Cinema and Unconventional Warfare in the Twentieth Century - by Paul B Rich (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Cinematic representations of unconventional warfare have received sporadic attention to date. However, this pattern has now begun to change with the rise of insurgency and counter-insurgency in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the growing importance of jihadist terrorism in the wake of 9/11. This ground-breaking study provides a much-needed examination of global unconventional warfare in 20th-century filmmaking, with case studies from the United States, Britain, Ireland, France, Italy and Israel.

Paul B. Rich examines Hollywood's treatment of counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency in the United States; British post-colonial insurgencies in Malaya and Kenya and British special operations in the Second World War; the Irish conflict before and during the Troubles; French filmmaking and the reluctance to deal with the bitter war in Algeria in the 1950s; Italian neorealism and its impact on films dealing with urban insurgency by Roberto Rossellini, Nanni Loy and Gillo Pontecorvo, and Israel and the upsurge of Palestinian terrorism.

Whilst only a small number of films on these conflicts have been able to rise above stereotyping insurgents and terrorists - in some cases due to a pattern of screen orientalism - Cinema and Unconventional Warfare in the Twentieth Centurystresses the positive political gains to be derived from humanizing terrorists and terrorists movements, especially in the context of modern jihadist terrorism.

This is essential reading for academics, postgraduates and advanced undergraduates interested in 20th-century military history, politics and international relations, and film studies.

Review Quotes

Cinema is a reflection of popular attitudes and cultural values. Paul Rich shows how filmmakers responded to modern unconventional 'dirty' warfare. From the obsession with Second World War (and later) Special Forces through wars of decolonisation to contemporary terrorism, Rich ably sets American British, French, Italian and Israeli cinema against the context of the events depicted. It is a major contribution not just to film history but also to understanding of how evolving conflict has impacted upon our consciousness.
Ian F. W. Beckett, Professor of Military History, University of Kent, UK

I highly recommend the book to anyone interested in military film studies or, more specifically, the connections between film and culture in unconventional wars. Paul Rich has also marked out starting points for future lines of inquiry in film studies.
Michigan War Studies Review

About the Author

Paul B. Rich is the editor of the journal Small Wars and Insurgencies and does consultancy work for TRENDS: Research & Advisory. He has taught politics and international relations at the universities of Bristol, Warwick and Melbourne, and has published extensively on insurgency and counter-insurgency, terrorism and warlordism.