Author: Thomas Johnson File Type: pdf The authors of Culture, Conflict and Counterinsurgency contend that an enduring victory can still be achieved in Afghanistan. However, to secure it we must better understand the cultural foundations of the continuing conflicts that rage across Afghanistan and neighboring Pakistan, and shift our strategy from an attritional engagement to a smarter war plan that embraces these cultural dimensions. They examine the nexus of culture, conflict, and strategic intervention, and attempt to establish if culture is important in a national security and foreign policy context, and to explore how cultural phenomena and information can best be used by the military. In the process they address just how intimate cultural knowledge needs to be to counter an insurgency effectively. Finally, they establish exactly how good weve been at building and utilizing cultural understanding in Afghanistan, what the operational impact of that understanding has been, and where we must improve to maximize our use of cultural knowledge in preparing for and engaging in future conflicts. **

Author: G. S. Kirk File Type: pdf This is the first volume of a projected six-volume Commentary on Homers Iliad, under the General Editorship of professor G. S. Kirk. Professor Kirk himself is the editor of the present volume, which covers the first four Books of Iliad. It consists of four introductory chapters, dealing in particular with rhythm and formular techniques, followed by the detailed commentary which aims at helping serious readers by attempting to identify and deal with most of the difficulties which might stand in the way of a sensitive and informed response to the poem. The Catalogues in Book 2 recieve especially full treatment. The book does not include a Greek text - important matters pertaining to the text are discussed in the commentary. It is hoped that the volume as a whole will lead scholars to a better understanding of the epic style as well as of many well-known thematic problems on a larger scale. This Commentary will be an essential reference work for all students of Greek literature. Archaeologists and historians will also find that it contains matters of relevance to them.ReviewThe two great contributions of this volume are on the one hand the account of the Catalogues in Book Two, and on the other the close and rewarding attention which is paid to questions of rhythm. Again and again Kirk brings out effects ... created by the variation of rhythm ... It is in this area that I have learnt most from this commentary, and I regard it as a major advance of the sort which, once made, must be followed by all subsequent Homerists ... All those who read Homer will find new and illuminating observations both of fine detail and on a larger scale. The complete commentary will be a valuable possession. Jasper Griffin, The Times Literary Supplement[Professor Kirk] demonstrates and assesses the poets individual skill in composition, tacitly correcting the extreme Parryist view that Homer merely manipulated pre-existing formulas. This is highly original. The section of the Introduction devoted to it ... offers the best analysis of the mechanics of Homeric poetry that this reviewer has read. M. M. Willcock, Journal of Hellenic StudiesKirks chief merit as an expositor is his awareness of the subtlest nuances of poetic technique ... The introduction and commentary as a whole form an excellent companion to Books 1-4. J. T. Booker, JACT Review Book DescriptionThe first volume of a projected six-volume commentary on Homers Iliad. Four introductory chapters, dealing in particular with rhythm and formular techniques, are followed by the detailed commentary.

Author: Walter Sickert File Type: pdf

Author: Peter R. Demant File Type: pdf Islam vs. Islamism introduces the Islamic worlds diversity, conflicts, and dilemmas--its origins, extraordinary creativity, and current crisis, the result of its unhappy encounter with Western modernity. Particular attention is given to Islamism, IslaMs radically antimodern and often violent revision that is causing turmoil in the Middle East and beyond. Islam vs. Islamism introduces the reader to the Islamic world, to its diversity and conflicts, and to possible solutions to those conflicts. Steering clear of either Islamophilia or Muslim-bashing, yet avoiding blandness, Demant explains the origins of Islam, its history, and its position in todays world. After a period of extraordinary expansion and creativity, and a long sequel of decline, the Islamic world is now in deep crisis, caused by IslaMs unhappy encounter with the West and its modernity. Islamic societies have tried a variety of approaches to escape from their predicament, but the result has only been to deepen Muslim powerlessness and Muslims feelings of frustration. Then came Islamism (Islamic fundamentalism) with its revolutionary but antimodern proposal to refashion Muslim society after the Prophets original model. Islamism has had unsettling results, first in IslaMs heartlands, then along its multiple frontiers, and finally in confrontation with the West itself. Among the outcomes has been an ascending wave of terrorism. But violence is not the whole story. Extremism represents no more than a minority within Islam. Although co-existence with violent fundamentalists is a hopeless task, the questions Islamists raise are serious and evoke echoes in the hearts of many more Muslims. To prevent a war of civilizations, dialogue with the moderate majority of Muslims is more urgent than ever. This book is one step on that long road.