Armies of Sand

In "Armies of Sand," Kenneth M. Pollack explores the military performance of Arab armed forces from the end of World War II to the present, highlighting a consistent pattern of underachievement. The book analyzes various explanations for this trend, including reliance on Soviet tactics and the complexities of civil-military relations within Arab states. Pollack critically examines the combat capabilities of 15 different Arab armies and air forces across multiple conflicts, offering comparative insights with other global military forces throughout the 20th century.