in Burma

"Afrikaner Influence on the IRA and SOE"

Securing Africa: Local Crises and Foreign Interventions

ed. Toyin Falola and Charles Thomas. Britain captured the Afrikaner capitals in the second year of the South African War (1899-1902), but subsequently faced a guerrilla conflict in which Afrikaner commandos lived off the land, striking swiftly and then disappearing into the veldt. For two years the war carried on this way until the Treaty of Vereeniging. This paper argues that although the Afrikaner resistance ultimately failed, it inspired two notable groups, the Irish Republican Army (IRA) and Britain’s Special Operations Executive (SOE). As Irish nationalists contemplated the way forward in the aftermath of the failed 1916 Easter Rising, they considered alternatives to conventional rebellion and looked to the Afrikaners for inspiration. When war on the European Continent seemed likely in 1939, Lt. Col. Colin Gubbins was tasked by the British War Office with writing field service regulations for guerrillas. He too looked to the Afrikaners for a model. Irish admiration for the Afrikaners is widely acknowledged; however, most accounts focus on political issues or highlight Irish volunteers who fought for the Afrikaners, rather than considering the influence of the Afrikaners on the IRA and its tactics. Even less studied are the doctrinal origins of SOE. While the Afrikaners were only one of several sources of inspiration to the IRA and SOE, this paper explores that inspiration, particularly with regard to seven guerrilla themes: self-preservation, stretching the enemy thin, mobility and initiative, reconnaissance and intelligence, collaborators and spies, raiding for supplies, and the role of civilians.

Solidarity and Subsidiarity

Truth and Charity Forum

Much of contemporary political discourse consists of a debate between two camps: those who argue, “We need to do something about…” and those who contend that, “It’s not the government’s responsibility to…” The Catholic Church teaches that each approach, by itself, is inadequate. Ideologies derived from such sentiments should not be the yardstick of Catholic political activity. Rather, the Church presents to us two principles – solidarity and subsidiarity – which, together, provide a balanced and holistic means of thinking about political and social topics.

Rediscovering Irregular Warfare: Colin Gubbins and the Origins of Britain's Special Operations Executive

University of Oklahoma Press

“Aaron Linderman has drawn from an impressive array of primary sources to trace the institutional development of irregular warfare in the years prior to World War II and as England deployed it against the Axis Powers during the war. By linking the development of Britain’s Special Operations Executive with the life and work of Major General Sir Colin Gubbins, Linderman shows the central role Gubbins played in the development of modern intelligence gathering and special operations. Insightful and valuable.”—William H. Kautt, author of Ground Truths: British Army Operations in the Irish War of Independence and Ambushes and Armour: The Irish Rebellion, 1919–1921 “A. R. B. Linderman has written a valuable book about Special Operations Executive (SOE) chief Colin Gubbins’s career development and pre–World War II study of irregular warfare. Linderman answers the critical question of how Gubbins tailored SOE to fight its brand of warfare, making Rediscovering Irregular Warfare a must-read for serious students of World War II special operations.”—Troy J. Sacquety, author of The OSS in Burma: Jungle War against the Japanese and Behind the Japanese Lines in Burma

"Afrikaner Influence on the IRA and SOE"

Securing Africa: Local Crises and Foreign Interventions

ed. Toyin Falola and Charles Thomas. Britain captured the Afrikaner capitals in the second year of the South African War (1899-1902), but subsequently faced a guerrilla conflict in which Afrikaner commandos lived off the land, striking swiftly and then disappearing into the veldt. For two years the war carried on this way until the Treaty of Vereeniging. This paper argues that although the Afrikaner resistance ultimately failed, it inspired two notable groups, the Irish Republican Army (IRA) and Britain’s Special Operations Executive (SOE). As Irish nationalists contemplated the way forward in the aftermath of the failed 1916 Easter Rising, they considered alternatives to conventional rebellion and looked to the Afrikaners for inspiration. When war on the European Continent seemed likely in 1939, Lt. Col. Colin Gubbins was tasked by the British War Office with writing field service regulations for guerrillas. He too looked to the Afrikaners for a model. Irish admiration for the Afrikaners is widely acknowledged; however, most accounts focus on political issues or highlight Irish volunteers who fought for the Afrikaners, rather than considering the influence of the Afrikaners on the IRA and its tactics. Even less studied are the doctrinal origins of SOE. While the Afrikaners were only one of several sources of inspiration to the IRA and SOE, this paper explores that inspiration, particularly with regard to seven guerrilla themes: self-preservation, stretching the enemy thin, mobility and initiative, reconnaissance and intelligence, collaborators and spies, raiding for supplies, and the role of civilians.

Review of Johnny: A Spy’s Life, by R. S. Rose and Gordon D. Scott

Canadian Journal of History

No. 1 (Spring/Summer).

Solidarity and Subsidiarity

Truth and Charity Forum

Much of contemporary political discourse consists of a debate between two camps: those who argue, “We need to do something about…” and those who contend that, “It’s not the government’s responsibility to…” The Catholic Church teaches that each approach, by itself, is inadequate. Ideologies derived from such sentiments should not be the yardstick of Catholic political activity. Rather, the Church presents to us two principles – solidarity and subsidiarity – which, together, provide a balanced and holistic means of thinking about political and social topics.

Rediscovering Irregular Warfare: Colin Gubbins and the Origins of Britain's Special Operations Executive

University of Oklahoma Press

“Aaron Linderman has drawn from an impressive array of primary sources to trace the institutional development of irregular warfare in the years prior to World War II and as England deployed it against the Axis Powers during the war. By linking the development of Britain’s Special Operations Executive with the life and work of Major General Sir Colin Gubbins, Linderman shows the central role Gubbins played in the development of modern intelligence gathering and special operations. Insightful and valuable.”—William H. Kautt, author of Ground Truths: British Army Operations in the Irish War of Independence and Ambushes and Armour: The Irish Rebellion, 1919–1921 “A. R. B. Linderman has written a valuable book about Special Operations Executive (SOE) chief Colin Gubbins’s career development and pre–World War II study of irregular warfare. Linderman answers the critical question of how Gubbins tailored SOE to fight its brand of warfare, making Rediscovering Irregular Warfare a must-read for serious students of World War II special operations.”—Troy J. Sacquety, author of The OSS in Burma: Jungle War against the Japanese and Behind the Japanese Lines in Burma

"Afrikaner Influence on the IRA and SOE"

Securing Africa: Local Crises and Foreign Interventions

ed. Toyin Falola and Charles Thomas. Britain captured the Afrikaner capitals in the second year of the South African War (1899-1902), but subsequently faced a guerrilla conflict in which Afrikaner commandos lived off the land, striking swiftly and then disappearing into the veldt. For two years the war carried on this way until the Treaty of Vereeniging. This paper argues that although the Afrikaner resistance ultimately failed, it inspired two notable groups, the Irish Republican Army (IRA) and Britain’s Special Operations Executive (SOE). As Irish nationalists contemplated the way forward in the aftermath of the failed 1916 Easter Rising, they considered alternatives to conventional rebellion and looked to the Afrikaners for inspiration. When war on the European Continent seemed likely in 1939, Lt. Col. Colin Gubbins was tasked by the British War Office with writing field service regulations for guerrillas. He too looked to the Afrikaners for a model. Irish admiration for the Afrikaners is widely acknowledged; however, most accounts focus on political issues or highlight Irish volunteers who fought for the Afrikaners, rather than considering the influence of the Afrikaners on the IRA and its tactics. Even less studied are the doctrinal origins of SOE. While the Afrikaners were only one of several sources of inspiration to the IRA and SOE, this paper explores that inspiration, particularly with regard to seven guerrilla themes: self-preservation, stretching the enemy thin, mobility and initiative, reconnaissance and intelligence, collaborators and spies, raiding for supplies, and the role of civilians.

Review of Johnny: A Spy’s Life, by R. S. Rose and Gordon D. Scott

Canadian Journal of History

No. 1 (Spring/Summer).

The Need for a Fully Pro-Life Vision

Truth and Charity Forum

The term “pro-life” is generally known to mean opposition to abortion. But anyone who has given the topic much thought knows that it necessarily involves far more. If human life has intrinsic dignity from conception to birth, it clearly continues to have dignity after birth. And that truth has implications for how we act, as individuals and as a society. That case will be made here from the perspective of the Catholic Church, but is consonant with all Christian traditions, and indeed the philosophies and religions of many people of good will.

Solidarity and Subsidiarity

Truth and Charity Forum

Much of contemporary political discourse consists of a debate between two camps: those who argue, “We need to do something about…” and those who contend that, “It’s not the government’s responsibility to…” The Catholic Church teaches that each approach, by itself, is inadequate. Ideologies derived from such sentiments should not be the yardstick of Catholic political activity. Rather, the Church presents to us two principles – solidarity and subsidiarity – which, together, provide a balanced and holistic means of thinking about political and social topics.

Rediscovering Irregular Warfare: Colin Gubbins and the Origins of Britain's Special Operations Executive

University of Oklahoma Press

“Aaron Linderman has drawn from an impressive array of primary sources to trace the institutional development of irregular warfare in the years prior to World War II and as England deployed it against the Axis Powers during the war. By linking the development of Britain’s Special Operations Executive with the life and work of Major General Sir Colin Gubbins, Linderman shows the central role Gubbins played in the development of modern intelligence gathering and special operations. Insightful and valuable.”—William H. Kautt, author of Ground Truths: British Army Operations in the Irish War of Independence and Ambushes and Armour: The Irish Rebellion, 1919–1921 “A. R. B. Linderman has written a valuable book about Special Operations Executive (SOE) chief Colin Gubbins’s career development and pre–World War II study of irregular warfare. Linderman answers the critical question of how Gubbins tailored SOE to fight its brand of warfare, making Rediscovering Irregular Warfare a must-read for serious students of World War II special operations.”—Troy J. Sacquety, author of The OSS in Burma: Jungle War against the Japanese and Behind the Japanese Lines in Burma

"Afrikaner Influence on the IRA and SOE"

Securing Africa: Local Crises and Foreign Interventions

ed. Toyin Falola and Charles Thomas. Britain captured the Afrikaner capitals in the second year of the South African War (1899-1902), but subsequently faced a guerrilla conflict in which Afrikaner commandos lived off the land, striking swiftly and then disappearing into the veldt. For two years the war carried on this way until the Treaty of Vereeniging. This paper argues that although the Afrikaner resistance ultimately failed, it inspired two notable groups, the Irish Republican Army (IRA) and Britain’s Special Operations Executive (SOE). As Irish nationalists contemplated the way forward in the aftermath of the failed 1916 Easter Rising, they considered alternatives to conventional rebellion and looked to the Afrikaners for inspiration. When war on the European Continent seemed likely in 1939, Lt. Col. Colin Gubbins was tasked by the British War Office with writing field service regulations for guerrillas. He too looked to the Afrikaners for a model. Irish admiration for the Afrikaners is widely acknowledged; however, most accounts focus on political issues or highlight Irish volunteers who fought for the Afrikaners, rather than considering the influence of the Afrikaners on the IRA and its tactics. Even less studied are the doctrinal origins of SOE. While the Afrikaners were only one of several sources of inspiration to the IRA and SOE, this paper explores that inspiration, particularly with regard to seven guerrilla themes: self-preservation, stretching the enemy thin, mobility and initiative, reconnaissance and intelligence, collaborators and spies, raiding for supplies, and the role of civilians.

Review of Johnny: A Spy’s Life, by R. S. Rose and Gordon D. Scott

Canadian Journal of History

No. 1 (Spring/Summer).

The Need for a Fully Pro-Life Vision

Truth and Charity Forum

The term “pro-life” is generally known to mean opposition to abortion. But anyone who has given the topic much thought knows that it necessarily involves far more. If human life has intrinsic dignity from conception to birth, it clearly continues to have dignity after birth. And that truth has implications for how we act, as individuals and as a society. That case will be made here from the perspective of the Catholic Church, but is consonant with all Christian traditions, and indeed the philosophies and religions of many people of good will.

Review of Guerrilla Warfare in the Irish War of Independence, 1919-1921, by Joseph McKenna (Jefferson, NC: McFarland, 2010).

H-War

Solidarity and Subsidiarity

Truth and Charity Forum

Much of contemporary political discourse consists of a debate between two camps: those who argue, “We need to do something about…” and those who contend that, “It’s not the government’s responsibility to…” The Catholic Church teaches that each approach, by itself, is inadequate. Ideologies derived from such sentiments should not be the yardstick of Catholic political activity. Rather, the Church presents to us two principles – solidarity and subsidiarity – which, together, provide a balanced and holistic means of thinking about political and social topics.

Rediscovering Irregular Warfare: Colin Gubbins and the Origins of Britain's Special Operations Executive

University of Oklahoma Press

“Aaron Linderman has drawn from an impressive array of primary sources to trace the institutional development of irregular warfare in the years prior to World War II and as England deployed it against the Axis Powers during the war. By linking the development of Britain’s Special Operations Executive with the life and work of Major General Sir Colin Gubbins, Linderman shows the central role Gubbins played in the development of modern intelligence gathering and special operations. Insightful and valuable.”—William H. Kautt, author of Ground Truths: British Army Operations in the Irish War of Independence and Ambushes and Armour: The Irish Rebellion, 1919–1921 “A. R. B. Linderman has written a valuable book about Special Operations Executive (SOE) chief Colin Gubbins’s career development and pre–World War II study of irregular warfare. Linderman answers the critical question of how Gubbins tailored SOE to fight its brand of warfare, making Rediscovering Irregular Warfare a must-read for serious students of World War II special operations.”—Troy J. Sacquety, author of The OSS in Burma: Jungle War against the Japanese and Behind the Japanese Lines in Burma

"Afrikaner Influence on the IRA and SOE"

Securing Africa: Local Crises and Foreign Interventions

ed. Toyin Falola and Charles Thomas. Britain captured the Afrikaner capitals in the second year of the South African War (1899-1902), but subsequently faced a guerrilla conflict in which Afrikaner commandos lived off the land, striking swiftly and then disappearing into the veldt. For two years the war carried on this way until the Treaty of Vereeniging. This paper argues that although the Afrikaner resistance ultimately failed, it inspired two notable groups, the Irish Republican Army (IRA) and Britain’s Special Operations Executive (SOE). As Irish nationalists contemplated the way forward in the aftermath of the failed 1916 Easter Rising, they considered alternatives to conventional rebellion and looked to the Afrikaners for inspiration. When war on the European Continent seemed likely in 1939, Lt. Col. Colin Gubbins was tasked by the British War Office with writing field service regulations for guerrillas. He too looked to the Afrikaners for a model. Irish admiration for the Afrikaners is widely acknowledged; however, most accounts focus on political issues or highlight Irish volunteers who fought for the Afrikaners, rather than considering the influence of the Afrikaners on the IRA and its tactics. Even less studied are the doctrinal origins of SOE. While the Afrikaners were only one of several sources of inspiration to the IRA and SOE, this paper explores that inspiration, particularly with regard to seven guerrilla themes: self-preservation, stretching the enemy thin, mobility and initiative, reconnaissance and intelligence, collaborators and spies, raiding for supplies, and the role of civilians.

Review of Johnny: A Spy’s Life, by R. S. Rose and Gordon D. Scott

Canadian Journal of History

No. 1 (Spring/Summer).

The Need for a Fully Pro-Life Vision

Truth and Charity Forum

The term “pro-life” is generally known to mean opposition to abortion. But anyone who has given the topic much thought knows that it necessarily involves far more. If human life has intrinsic dignity from conception to birth, it clearly continues to have dignity after birth. And that truth has implications for how we act, as individuals and as a society. That case will be made here from the perspective of the Catholic Church, but is consonant with all Christian traditions, and indeed the philosophies and religions of many people of good will.

Review of Guerrilla Warfare in the Irish War of Independence, 1919-1921, by Joseph McKenna (Jefferson, NC: McFarland, 2010).

H-War

Review of The OSS in Burma: Jungle War against the Japanese, by Troy J. Sacquet (Univ. Press of Kansas, 2013)

Michigan War Studies Review

Solidarity and Subsidiarity

Truth and Charity Forum

Much of contemporary political discourse consists of a debate between two camps: those who argue, “We need to do something about…” and those who contend that, “It’s not the government’s responsibility to…” The Catholic Church teaches that each approach, by itself, is inadequate. Ideologies derived from such sentiments should not be the yardstick of Catholic political activity. Rather, the Church presents to us two principles – solidarity and subsidiarity – which, together, provide a balanced and holistic means of thinking about political and social topics.

Rediscovering Irregular Warfare: Colin Gubbins and the Origins of Britain's Special Operations Executive

University of Oklahoma Press

“Aaron Linderman has drawn from an impressive array of primary sources to trace the institutional development of irregular warfare in the years prior to World War II and as England deployed it against the Axis Powers during the war. By linking the development of Britain’s Special Operations Executive with the life and work of Major General Sir Colin Gubbins, Linderman shows the central role Gubbins played in the development of modern intelligence gathering and special operations. Insightful and valuable.”—William H. Kautt, author of Ground Truths: British Army Operations in the Irish War of Independence and Ambushes and Armour: The Irish Rebellion, 1919–1921 “A. R. B. Linderman has written a valuable book about Special Operations Executive (SOE) chief Colin Gubbins’s career development and pre–World War II study of irregular warfare. Linderman answers the critical question of how Gubbins tailored SOE to fight its brand of warfare, making Rediscovering Irregular Warfare a must-read for serious students of World War II special operations.”—Troy J. Sacquety, author of The OSS in Burma: Jungle War against the Japanese and Behind the Japanese Lines in Burma

"Afrikaner Influence on the IRA and SOE"

Securing Africa: Local Crises and Foreign Interventions

ed. Toyin Falola and Charles Thomas. Britain captured the Afrikaner capitals in the second year of the South African War (1899-1902), but subsequently faced a guerrilla conflict in which Afrikaner commandos lived off the land, striking swiftly and then disappearing into the veldt. For two years the war carried on this way until the Treaty of Vereeniging. This paper argues that although the Afrikaner resistance ultimately failed, it inspired two notable groups, the Irish Republican Army (IRA) and Britain’s Special Operations Executive (SOE). As Irish nationalists contemplated the way forward in the aftermath of the failed 1916 Easter Rising, they considered alternatives to conventional rebellion and looked to the Afrikaners for inspiration. When war on the European Continent seemed likely in 1939, Lt. Col. Colin Gubbins was tasked by the British War Office with writing field service regulations for guerrillas. He too looked to the Afrikaners for a model. Irish admiration for the Afrikaners is widely acknowledged; however, most accounts focus on political issues or highlight Irish volunteers who fought for the Afrikaners, rather than considering the influence of the Afrikaners on the IRA and its tactics. Even less studied are the doctrinal origins of SOE. While the Afrikaners were only one of several sources of inspiration to the IRA and SOE, this paper explores that inspiration, particularly with regard to seven guerrilla themes: self-preservation, stretching the enemy thin, mobility and initiative, reconnaissance and intelligence, collaborators and spies, raiding for supplies, and the role of civilians.

Review of Johnny: A Spy’s Life, by R. S. Rose and Gordon D. Scott

Canadian Journal of History

No. 1 (Spring/Summer).

The Need for a Fully Pro-Life Vision

Truth and Charity Forum

The term “pro-life” is generally known to mean opposition to abortion. But anyone who has given the topic much thought knows that it necessarily involves far more. If human life has intrinsic dignity from conception to birth, it clearly continues to have dignity after birth. And that truth has implications for how we act, as individuals and as a society. That case will be made here from the perspective of the Catholic Church, but is consonant with all Christian traditions, and indeed the philosophies and religions of many people of good will.

Review of Guerrilla Warfare in the Irish War of Independence, 1919-1921, by Joseph McKenna (Jefferson, NC: McFarland, 2010).

H-War

Review of The OSS in Burma: Jungle War against the Japanese, by Troy J. Sacquet (Univ. Press of Kansas, 2013)

Michigan War Studies Review

How to Save America – and Civilization

Truth and Charity Forum

Faced with two presidential candidates who have little or no regard for religiously-informed social values and a steady stream of dishonest and uncharitable vitriol from the campaigns and their various media allies, many people of faith are asking: What is to be done?

Solidarity and Subsidiarity

Truth and Charity Forum

Much of contemporary political discourse consists of a debate between two camps: those who argue, “We need to do something about…” and those who contend that, “It’s not the government’s responsibility to…” The Catholic Church teaches that each approach, by itself, is inadequate. Ideologies derived from such sentiments should not be the yardstick of Catholic political activity. Rather, the Church presents to us two principles – solidarity and subsidiarity – which, together, provide a balanced and holistic means of thinking about political and social topics.

Rediscovering Irregular Warfare: Colin Gubbins and the Origins of Britain's Special Operations Executive

University of Oklahoma Press

“Aaron Linderman has drawn from an impressive array of primary sources to trace the institutional development of irregular warfare in the years prior to World War II and as England deployed it against the Axis Powers during the war. By linking the development of Britain’s Special Operations Executive with the life and work of Major General Sir Colin Gubbins, Linderman shows the central role Gubbins played in the development of modern intelligence gathering and special operations. Insightful and valuable.”—William H. Kautt, author of Ground Truths: British Army Operations in the Irish War of Independence and Ambushes and Armour: The Irish Rebellion, 1919–1921 “A. R. B. Linderman has written a valuable book about Special Operations Executive (SOE) chief Colin Gubbins’s career development and pre–World War II study of irregular warfare. Linderman answers the critical question of how Gubbins tailored SOE to fight its brand of warfare, making Rediscovering Irregular Warfare a must-read for serious students of World War II special operations.”—Troy J. Sacquety, author of The OSS in Burma: Jungle War against the Japanese and Behind the Japanese Lines in Burma

"Afrikaner Influence on the IRA and SOE"

Securing Africa: Local Crises and Foreign Interventions

ed. Toyin Falola and Charles Thomas. Britain captured the Afrikaner capitals in the second year of the South African War (1899-1902), but subsequently faced a guerrilla conflict in which Afrikaner commandos lived off the land, striking swiftly and then disappearing into the veldt. For two years the war carried on this way until the Treaty of Vereeniging. This paper argues that although the Afrikaner resistance ultimately failed, it inspired two notable groups, the Irish Republican Army (IRA) and Britain’s Special Operations Executive (SOE). As Irish nationalists contemplated the way forward in the aftermath of the failed 1916 Easter Rising, they considered alternatives to conventional rebellion and looked to the Afrikaners for inspiration. When war on the European Continent seemed likely in 1939, Lt. Col. Colin Gubbins was tasked by the British War Office with writing field service regulations for guerrillas. He too looked to the Afrikaners for a model. Irish admiration for the Afrikaners is widely acknowledged; however, most accounts focus on political issues or highlight Irish volunteers who fought for the Afrikaners, rather than considering the influence of the Afrikaners on the IRA and its tactics. Even less studied are the doctrinal origins of SOE. While the Afrikaners were only one of several sources of inspiration to the IRA and SOE, this paper explores that inspiration, particularly with regard to seven guerrilla themes: self-preservation, stretching the enemy thin, mobility and initiative, reconnaissance and intelligence, collaborators and spies, raiding for supplies, and the role of civilians.

Review of Johnny: A Spy’s Life, by R. S. Rose and Gordon D. Scott

Canadian Journal of History

No. 1 (Spring/Summer).

The Need for a Fully Pro-Life Vision

Truth and Charity Forum

The term “pro-life” is generally known to mean opposition to abortion. But anyone who has given the topic much thought knows that it necessarily involves far more. If human life has intrinsic dignity from conception to birth, it clearly continues to have dignity after birth. And that truth has implications for how we act, as individuals and as a society. That case will be made here from the perspective of the Catholic Church, but is consonant with all Christian traditions, and indeed the philosophies and religions of many people of good will.

Review of Guerrilla Warfare in the Irish War of Independence, 1919-1921, by Joseph McKenna (Jefferson, NC: McFarland, 2010).

H-War

Review of The OSS in Burma: Jungle War against the Japanese, by Troy J. Sacquet (Univ. Press of Kansas, 2013)

Michigan War Studies Review

How to Save America – and Civilization

Truth and Charity Forum

Faced with two presidential candidates who have little or no regard for religiously-informed social values and a steady stream of dishonest and uncharitable vitriol from the campaigns and their various media allies, many people of faith are asking: What is to be done?

The Church on War and Peace

Truth and Charity Forum

The Catholic Church’s teachings regarding war and peace are challenging. While we happily affirm the general superiority of peace over war, violence has become so commonplace–abroad, on our streets, and in our entertainment–that it seems inevitable. We have accepted it as a problem to be managed and not an evil to abhor. But the Church calls us to a sharper moral awareness, one which actively strives for the good of peace, while permitting, in very limited circumstances, defensive warfare. Leaders and everyday citizens alike need to rediscover the mind of the Church in this matter.

Solidarity and Subsidiarity

Truth and Charity Forum

Much of contemporary political discourse consists of a debate between two camps: those who argue, “We need to do something about…” and those who contend that, “It’s not the government’s responsibility to…” The Catholic Church teaches that each approach, by itself, is inadequate. Ideologies derived from such sentiments should not be the yardstick of Catholic political activity. Rather, the Church presents to us two principles – solidarity and subsidiarity – which, together, provide a balanced and holistic means of thinking about political and social topics.

Rediscovering Irregular Warfare: Colin Gubbins and the Origins of Britain's Special Operations Executive

University of Oklahoma Press

“Aaron Linderman has drawn from an impressive array of primary sources to trace the institutional development of irregular warfare in the years prior to World War II and as England deployed it against the Axis Powers during the war. By linking the development of Britain’s Special Operations Executive with the life and work of Major General Sir Colin Gubbins, Linderman shows the central role Gubbins played in the development of modern intelligence gathering and special operations. Insightful and valuable.”—William H. Kautt, author of Ground Truths: British Army Operations in the Irish War of Independence and Ambushes and Armour: The Irish Rebellion, 1919–1921 “A. R. B. Linderman has written a valuable book about Special Operations Executive (SOE) chief Colin Gubbins’s career development and pre–World War II study of irregular warfare. Linderman answers the critical question of how Gubbins tailored SOE to fight its brand of warfare, making Rediscovering Irregular Warfare a must-read for serious students of World War II special operations.”—Troy J. Sacquety, author of The OSS in Burma: Jungle War against the Japanese and Behind the Japanese Lines in Burma

"Afrikaner Influence on the IRA and SOE"

Securing Africa: Local Crises and Foreign Interventions

ed. Toyin Falola and Charles Thomas. Britain captured the Afrikaner capitals in the second year of the South African War (1899-1902), but subsequently faced a guerrilla conflict in which Afrikaner commandos lived off the land, striking swiftly and then disappearing into the veldt. For two years the war carried on this way until the Treaty of Vereeniging. This paper argues that although the Afrikaner resistance ultimately failed, it inspired two notable groups, the Irish Republican Army (IRA) and Britain’s Special Operations Executive (SOE). As Irish nationalists contemplated the way forward in the aftermath of the failed 1916 Easter Rising, they considered alternatives to conventional rebellion and looked to the Afrikaners for inspiration. When war on the European Continent seemed likely in 1939, Lt. Col. Colin Gubbins was tasked by the British War Office with writing field service regulations for guerrillas. He too looked to the Afrikaners for a model. Irish admiration for the Afrikaners is widely acknowledged; however, most accounts focus on political issues or highlight Irish volunteers who fought for the Afrikaners, rather than considering the influence of the Afrikaners on the IRA and its tactics. Even less studied are the doctrinal origins of SOE. While the Afrikaners were only one of several sources of inspiration to the IRA and SOE, this paper explores that inspiration, particularly with regard to seven guerrilla themes: self-preservation, stretching the enemy thin, mobility and initiative, reconnaissance and intelligence, collaborators and spies, raiding for supplies, and the role of civilians.

Review of Johnny: A Spy’s Life, by R. S. Rose and Gordon D. Scott

Canadian Journal of History

No. 1 (Spring/Summer).

The Need for a Fully Pro-Life Vision

Truth and Charity Forum

The term “pro-life” is generally known to mean opposition to abortion. But anyone who has given the topic much thought knows that it necessarily involves far more. If human life has intrinsic dignity from conception to birth, it clearly continues to have dignity after birth. And that truth has implications for how we act, as individuals and as a society. That case will be made here from the perspective of the Catholic Church, but is consonant with all Christian traditions, and indeed the philosophies and religions of many people of good will.

Review of Guerrilla Warfare in the Irish War of Independence, 1919-1921, by Joseph McKenna (Jefferson, NC: McFarland, 2010).

H-War

Review of The OSS in Burma: Jungle War against the Japanese, by Troy J. Sacquet (Univ. Press of Kansas, 2013)

Michigan War Studies Review

How to Save America – and Civilization

Truth and Charity Forum

Faced with two presidential candidates who have little or no regard for religiously-informed social values and a steady stream of dishonest and uncharitable vitriol from the campaigns and their various media allies, many people of faith are asking: What is to be done?

The Church on War and Peace

Truth and Charity Forum

The Catholic Church’s teachings regarding war and peace are challenging. While we happily affirm the general superiority of peace over war, violence has become so commonplace–abroad, on our streets, and in our entertainment–that it seems inevitable. We have accepted it as a problem to be managed and not an evil to abhor. But the Church calls us to a sharper moral awareness, one which actively strives for the good of peace, while permitting, in very limited circumstances, defensive warfare. Leaders and everyday citizens alike need to rediscover the mind of the Church in this matter.

“Report of the British Military Mission to Poland, 1939"

Glaukopis

Edited with introduction.