Want to know what books Stephen Armstrong recommends on their reading list? We've researched interviews, social media posts, podcasts, and articles to build a comprehensive list of Stephen Armstrong's favorite book recommendations of all time.
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Equatorial Guinea is a tiny country roughly the size of the state of Maryland. Humid, jungle covered, and rife with unpleasant diseases, natives call it Devil Island. Its president in 2004, Obiang Nguema, had been accused of cannibalism, belief in witchcraft, mass murder, billiondollar corruption, and general rule by terror. With so little to recommend it, why in March 2004 was Equatorial Guinea the target of a group of salty British, South African and Zimbabwean mercenaries, travelling on an American-registered ex-National Guard plane specially adapted for military purposes, that was... more Equatorial Guinea is a tiny country roughly the size of the state of Maryland. Humid, jungle covered, and rife with unpleasant diseases, natives call it Devil Island. Its president in 2004, Obiang Nguema, had been accused of cannibalism, belief in witchcraft, mass murder, billiondollar corruption, and general rule by terror. With so little to recommend it, why in March 2004 was Equatorial Guinea the target of a group of salty British, South African and Zimbabwean mercenaries, travelling on an American-registered ex-National Guard plane specially adapted for military purposes, that was originally flown to Africa by American pilots? The real motive lay deep below the ocean floor: oil. In The Dogs of War, Frederick Forsyth effectively described an attempt by mercenaries to overthrow the government of Equatorial Guinea -- in 1972. And the chain of events surrounding the night of March 7, 2004, is a rare case of life imitating art--or, at least, life imitating a 1970s thriller--in almost uncanny detail. With a cast of characters worthy of a remake of Wild Geese and a plot as mazy as it was unlikely, The Wonga Coup is a tale of venality, overarching vanity and greed whose example speaks to the problems of the entire African continent. less 
Stephen ArmstrongThe British invented the modern private security industry in the Yemen in the early 1960s because there was a civil war in the Yemen which threatened Aden – the last imperial outpost of any use to anyone. We couldn’t go to war because we had just lost out in the Suez Crisis and it was very clear that we couldn’t act any more without the US coming in. So what the Yemen government did was recruit... (Source)
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In this fast-moving account of his life, Tim Spicer describes the events in Papua New Guinea when he was captured at gun-point and held in captivity—and came away with his life, his men, and the company's honor intact. Here too is the full truth about the notorious "Arms for Africa" affair which tied the Foreign Office in a knot over whether Sandline had broken a UN embargo on supplying arms to the legitimate government-in-exile of Sierra Leone. Spicer's entertaining account of modern soldiering in peace and war looks at the creation of private military companies—the modern, legitimate... more In this fast-moving account of his life, Tim Spicer describes the events in Papua New Guinea when he was captured at gun-point and held in captivity—and came away with his life, his men, and the company's honor intact. Here too is the full truth about the notorious "Arms for Africa" affair which tied the Foreign Office in a knot over whether Sandline had broken a UN embargo on supplying arms to the legitimate government-in-exile of Sierra Leone. Spicer's entertaining account of modern soldiering in peace and war looks at the creation of private military companies—the modern, legitimate version of the old mercenaries—and concludes with his troubling forecast for the dangerous world that lies ahead in the new millennium, making this an essential guide to life as it is lived in some of the world's trouble spots, as well as a glimpse of the intrigue that lies behind the British political scene. less Stephen ArmstrongYes, Tim Spicer is the closest thing to the father of the private security industry you are going to hear from. He is most famous for the Sandline affair which is sometimes known as the Arms to Africa affair. It is about his private security company, Sandline International, selling weapons to the legitimate but ousted government of Sierra Leone and the British military force there. The British... (Source)
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Private Contractors and the Reconstruction of Iraq examines the controversial role of military contractors in the reconstruction of Iraq. When 'Operation Iraqi Freedom' was launched in March 2003, few, if any, of the Coalition's political leaders could have envisaged that within a few months the number of private contractors engaged to keep the troops supplied would exceed their actual combat strength. This alternative 'army' was not only to become the largest assemblage of contractors in living memory to accompany a military force into a war zone, but was also responsible... more Private Contractors and the Reconstruction of Iraq examines the controversial role of military contractors in the reconstruction of Iraq. When 'Operation Iraqi Freedom' was launched in March 2003, few, if any, of the Coalition's political leaders could have envisaged that within a few months the number of private contractors engaged to keep the troops supplied would exceed their actual combat strength. This alternative 'army' was not only to become the largest assemblage of contractors in living memory to accompany a military force into a war zone, but was also responsible for a fundamental transformation of how military logistics were delivered.
This book explains how and why the US and UK governments became so dependent upon military contractors during the war in Iraq. It also examines the ramifications this new dependency will have on future military operations, as the conflict in Iraq has shown that private contractors are now indispensable to the attainment of both the military and political objectives of war. Finally, the book discusses what advantages and disadvantages these companies have brought to the reconstruction of Iraq, and what lessons need to be learned from this experience.
This book will be of great interest to students of military and strategic studies, Middle Eastern politics and international security, and as well as policymakers and military professionals.
Christopher Kinsey is a lecturer in international security at King's College London, Defence Studies Department, at the Joint Services Command and Staff College, Shrivenham. His previous publications include Corporate Soldiers and International Security: The Rise of Private Military Companies (Routledge: 2006) less Stephen ArmstrongChristopher Kinsey is probably at the leading edge of studying this industry. He works at Kings College in London and at the Joint Services Command and Staff College, which is like the university for the armed forces. So he has unrivalled access. He wrote a very successful first book which was an overview of how private contractors started, and with this second book he is looking at the effect... (Source)
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The groundbreaking bestselling expose of the shadowy mercenary army that perpetrated horrific war crimes in America's name. On September 16, 2007, machine gun fire erupted in Baghdad's Nisour Square, leaving seventeen Iraqi civilians dead, among them women and children. The shooting spree, labeled "Baghdad's Bloody Sunday," was neither the work of Iraqi insurgents nor U.S. soldiers. The shooters were private forces, subcontractors working for the secretive mercenary company, Blackwater Worldwide, led by Erik Prince
Award-winning journalist Jeremy Scahill takes us from the... more The groundbreaking bestselling expose of the shadowy mercenary army that perpetrated horrific war crimes in America's name. On September 16, 2007, machine gun fire erupted in Baghdad's Nisour Square, leaving seventeen Iraqi civilians dead, among them women and children. The shooting spree, labeled "Baghdad's Bloody Sunday," was neither the work of Iraqi insurgents nor U.S. soldiers. The shooters were private forces, subcontractors working for the secretive mercenary company, Blackwater Worldwide, led by Erik Prince
Award-winning journalist Jeremy Scahill takes us from the bloodied streets of Iraq to hurricane-ravaged New Orleans to the chambers of power in Washington, to reveal the frightening new face of the U.S. military machine, and what happens when you outsource war."A crackling expose" -- New York Times Book Review"[Scahill] is a one-man truth squad" -- Bill Moyers"[An] utterly gripping and explosive story" -- Naomi Klein, The Guardian less Stephen ArmstrongWell this is the exact opposite of The Circuit, in that it is much more academic. I think they are both incredibly important books. Blackwater is written by a US journalist called Jeremy Scahill. The book shows the beauty of American print journalism. It is so well researched and thoroughly documented that it moves beyond a research book and into an impassioned, well written, freely flowing... (Source)
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After nearly 20 years of SAS operations, Bob Shepherd retired from military service to work as an advisor on the international commercial security circuit. He witnessed The Circuit's rise from a niche business staffed by top veterans into an unregulated, billion dollar industry that too often places profits above lives. more After nearly 20 years of SAS operations, Bob Shepherd retired from military service to work as an advisor on the international commercial security circuit. He witnessed The Circuit's rise from a niche business staffed by top veterans into an unregulated, billion dollar industry that too often places profits above lives. less Stephen ArmstrongThis is a true story about an ex-SAS man. It’s a good example of how the private security industry has evolved, from a first-person perspective. (Source)
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