During the past forty years, Africa south of the Sahara has been the most conflict-prone region of the world. In spite of its geopolitical importance, it remains one of the least understood. African Wars provides a concise summary of four decades of warfare in sub-Saharan Africa with expert commentary by William Thom, an experienced and highly respected senior U.S. intelligence officer. As a defense analyst and senior Africa specialist in the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency, William Thom acquired unique in-depth knowledge of conflict in this vast and troubled region. In African Wars, he shares this knowledge.Ranging from postcolonial insurgency in Rhodesia to ongoing strife in the Horn of Africa, from the horrors of Rwanda and the Congo to devastating civil wars in Angola, Mozambique, and Liberia, African Wars tracks seventeen different conflicts, many of which have a continuing influence on the continent’s political-military affairs today. Thom complements his penetrating insights into and gripping accounts of specific wars with valuable wide-ranging impressions, in particular the often surprising adaptability of combatant groups to their material and political environments, and the frustrating marginalization of Africa within security circles during this period.

African Wars is not only an edifying account of conflict, but also a lively memoir. Thom brings a wealth of detail, personal insight, and wit to the story of his training and education as an intelligence officer, the difficulties and oddities of traveling in Africa, and his skirmishes with the intelligence bureaucracy. Anyone interested in African security issues, contemporary warfare, or military intelligence will find this book indispensable.