Phantom Soldier

[Paladin]

Phantom Soldier

Every H.J. Poole I've read has been excellent, but this book is certainly one of his best. If you're looking for a book on military tactics and strategy with plenty of red meat... this is it.


Reviews:
"John Poole ... [weaves] tactical lessons into ... exciting ... books. I would highly recommend them to all NCOs and officers." –– Gen. Anthony C. Zinni USMC(Ret.), March 2004

"Phantom Soldier presents the Oriental way of war. . . understandably." –– William S. Lind, author of Maneuver Warfare Handbook, July 2001

"The Eastern warrior—as characterized in the thought-provoking Phantom Soldier—and his tactics, are worthy of study and possible emulation." –– Infantry Magazine, Winter 2003

"The author ... has filled ... [the] gap ... in small-unit leader’s training." –– Leatherneck Magazine, March 2002

"This book ... talks about what goes on at the nitty-gritty level of infantry combat." –– Armor Magazine, January-February 2004

"Well-researched and authoritative, the book describes the differences between Eastern and Western military traditions." –– Newport News Daily Press, 6 January 2002

"[The book's] content is prophetic for the battle ... in Afghanistan.... [It] can help every infantryman ... deal ... with asymmetric conflict." –– Special Warfare Magazine, Winter 2002

“John Poole ... has studied how Asian armies ... fought in previous wars, and says Western armies need to pay attention.” –– Fayetteville (NC) Observer, 28 October 2001

“Transported back ... to WWII, Korea, and Vietnam, the reader will ... match wits with the best infantrymen in the world.” –– Military Illustrated, issue 158

“[A] must for all those who have to meet the reality of ... 21st century [battle].” –– Fort Myers Pentagram, 30 November 2001

Product Description:
Phantom Soldier: The Enemy’s Answer to U.S. Firepower may be the best treatise on Oriental warfare ever produced in the West. Well researched and illustrated, it sheds new light on what an Eastern infantry unit can do in combat: (1) alternate between guerrilla, mobile, and positional warfare; (2) use “ordinary forces” to engage and “extraordinary forces” to beat an opponent; and then (3) run away when fighting holds no more strategic import. While what occurred in history does not change, one’s perception of it does — as he comes to better understand his former adversary. Well versed in the Asian arts of deception and delay, the author explains in detail what really occurred at Guadalcanal, Iwo Jima, the Chosin Reservoir, Hue City, and other Vietnam battlefields. It would seem that former adversaries have used strategic retreat and tactical withdrawal not only to save their soldiers, but also to undermine U.S. resolve. By revealing how Eastern soldiers could hold their own without resupply, tanks, or air support, Phantom Soldier shows what U.S. infantrymen must do to survive the more lethal weaponry of the 21st century. This is must reading for any combat leader or concerned citizen.

[Paladin]

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