Paul Moorcraft – författare

This book explores why there is a major war again in Europe. Putin’s actions need to be understood if not forgiven. With the Ukraine conflict increasingly seen as a proxy war of NATO versus Russia, how likely is the fighting to spread?The author, a highly respected journalist and political commentator, explains why Russia invaded a sovereign neighbour. To what extent did NATO’s expansion to Russia’s borders in the aftermath of the Cold War provoke Putin? Did the West’s recent humiliating defeats in the Middle East and South Asia encourage Putin to exploit what he saw as its decadent strategic weakness and lack of resolve? What were the reasons for Russia’s savage behaviour in Ukraine? How might the Ukraine war end and what will the post-bellum world look like?The war in Ukraine has had worldwide impact with cost of living, food and energy crises and raised the risk of nuclear Armageddon by accident or intent so this book has universal appeal; not just to military buffs. It examines the complex military and political issues in layman’s language while the story is told as a compelling historical narrative.Professor Moorcraft, who has worked in Ukraine and has witnessed Russian troops in action in Afghanistan and other theatres, is superbly qualified to write this work.

The end of the Cold War promised to herald a period of relatively peaceful world-wide stability. But this optimism was short-lived because of the inexorable rise of China’s economic power and spread of military and political influence coupled with Putin’s over-riding ambition to rebuild Russia’s sphere of influence in the nations of the former Soviet Union. The latter was aided by increasing Western dependency on Russian oil and gas.The dangers of this toxic combination have been increased by the extreme Islamist regime in Iran determined to destroy Israel by direct and indirect means. Mix into this hell-brew the iron grip of North Korea’s dictatorship and its obsession with nuclear weapons.This opportunistic alliance of these four autocratic regimes who cooperate over weapons, both nuclear and conventional, propaganda and economic relations but not in ideology, has effectively and deliberately disrupted the previous international world order. Their growing influence is increasingly seducing states in the so-called Global South. This perilous situation is being compounded by the arrival of the unpredictable Trump administration that appears willing to adopt Russia as an ally and vote with these dictators in the United Nations. The war between America and Israel versus Iran at the beginning of 2026 caused chaos in the Gulf and a worldwide economic tailspin. Experts wonder if wars in Europe and the Middle East could trigger China’s determination to swallow Taiwan and prompt a Third World War. The Author’s first-hand experience and fresh insights into world affairs make for essential reading at a time of extreme and growing political and military instability. More and more states have begun to side with or even want to join the Dictators’ Club.

The existence of German-speaking units fighting for the Allied cause during WW2 has remained largely a well-kept secret. But seventy-five years on these units' contribution to victory needs to be fully acknowledged.Prime Minister Winston Churchill had no qualms about using native German speakers from Austria, Poland, Czechoslovakia and of course Germany itself. The majority were Jews who had fled persecution.Two examples of these secret units were X Troop Commandos and the Special Interrogation Group.The SIG men deserve their legendary status. They fought, and often died, wearing Wehmacht uniform. As this superbly researched book reveals that, after infiltrating Field Marshal Rommel's Afrika Korps, one detachment even drew Nazi pay. Inevitably once the existence of SIG units became known, their immediate execution on capture was ordered, unless their temporary reprieve would reveal intelligence under torture.We learn how Churchill's initiative was copied by both the Americans and the Russians.Post-war SIG and X Troop survivors joined British special forces or were used to hunt down Nazi war criminals.All this and more is covered in this ground-breaking book by a writer who is both a leading historian and foreign correspondent.

The existence of German-speaking units fighting for the Allied cause during WW2 has remained largely a well-kept secret. But seventy-five years on these units'' contribution to victory needs to be fully acknowledged. Prime Minister Winston Churchill had no qualms about using native German speakers from Austria, Poland, Czechoslovakia and of course Germany itself. The majority were Jews who had fled persecution. Two examples of these secret units were X Troop Commandos and the Special Interrogation Group. The SIG men deserve their legendary status. They fought, and often died, wearing Wehmacht uniform. As this superbly researched book reveals that, after infiltrating Field Marshal Rommel''s Afrika Korps, one detachment even drew Nazi pay. Inevitably once the existence of SIG units became known, their immediate execution on capture was ordered, unless their temporary reprieve would reveal intelligence under torture. We learn how Churchill''s initiative was copied by both the Americans and the Russians. Post-war SIG and X Troop survivors joined British special forces or were used to hunt down Nazi war criminals. All this and more is covered in this ground-breaking book by a writer who is both a leading historian and foreign correspondent.

The existence of German-speaking units fighting for the Allied cause during WW2 has remained largely a well-kept secret. But seventy-five years on these units'' contribution to victory needs to be fully acknowledged. Prime Minister Winston Churchill had no qualms about using native German speakers from Austria, Poland, Czechoslovakia and of course Germany itself. The majority were Jews who had fled persecution. Two examples of these secret units were X Troop Commandos and the Special Interrogation Group. The SIG men deserve their legendary status. They fought, and often died, wearing Wehmacht uniform. As this superbly researched book reveals that, after infiltrating Field Marshal Rommel''s Afrika Korps, one detachment even drew Nazi pay. Inevitably once the existence of SIG units became known, their immediate execution on capture was ordered, unless their temporary reprieve would reveal intelligence under torture. We learn how Churchill''s initiative was copied by both the Americans and the Russians. Post-war SIG and X Troop survivors joined British special forces or were used to hunt down Nazi war criminals. All this and more is covered in this ground-breaking book by a writer who is both a leading historian and foreign correspondent.

President Omar al-Bashir is Africa's and arguably Arabia's most controversial leader. In power since 1989, he is the first sitting head of state to be issued with an arrest warrant, for war crimes, by International Criminal Court.

He has been a central personality in Islamic and African politics, as well as a love-to-hate figure for the US in the 'war on terror'.

For military history readers, Al-Bashir is a field marshal who has fought possibly the world's longest conflict. Modern Sudan has been embroiled in war since 1955.

No proper biography has been written on him before. Nor has there been a comprehensive military history of Sudan. The book briefly covers the military background until independence. Then it dissects the long north-south civil war until Bashir's Islamist military coup in 1989. Thereafter it narrates the wars in the east, south, west (in Darfur), International political and military intervention is also factored in.

The author draws on in-depth one-on-one interviews with Bashir himself and his family and close political, military and intelligence colleagues.

This timely and controversial book examines the international and domestic threats to the West from Jihadism. It joins the dots in the Middle East, Asia and Africa and explains what it means for the home front, mainly Britain but also continental Europe and the USA. More Brits are trying to join the Islamic State than the reserve forces. Why? It puts the whole complex jigsaw together without pulling any punches.After briefly tracing the origins of Jihadism from the time of the Prophet, The Jihadist Threat analyses the fall-out from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars and how far these fuelled the rise of the self-styled Islamic State and other terror groups and the extent these pose to European society. Finally, the Author offers suggestions for defeating this existential threat to the Western way of life.This well-illustrated book is written from the inside. Professor Paul Moorcraft, currently the Director of the Centre for Foreign Policy Analysis, London, has long worked at the heart of the British security establishment and has operated as a war correspondent in over thirty conflict zones since Afghanistan in the 1980s, often alongside frontline Jihadists. Arguably no-one is better qualified to write on this subject and his knowledge coupled with forthright views cannot be ignored.

Fifty years on, this superb and exciting book depicts the military history of Southern Rhodesia from the first resistance to colonial rule, through the period of UDI by the Smith government to the Lancaster House agreement that transferred power. There are vivid accounts of the operations against the black nationalist 'guerillas' by the security forces and the intensity of the fighting and courage of the participants will surprise and enthrall readers. Atrocities were undoubtedly committed by both sides but equally the protagonists were playing for very high stakes.But this is more than just a book on military operations. The Authors are able to provide expert analysis of the historical situation and examines events up to the present day, including Mugabe's operations against rival tribes and white farmers.For a thorough work on its subject this book cannot be bettered. Essential reading for those wishing to learn more about a counterinsurgency campaign. The ingenuity of the Rhodesian military fighting against overwhelming odds and restricted by sanctions is impressive but the outcome culminating in the Lancaster House Agreement was inevitable.EPUB3: Reflowable

The role of war correspondents is crucial to democracy and the publics discovery of the truth. Without them, the temptation to manipulate events with propaganda would be irresistible to politicians of all hues.It starts by examining how journalists have plied their trade over the years most particularly from the Crimean War onwards. Their impact on the conduct of war has been profound and the author, an experienced journalist, explains in his frank and readable manner how this influence has shaped the actions of politicians and military commanders. By the same token the media is a potentially valuable tool to those in authority and this two-way relationship is examined.Technical developments and 24 hour news have inevitably changed the nature of war reporting and their political masters ignore this at their peril and the author examines the key milestones on this road.Using his own and others experiences in recent conflicts, be they Korea, Falklands, Balkans, Iraq or Afghanistan, the author opens the readers eyes to an aspect of warfare that is all too often overlooked but can be crucial to the outcome. The publics attitude to the day-to-day conduct of war is becoming ever more significant and this fascinating book examines why.EPUB3: Reflowable

By means of interviews with, and contributions from, prominent international figures, Axis of Freedom examines the dramatic world events which unfolded from 11 September 2001 to the end of occupation of Iraq in the summer of 2004. Many books have been written on the war on terror, but none include the personal views and opinions of so many top military and political leaders. The contributions are linked by a series of essays to form a compelling narrative of the new way of war. In their own words the key decision-makers such as Donald Rumsfeld, Richard Perle and Geoff Hoon talk about the strategic dilemmas. The military implementation of the political decisions are discussed by leaders such as the head of the US Air Force, the former British Chief of Defence Staff, Lord Guthrie, and the Royal Navy's First Sea Lord. Highly charged critiques by George Galloway MP are also included, as well as Iraq's deputy prime minister, Tariq Aziz, who was interviewed on the eve of the war. Senior foreign correspondents such as Channel Four's Lindsey Hilsum add their own frontline assessments. In addition, leading academic analysts such as Dr Paul Cornish put the political and military debates in context.

In 2009, the Sri Lankan government forces literally eradicated the Tamil Tiger insurgency after 26 years of civil war. This was the first time that a government had defeated an indigenous insurgency by force of arms. It was as if the British army killed thousands of IRA cadres to end the war in Northern Ireland. The story of this war is fascinating in itself, besides the international repercussions for ‘terrorism’ and insurgency worldwide. Many countries involved themselves in the war – to arm the combatants (China, Pakistan, India, and North Korea) or to bring peace (US, France, UK, and Norway).While researching this work Professor Moorcraft was given unprecedented access to Sri Lankan politicians (including the President and his brother, the Defense Permanent Secretary), senior generals, intelligence chiefs, civil servants, UN officials, foreign diplomats and NGOs. He also interviewed the surviving leader of the Tamil Tigers.His conclusions and findings will be controversial. He reveals how the authorities determined to stamp out Tamil Tiger resistance by whatever means frustrated the media and foreign mediators. Their methods, which have led to accusations of war crimes, were brutally effective but are likely to remain highly contentions for years to come.

No war in living memory has stirred up such anger, fear andloathing as the long-running Israel–Palestine conflict, and peace in the regionhas never seemed further away. The 7 October 2023 attack by Hamas on Israel hadfar-reaching and potentially devastating consequences for the Middle East andfor the world. As the war has expanded to take in other players in the area,the future of Israel as a regional superpower is now in doubt and the chancesof all-out war between Israel and its neighbours have become much greater.This essential work looks at the background to theHamas–Israel war and asks whether the international system can contain two simultaneouswars in Europe and the Levant. It examines the wars that preceded this one, therise of Hamas and the roles Hezbollah, Iran and Syria play in the conflict.Paul Moorcraft considers the war’s impact on Israeli society, the economy andthe Israel Defense Forces, while also looking at how media and propaganda shapeour view of the war and how the conflict affects the whole region’srelationships with the west.Here, Moorcraft brings all perspectives together in anexpert and balanced analysis, examining the potential outcomes of the war andarguing that the two-state solution should be revived. Peace has never lookedmore impossible – but the alternative, a forever war, is even more impossible.

What started as a vision about the Olifants River Game Reserve has become the story of a game ranger's life. With a naturalist's eye for detail as well as the bigger picture of managing a fragile ecosystem through years of drought and plenty, Mario Cesare brings a storyteller's delight - and a dash of Italian passion - to sharing his world. Life-and-death encounters with lion, elephant and buffalo are balanced by rescues and interventions as these giants of the lowveld suffer the effects of human interference in their ecosystem. There are problems with poachers and with rapacious neighbours; then the delights of success - and in the case of the elephant population, the conundrums of too much success. Mario Cesare's career has taken him from Timbavati and Mala Mala to Olifants River and beyond - and he delights in sharing his good fortune. His latest task: to develop and nurture the Olifants River Game Reserve as the fences of the Greater Kruger National Park area fall, undoing generations of damage.Man-eaters, Mambas and Marula Madness: A Game Ranger's Life in the Lowveld provides a wealth of lessons on conservation as well as stories of life in the bush as it is enjoyed only by those fortunate enough to live on a 'Big Five' reserve.