{"title":"Books by John S Harrel","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"9781036101633","title":"The Russian-Ukrainian War, 2023","description":"This book describes, in great detail, the second year of Putin’s 'Special Operation' to obliterate Ukraine. General (Ret) Harrel’s previous book, entitled The Russian Invasion of Ukraine, February - December 2022, described the initial invasion, identifying the units and weapons on the battlefield with military precision. Now he continues the story of Ukrainian resistance in the face of overwhelming odds.The author knowledgeably reports on twenty-first century mechanized warfare, and how drones and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have evolved to dominate the tactical, operational, and strategic levels of war. The year 2023 saw the dawn of drone warfare as combatants on both sides of the conflict at first tinkered with the use of civilian hobby-type machines but then, having had great success, rushed forward to design, purchase (often with crowd funding) and deploy drones through all domains of the battlefield. Drones performed reconnaissance, targeting for artillery and direct attacks, seeking, identifying, and striking targets not only on the battlefield but in the Black Sea and deep inside Mother Russia.As the fighting raged, Russia successfully continued its worldwide cyber campaign to influence elections, divide allies and undercut support for Ukraine. The Pyrrhic Russian victories at Bakhmut and Avdviika were offset by Ukrainian victories in the Black Sea, after its failed counteroffensive in the Summer of 2023. Finland and Sweden joined NATO, while US support was stymied and delayed by internal politics. NATO clearly assumed its place as the bastion of Western freedom as the war continued into 2024.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Hardback","offer_id":56296094695797,"sku":"9781036101633","price":29.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":57682698240373,"sku":"9781036101640","price":16.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781036101633_eea5f818-843f-417a-875e-b642c6942517.jpg?v=1792511640"},{"product_id":"9781399031769","title":"The Russian Invasion of Ukraine, February - December 2022","description":"On 24 February 2022, Russian forces invaded Ukraine, intending to overthrow the Zelensky government and bring the former Soviet republic back into the Russian sphere of control. Vladimir Putin clearly expected a quick victory and many in the West also predicted that Kiev would fall in a few days. But they hadn’t counted on the skilled, courageous and determined resistance of the Ukrainian armed forces, nor the degree to which Russian military might had been overestimated. The initial  Russian dash for Kiev was thrown back and their advances in the east and south also slowed by a combination of fierce resistance and their own unpreparedness, inadequate logistical planning and incompetent command. While the Russians ground their way forward in the east and south of the country, devastating towns and cities, they paid a heavy price in casualties and equipment losses. A carefully planned Ukrainian counteroffensive in the summer forced the invaders into a series of humiliating retreats. As winter approached, the Russians still held considerable territory but the initiative and strategic momentum had clearly swung to the defenders. The illusion of Russian invincibility was shattered forever. US Major General (retired) John S Harrel, a graduate of the US Army War College, trained with the Ukrainian army in the 1990s and in 2006, and commanded Ukrainian troops as part of the NATO force in Kosovo in 2005. His military expertise and detailed knowledge of the combatants informs this clear narrative and analysis of the course of the first 10 months of the war. He gives the reasons for the failure of the Russian invasion and, conversely, explains how the Ukrainian defence exceeded expectations, while acknowledging that strategic mistakes were made on both sides.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56298648666485,"sku":"9781399031769","price":25.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781399031769_f8aff84a-fa29-4fd9-9872-c15ebfe111f0.jpg?v=1786019924"},{"product_id":"9781526743022","title":"Soviet Cavalry Operations During the Second World War","description":"While the development of tanks had largely led to the replacement of cavalry in most armies by 1939, the Soviets retained a strong mounted arm. In the terrain and conditions of the Eastern Front they were able to play an important role denied them elsewhere. John Harrel shows how the Soviets developed a doctrine of deep penetration, using cavalry formations to strike into the Axis rear, disrupting logistics and lines of communication, encircling and isolating units. Interestingly he shows that this doctrine did not stem from the native cavalry tradition of the steppe but from the example of the American Civil War. The American approach was copied by the Russians in WWI and the Russian Civil War, refined by the Soviets in the early stages of World War Two and perfected during the last two years of the war. The Soviet experience demonstrated that deep operations (cavalry raids) against enemy rear echelons set the conditions for victory. Although the last horse-mounted units disappeared in the 1950s, their influence led directly to the formation of the Operational Manoeuvre Groups that, ironically, faced US forces in the Cold War.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56312556192117,"sku":"9781526743022","price":25.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781526743022_24f3b664-eb44-4b18-b852-151f5d2efb12.jpg?v=1786022406"}],"url":"https:\/\/backstory.london\/collections\/author-john-s-harrel.oembed","provider":"Backstory","version":"1.0","type":"link"}