BOOKS & MORE: Battle in the City

John Spencer, as he describes himself, is "one of the world's leading scholars and experts in urban warfare". He has conducted field research on urban warfare around the world, from Iraq to Israel, India, Panama, and Nagorno-Karabakh. He has advised military forces on how to improve their military operations in urban areas. He is also a veteran with urban combat experience, having completed two tours in Iraq - one during the 2003 invasion and another in Baghdad in 2008 during the US offensive and the Battle of Sadr City.

In light of the war in Ukraine, he wanted to help. And so his small handbook was created, available in English and Ukrainian, and is continuously updated. Version 4 of "The Mini-Handbook for the Urban Defender" has just been released for free. Updated translations will follow. Available for download as a PDF from Spencer's website. The latest updates include basic content on ambushes (on request), basic life-saving medical measures, a little more on water treatment, and UXO safety. Our conclusion: Practical text, SPARTANAT reading recommendation.

HERE you can get the "Mini-Manual for the Urban Defender" for free download. It is constantly updated and will be replaced at irregular intervals by new versions.

John Spencer online