"Tora Bora Reconsidered" in Joint Forces Quarterly

My article, "Tora Bora Reconsidered: Lessons from 125 Years of Strategic Manhunts" in the forthcoming (July 2013) issue of Joint Forces Quarterly has been posted online. (The journal itself comes out next week). As the abstract notes:

The allegation that Osama bin Laden was not apprehended in timely fashion because of insufficient troops deployed to Tora Bora is belied by the experience of a dozen strategic manhunts involving deployment of U.S. forces dating back to 1885-86. In fact, the need for surprise often means smaller forces are the ideal. Moreover, the human terrain is a bigger factor than the physical terrain. The views of the native population shape three variables that largely determine the success of strategic manhunts: human intelligence, help from indigenous forces, and whether the object of the hunt can find sanctuary by crossing a border. These factors were against U.S. forces in December 2001. The key would have been stronger links with Pashtun resources.

I actually submitted this back in November 2011, and assumed it had been rejected until the editors contacted me this February saying it had been accepted but was still under security review. What appears in JFQ is the redacted version, as DOD decided they couldn't release some details that Langley had already cleared for publication in Gary Berntsen and George Tenet's memoirs. Then again, if the AP is correct, apparently members of the Obama administration have had a problem keeping details of the hunt for bin Laden secret, at least when it came to Hollywood directors/writers. 

Attention Tucson Readers

If anybody lives in the greater Tucson area, I will be appearing at the Tucson Festival of Books this weekend. 

I will be participating on two panels: 1) "Manhunts" at 1130 on Saturday, and 2) "Nasty Nazis and Other Vicious Villains" at 1000 on Sunday.  (The Saturday panel is self-explanatory, and on the Sunday panel I'll be discussing the hunt for Adolph Eichmann and the romanticization of manhunt targets such as Geronimo, Pancho Villa, Sandino, and Che Guevara).

I hope to see you there!

Shameless "Bleg"

. . . "bleg" being defined as a "blogging beg," in which a blogger shamelessly uses his web log to ask a favor.  (Hey, Glenn Reynolds used to do this all the time at Instapundit!)

Apparently General Odierno is asking for recommendations for the new Army Chief of Staff Professional Reading List.

If you have read and enjoyed Wanted Dead or Alive, I would greatly appreciate anybody who takes a quick minute to go to the link above and say some few kind words about my book (i.e. how it reads like a novel, gives practical policy recommendations, is more applicable to the modern strategic environment than yet another book about the War of 1812, etc).

Either way, starting Wednesday I'll be on travel for the holidays.  I'm going to try to pre-program a slew of historical posts for the holidays.  But if I don't get the chance to write during "vacation," have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Ben

Alert The Media!!! "Wanted Dead or Alive" on Crime Beat TONIGHT!!!

I'll be interviewed about Wanted Dead or Alive on the Crime Beat Radio show on CBS Radio tonight, from 8PM to 9PM EST.

This should be good, as I've been told several times I have the perfect face for radio!

"Wanted Dead or Alive" on C-Span Tonight!

In case you find yourself getting annoyed by your family or in-laws tonight, you can always excuse yourself at 6PM EST and say you need to watch the re-airing of my book talk on C-Span's Book TV.  (Lord knows I'm going to try this trick myself . . .)

Whether you are able to watch or will have already slipped into a tryptophane induced coma, have a Happy Thanksgiving!!

Shameless Self-Promotion Post #4: Beantown Edition

Boston friends/family/fans, I will be making two appearances in Boston next week:

• On Monday the 17th, I'll be signing copies of "Wanted Dead or Alive" at the Harvard Coop (1400 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138, from 5-6PM.
• On Tuesday the 18th, I'll be giving a talk/reading on the book at Boston University's International History Institute (B-13 725 Commonwealth Avenue) from 4-5:30PM, with a signing to follow immediately thereafter.

Hopefully I will see more than a few of you out there!

Shameless Self-Promotion Post #3

First, for those who missed it (i.e. because I only found out it would be on 45 minutes before it actually aired, and hence most people with lives didn't get my frantic emails on time), here is the video of my September 12 talk at the Tattered Cover. 

Before anyone asks: No, I wasn't auditioning to be a livestock auctioneer or have a plane to catch afterwards.  This was just my first reading, so I tried to cram too much information in during my 30 minutes or remarks and hence talked way too fast.

Second, yesterday I received a note saying that "Wanted Dead or Alive" (the blog, not the book) has been named one of the Top 25 Homeland Security Blogs.  Given some of the other blogs on the list, I'm actually pretty honored by this, albeit fearful that now I'll have to take this blogging thing more seriously (i.e. no pictures of the Riddler; no three-week vacations). 

As soon as I can figure out how to insert the code to do so, I'll display the Criminal Justice Degree Schools "badge" on the page.