Publisher Description

"The guerrilla fights the war of the flea, and his military enemy suffers the dog's disadvantages: too much to defend; too small, ubiquitous, and agile an enemy to come to grips with." With these words, Robert Taber began a revolution in conventional military thought that has dramatically impacted the way armed conflicts have been fought since the book's initial publication in 1965. Whether ideological, nationalistic, or religious, all guerrilla insurgencies use similar tactics to advance their cause. The War of the Flea's timeless analysis of the guerrilla fighter's means and methods provides a fundamental resource for any reader seeking to understand this distinct form of warfare and the challenge it continues to present to today's armed forces in the Philippines, Colombia, and elsewhere.

Notes

An updated new edition of the landmark work of 1965.

Author Biography

Taber traveled to Cuba in the late 1950s as a CBS investigative journalist to cover the country's burgeoning revolutionary movement. He became an eyewitness to history as he marched from the Sierra Maestra to Havana with the ragtag revolutionaries, led by Fidel Castro and Che Guevara, who forced Batista to flee the country.

Review

"[The author has] the odd accolade of being the only American among Castro's defending forces at Playa Giron....He makes an excellent case, a sort of modern Sun Tzu who finds romance in the abstract guerilla formula of juggling time, space, and will."
"Has new relevance as terrorist organizations inspired by new revolutionaries dominate the international security landscape. . . . Reading "The War of the Flea" is an excellent beginning to understanding the current problems facing the military."
"Very interesting on the popular level, and a good example of political journalism..."

Review Quote

"Very interesting on the popular level, and a good example of political journalism..."

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