Recommended readings on special ops. (Book Shelf).

The central role played by U.S. special operations in the war in Afghanistan has many people looking for information about that particular military speciality. The following reading list might help:

* "Green Berets, SEALs and Spetsnaz: U.S. & Soviet Military Operations," by John M. Collins, Pergamon-Brassey's. Commissioned by the House Armed Services Committee, this work includes extensive notes.

* "Special Operations and National Purposes," by Ross S. Kelly, Lexington Books. Detailing special ops in Warsaw Pact and NATO scenarios, but written in light of the 1980s SOF reorganization, this volume touches on counter-terrorism, hostage rescue, guerilla warfare, counter insurgency, psychological operations, and direct-action missions.

* "SEALs In Vietnam," by Eric Micheletti, from Histoire & Collections (Combined Publishing), provides an excellent historical and pictorial record of SEAL teams during the Vietnam era.

* "The Green Beret: U.S. Forces from Vietnam to Delta Force," by Ashley Brown (Ed.), Villard Elite Forces Military Series. This volume describes the evolution of Special Forces.

* "Any Time, Any Place: A History of USAF Air Commando and SOF," by Philip D. Chinnery, Naval Institute Press. The author tells the story, from 1st Air Commando Group (of World War II fame)--supporting Orde Wingate's "Chindits" in Burma--to the Son Tay raid in North Vietnam.

* "Elite Warriors: The Special Forces of the U.S. and Its Allies," by George Sullivan, from Facts On File Publishers. This report covers U.S. Special Forces, SEALS, Delta, Rangers and Air Force Special Operations Forces; Great Britain's SAS Regiment, SBS Squadron and Commachio Group; Germany's GSG-9 and 1st Gebirgsjager Division, and special forces groups from Belgium, Canada, France, Italy, Netherlands and Israel.

* "Delta: America's Elite Counter-Terrorism Force--Power Series," by Terry Griswold and D.M. Giangreco, Motorbooks Publishers.

* "Concise History of U.S. Army Special Operations Forces," by Geoffrey T. Barker, with an introduction by Lt. Gen. William Yarborough, from Anglo-American Publishing, Fayetteville, N.C., and the Fort Bragg Special Forces Museum.

* "Feet to the Fire: CIA Operations in Indonesia 1957-1968," by Kenneth Conboy and James Morrison, Naval Institute Press.

* "The Secret War Against Hanoi: Kennedy and Johnson's Use of Spies, Saboteurs and Covert Warriors in North Vietnam," by Richard H. Schultz Jr., Harper Collins Publishers. This volume tells the story of MAC-SOG, with lots of documents.

* "Secret Warriors: Inside the Covert Military Operations of the Reagan Era," by Steven Emerson, Putnam Publishers. Coverage includes Delta, Yellow fruit, Sea Spray, Task Force 160, the Quick Reaction Team, the Intelligence Support Activity and the Special Ops Division.

* "SAS: Savage Wars of Peace--1947 to Present," by Anthony Kemp, John Murray Publishers. The regiment's history is detailed, from Malaya, Borneo, Saudi Arabia and Oman to Northern Ireland, the Falklands and the Gulf war.

* "Handbook of Intelligence and Guerilla Warfare," by Orlov, University of Michigan Press. The author is the former chief of Soviet intelligence.

* "Green Berets at War: U.S. Army Special Forces in Southeast Asia, 1956-1975," by Shelby L. Stanton, Presidio Press. This is almost a Bible.

* "LIC 2010: Special Operations and Unconventional Warfare in the Next Century," by Rod Paschall, published by Brassey's. Here is a 1990's book that looks into the future.

* "Soviet Actions in Afghanistan and Initiative at the Tactical Level: Are there Implications for the U.S. Army?" This work is published by the School for Advanced Military Studies and available from NTIS: #AD-A208-227-9.

* "Other Side of the Mountain," by the Foreign Military Studies Office, U.S. Army, at Fort Leavenworth, Kan., NTIS: ADA 376862, National Defense University Press, 1996.

* "Afghanistan: The Bear Trap--The Defeat of a Superpower," by Mohammad Yousaf and Mark Adkin, Casemate Publishers, Havertown, Pa. This history of modern battle in Afghanistan from the Soviets to the Mujahadeen is written with help from the Afghans' ISI Bureau, their CIA equivalent.

* "SOE Syllabus: Lessons in Ungentlemanly Warfare--World War II," Public Record Office--Secret History files, Casemate Publishers, Havertown, Pa. This work is an official history of the Special Operations Executive, Churchill's organization, which was given the mission to "light Occupied Europe on Fire."

* "A History of Terrorism," by Walter Laquer, Transaction Publishers, New Brunswick, N.J. This is a study of guerrilla warfare and terrorist activity from 19th century Europe, through the anarchists of the 1880s and '90s, to the multi-ethnic clashes of today. A companion volume to Laquer's "Guerrilla Warfare," it discusses funding, intelligence gathering, weapons, tactics and the crucial role of the media.

* "Holy war, Inc.: Inside the Secret World of Osama bin Laden," by Peter Bergen, Free Press. Written since 9/11 by a journalist, who interviewed OBL as the State Department tapes have dubbed him, this is the story of a terrorist, from his family, other al Qaeda members and CIA officials. It includes a lot of information about the al Qaeda organization and its second-in-command--the Egyptian, Ayman al-Zawahiri.

* "Shadow War: Special Operations and Low-Intensity Conflict," by Lt.Col. H.T. Hayden, USMC, from Pacific Aero Press, Vista, Calif. The author has created a monumental work that draws the distinction between special operations and LIC. Establishing the office of assistant secretary of defense for special operations and low-intensity conflict has created many misconceptions that the author neatly identifies. He includes articles from many sources, providing what the author refers to as a "how-to" or "information resource." Make sure this one is on your shopping list.

* "Sacred Rage: The Wrath of Militant Islam, by Robin Wright," from Simon & Schuster Trade Paperbacks. This book addresses the broad scope of Islamic extremism since the 1979 Iranian revolution. It answers the question why 9/11 happened and offers a possible solution to the longer-term, global threat.

Dr. David LL. Silbergeld, Lt. Col., USA (Ret.); Albert DeProspero, Col., USA (Ret.), and Michael Janay, Lt. Col., USMC (Ret.) are members of the Special Operations and Low-Intensity Conflict Division of the National Defense Industrial Association.