SKU: 62811586458

Armies of Sand: The Past, Present, and Future of Arab Military Effectiveness

Sale price$32.89 Regular price$36.54
Save 10%

Pay in installments of $9.13 with ShopPay, AfterPay and Klarna

Shipping Estimate
USA
  • USA
  • CAN

Ships within 48 hours · Estimated delivery Jul 20 - Jul 25

Promo Codes Available:

For Your Every Summer RSVP, with Code: SUMMER15

Description

Armies of Sand: The Past, Present, and Future of Arab Military EffectivenessSince the Second World War, Arab armed forces have consistently punched below their weight. They have lost many wars that by all rights they should have won, and in their best performances only ever achieved quite modest accomplishments. Over time, soldiers, scholars, and military experts have offered various explanations for this pattern. Reliance on Soviet military methods, the poor civil military relations of the Arab world, the underdevelopment of

Since the Second World War, Arab armed forces have consistently punched below their weight. They have lost many wars that by all rights they should have won, and in their best performances only ever achieved quite modest accomplishments. Over time, soldiers, scholars, and military experts have offered various explanations for this pattern. Reliance on Soviet military methods, the poor civil-military relations of the Arab world, the underdevelopment of the Arab states, and patterns of behavior derived from the wider Arab culture, have all been suggested as the ultimate source of Arab military difficulties. In Armies of Sand, Kenneth M. Pollack assesses these differing explanations and isolates the most important causes. Over the course of the book, he examines the combat performance of fifteen Arab armies and air forces in virtually every Middle Eastern war, from the Jordanians and Syrians in 1948 to Hizballah in 2006 and the Iraqis and ISIS in 2014-2017. The book ultimately concludes that reliance on Soviet doctrine was more of a help than a hindrance to the Arabs. In contrast, politicization and underdevelopment were both important factors limiting Arab military effectiveness, but patterns of behavior derived from the dominant Arab culture was the most important factor of all. Pollack closes with a discussion of the rapid changes occurring across the Arab world, and suggests that because both Arab society and warfare are changing, the problems that have bedeviled Arab armed forces in the past could dissipate or even vanish in the future, with potentially dramatic consequences for the Middle East military balance. Sweeping in its coverage, this will be the go-to reference for anyone interested in the history of warfare in the Middle East since 1945.


Binding Type: Hardcover
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
Published: 01/15/2019
ISBN: 9780190906962
Pages: 696
Weight: 2.40lbs
Size: 9.50h x 6.40w x 1.70d

Review Citations: Choice 05/01/2019
Shipping Notes
  • Free Standard Shipping on $100+ Orders to the USA.
  • Except Preorder products are shipped in 48 hours.
  • Delivery to the USA:
  1. Standard Shipping : 3-10 business days
  • If time is of the essence, please consider selecting expedited delivery for faster service.
Exchange/Return Notes
  • We offer a 30-day return/exchange service after receiving.
  • Final sale items are not eligible for returns or exchanges.
  • To process your return/exchange, please contact us at [email protected]
  • Please click here for more details>>> Return & Exchange Policy
SKU: 62811586458

Discover Niche Categories That Outsell

Top-Converting Item to Boost Your Average Order

4.0 ★★★★★
Based on 14 reviews
Sort
Highest Rating
Newest First
Oldest First
Product Reviews
L
Verified Purchase
litg
Omaha, US
★★★★★ 5
Great look and m
Color: Nude
I bought thus to use for my sons wedding.. It worked great. I could easilynslip the chain inside and hold it or set it on the table ar the reception. Now my granddaughter plans to keep it yo use it for prom.
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on February 18, 2026
J
Verified Purchase
Joseph centanni
Houston, US
★★★★★ 5
Evening bag
Color: Nude
Very pretty and perfect size
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on December 20, 2025
A
Verified Purchase
Annie
Birmingham, US
★★★★★ 5
Classy evening clutch.
Color: Black
Beautiful classy purse!!! The only reason I returned it is because I needed to fit my wallet for this particular occasion and it was too bulky otherwise would perfectly fit my cell phone and other small items.
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on October 2, 2025
A
Verified Purchase
Amazon Customer
Dallas, US
★★★★★ 5
Good quality
Color: Off-white
Looks beautiful, very comfortable, good quality.
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on December 13, 2025
A
Verified Purchase
Amazon Customer
Whiting, US
★★★★★ 4
Cartera cómoda y práctica
Cartera cómoda, práctica, de piel genuina. No es muy grande pero tiene el espacio justo. Posee un bolsillo interior y el cierre es con imanes
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on December 30, 2025

recommand products