Beating Goliath : Why Insurgencies Win

Contents: Introduction. 1. Explaining Gollath defeats: will, strategy, and type of government. 2. The role external assistance. 3. The Iraqi insurgency: Vietnam perspectives. 4. The American way: war without politics. 5. The American way: search and destroy. Conclusion. Glossary. Bibliography. Index.

Beating Goliath examines the phenomenon of victories by the weak over the strong more specifically, insurgencies that succeeded great powers. Jeffrey Record reviews eleven insurgent wars from 1775 to the present and determines why the seemingly weaker side won. He concludes that external assistance correlates more consistently with insurgent success than any other explanation.

Make no mistake: insurgent victories are the exception, not the rule. But when David does beat Goliath, the consequences can be earth shattering and change the course of history.