Description
One of the most remarkable mechanized campaigns of recent years pitted the brutal and heavily armed jihadis of Islamic State against an improvised force belonging to the Kurdish YPG (later the SDF). While some Kurdish vehicles were originally from Syrian Army stocks or captured from ISIS, many others were extraordinary homemade AFVs based on truck or digger mechanicals, or duskas, the Kurds' version of the technical. Before US air power was sent to Syria, these were the Kurds' most powerful and mobile weapons. Co-written by a British volunteer who fought with the Kurds and an academic expert on armoured warfare, this study explains how the Kurds built and used their AFVs in the war against 'Daesh', and identifies as far as possible which vehicles took part in major battles, such as Kobane, Manbij and Raqqa. With detailed new artwork depicting the Kurds' range of armour and many previously unpublished photos, this is an original and fascinating look at modern improvised mechanized warfare.
The US-backed Kurdish YPG/SDF fought on the front line of the war against Islamic State for five years. This study reveals how they developed their own armoured force using captured tanks, homebuilt armour and 'technicals', and the role they played in the defeat of 'Daesh'.
About the Author
Ed Nash fought for the YPG in 2015/16, participating in a number of offensives against the so-called Islamic State. He has recounted his experiences in a memoir entitled Desert Sniper (Little, Brown, 2018). He has travelled through a number of other conflict zones, especially in south-east Asia. He holds a degree in History; and, he has published a number of articles on counter-insurgency, weapons technology, and military affairs more generally. Alaric Searle is Professor of Modern European History, School of Arts and Media, University of Salford. He is the author of several works on military history, including Armoured Warfare: A Military, Political and Global History (Bloomsbury Academic, 2017), and an edited collection of the military papers of Major-General J.F.C. Fuller, published by the Army Records Society (History Press, 2017). He is a frequent contributor to academic journals. He is also a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society and Visiting Professor at Nankai University, Tianjin, China.
Book Information
ISBN 9781472847584
Author Ed Nash
Format Paperback
Page Count 48
Imprint Osprey Publishing
Publisher Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Weight(grams) 170g
The US-backed Kurdish YPG/SDF fought on the front line of the war against Islamic State for five years. This study reveals how they developed their own armoured force using captured tanks, homebuilt armour and 'technicals', and the role they played in the defeat of 'Daesh'.
About the Author
Ed Nash fought for the YPG in 2015/16, participating in a number of offensives against the so-called Islamic State. He has recounted his experiences in a memoir entitled Desert Sniper (Little, Brown, 2018). He has travelled through a number of other conflict zones, especially in south-east Asia. He holds a degree in History; and, he has published a number of articles on counter-insurgency, weapons technology, and military affairs more generally. Alaric Searle is Professor of Modern European History, School of Arts and Media, University of Salford. He is the author of several works on military history, including Armoured Warfare: A Military, Political and Global History (Bloomsbury Academic, 2017), and an edited collection of the military papers of Major-General J.F.C. Fuller, published by the Army Records Society (History Press, 2017). He is a frequent contributor to academic journals. He is also a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society and Visiting Professor at Nankai University, Tianjin, China.
Book Information
ISBN 9781472847584
Author Ed Nash
Format Paperback
Page Count 48
Imprint Osprey Publishing
Publisher Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Weight(grams) 170g
