Book: Fortune's Warrior

[MdB]

Title: Fortune's Warrior. Private Armies and the New World Order Author: James R. Davis Publisher: Douglas & MacIntyre Pages: 256 ISBN: 1-55054-888-3 Let's put it bluntly: this is a book about mercenary. Eh, this isn't just about mercenary though. This book explains the shadow world of private security, military and combat services. James R. Davis has this knack to integrate stories with more formal theory. Ex-NCO, he's been there and won't overly complicate the matter, but will explain it professionally. He has written another book prior to this one (Sharp End), which is really a first-hand account of his military experience. I have to say that even though Sharp End was really really good, this one is a notch superior. The writing is more accomplished in that it is more fluid and the transitions are smooth. You can read the publisher's book description by clicking on the title. I'll just try to complete it. First, he put it right in front: his comment is somewhat biased. He works in the security industry. But, that position gives him a premium seat to describe, from inside, what it is, how it works and what are the relations between the different bodies (i.e. UN, private companies, national government). He tells us that where there's money to make and a security vacuum, some security or military security or combat companies will go when all other official bodies will argue about what's wrong and what's right to do. Not all attempts are successful though for these companies, far from that. High stakes, big cash. The book is divided in three big parts: the presentation of what this shadow world is made of (including a well described historical context), the definition of the mercenary and the following ramifications, and what it is about in our troubled modern world, this later part proposing a model to regulate this profession. He puts in context the mercenary profession by telling us that this was the norm to use paid soldiers until just after the WWII. He includes in his definition any foreign soldiers not working in his home country. So, French Foreign Legion and the Brits use of Gurkhas are considered as mercenary. In his definition, he split the mercenary profession into three principal categories: the security services, the military security services and the military combat services. Security services is as much consulting as bodyguarding. A security consultant can be a computing security consultant or an analyst who writes a report to secure an area (house, building, offices) with the staffing personnel. Or he could be asked for a security report on a certain region of the world. Military security services consist of all military counselling, including training and logistic services to a certain body. This up to but not including combat action. Here is the thin line between security consultant (military or not) and the mercenary, the participation to combat. Military combat services will include counselling, training and logistic services, but will also include combat action. They would take part in combat so to say. Finally, all with giving real examples throughout the book, he will propose a model to regulate this area of business. All in all, he puts forward good opinion and well founded assertions. It's a very worth reading and it will spark debate and open minds on the modern military security reality.