The Insurgents

In The Insurgents, Fred Kaplan draws from previously unavailable documents and interviews with over 100 key figures, including General David Petraeus, to explore the complex landscape of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. The narrative focuses on a new generation of military officers who proposed innovative strategies for countering insurgencies, forming a influential group that challenged traditional military dogma. Kaplan illustrates how their adaptive approach reformed the U.S. military's tactics for modern conflicts, while cautioning against the perils of overconfidence that led to prolonged engagements in unwinnable wars.