The Modern Mercenary: Private Armies and What They Mean for World Order

An excellent book, which covers much more than the uses (and drawbacks) of mercenary forces. It discusses the rise of the nation-state as the sole repository of loyalty, and reminds us that this is very much a modern concept. (In the medieval period, a nobleman owed loyalty to the overlord(s) who gave him land, perhaps in addition to his king or duke, also to the pope, and perhaps to a knightly order or a local government (any of which might be in conflict with each other). Later came the rise of the nation-state with a monopoly over a person's loyalty. Nation-states fought wars and made peace treaties and (until the 20th century) tended to keep fighting tidy and brief. They suppressed mercenary forces as rivals to their monopoly on lawful force. Now, the author suggests, we are seeing a return to divided loyalties -- multinational corporations, fighting between peoples or tribes, fighting to impose a religion, where there is no one with whom to negotiate peace. In such a setting, he suggests, the rise of mercenary forces is natural.

A balanced yet compelling analysis of 21 century mercenary forces. He details the lesser known uses of military contractors and provides examples of success and failure. The book read quickly and his prose is very tight. My critique is he ignores the US's long history of scalps for money and privateering practices. Private violence has been an essential part of the US's boom and bust military cycle. We have not had a war without a form of mercenaries.

The author has been an officer in the 82nd Airborne, has a Ph.D from the London School of Economics, teaches at the National Defense University and has been a mercenary, so he knows what he's talking about. I have the paperback which has 168 pages excluding some detailed annexes with contracts, footnotes, etc. The Ph.D background is important because the book has a detailed history of the prior use of mercenaries over the millenia and particularly the Middle Ages. Fundamentally he argues that private armies, mercenary forces and the like were common until the Treaty of Westphalia in 1648, after which the use of force was increasingly arrogated to forces raised by states, culminating in World War 1 and World War II, which represent the apogee of this system. I'll let the author speak for himself: "Now the situation is changing back. The growing willingness to employ private force and subsequent erosion of the taboo against mercenarism signal a return to the premodern norm of medieval times...." Pg. 6. How did this happen? The book explores the U.S. employment of private security forces in Afghanistan and Iraq. Surely this escaped the notice of the Unites State, didn't it? The book notes: "In a widely distributed memorandum, Secretary of Defense Bob Gates confirms that the number of contractors in war zones 'well exceeded' military personnel and added, 'I do not expect this to change now or in future contingency operations.'" Pg. 22. "The US penchant to lean on the private sector in war has produced the modern mercenary. Half of the country's military force structure was contractors in Iraq and Afghanistan and, short of conscription, it is unlikely that the superpower could have sustained two multiyear wars without them." Pg. 25. The book explores the use of private force in the Middle Ages, debunks the concept that the Middle Ages were "dark" and unenlightened as we are today. Unfortunately, perpetual war creates the market for force. The book observes: "...when a policy is politically too riske, outsourcing it to the private sector offers employers a layer of plausible deniability in the event of failure." Pg. 55.Thus, it becomes "more tempting to go to war". Id. The author doesn't believe that all uses of mercenaries are morally repugnant, but he does recognize that the use of private parties to kill raises significant moral issues. The book has examples of these committed both by state actors and mercenaries. Towards the end of the book, he considers some actions that might work to ameliorate some of the more troubling aspects of the growth of mercenarism in the 21st century. As I look more broadly, I see signs that the dominance of the state which prevailed in the 20th century is fading and conditions more common in the Middle Ages seem to be arising. Exxon Mobil is mentioned as a party that used private force in the 20th century. What happens if Facebook, Amazon, Google and others use it in the 21st century. I recommend the book highly. The old becomes new and understanding the old becomes key to understanding the present.

The author clearly has a wealth of first-hand experience, and he is also knowledgeable about relevant mercenary stories from the distant past. Unfortunately, several of his key points and comparisons are repeated almost verbatim throughout the work. It’s an important book, and McFate’s historical lens is useful, but the poor organization undermines the author’s credibility. His contemporary comparisons also leave many questions unanswered. McFate relies heavily on contrasting his personal experience in Liberia with America’s ongoing problems in Iraq and Afghanistan. He also uses Liberia and Somalia to contrast potential futures for the world with private military. The problem with placing too much weight on these comparisons should be obvious: each country has a different history with unique cultural and political dynamics. However military contractors are used, that’s only one variable in these huge international projects. They are useful as examples and case studies, but it’s easy to overreach when drawing conclusions. We’re not the mercenaries - those guys are the mercenaries. Private military contractors are understandably miffed by the media and outsider tendency to paint the entire industry as “mercenaries.” Early reports about this industry were misleading and sensational. Unfortunately, this book seems to fall into a similar trap. The smaller contractors from other countries are the ones we can freely malign as mercenaries, apparently, even if they are fighting in their own countries. I will recommend this book to friends, especially my friends in international development. While the repetition is frustrating and I question some of the author’s conclusions, McFate does provide a useful historical lens for understanding this important global trend.

Timely explanation to how the market for private military "companies" developed in history and what has created the reemergence of the contract warfare business and use of private armies in modern times. Most insightful book on how the world order is adapting and confronting changes from a Westphalia system of war and politics to a new "neomedievalism" way of thinking and managing conflicts. This book is not about individual mercenaries fighting on the ground level but covers the economics and political reasons for or why the Private Military Contractor business is now in full swing and why. The author does a great job of exploring both the current reasons to why contractors are both beneficial and negative to those who employ them. McFate also brings attention to what questions and concerns need to be addressed before utilizing such companies continues into the future of our modern world.

This book is stunningly informative, going far beyond what the title implies. His explication of the worldwide sociopolitical trend he refers to as "neomedievalism" explains a great many world events that are otherwise confusing at best. One is drawn to a primary conclusion that is this: the modern world's movement toward democratic self-government is far from the end of the game.

I enjoyed this book very much. I learned a lot about modern mercenaries. I hope to read more books on this subject

VERY well written. I was immediately drawn into the topic and particularly appreciated that the author gives a full overview of where the book is headed. Living as I do within the historical setting of a classical medieval Italian city, and realizing that the historical accounts of the many local paid-mercenary battles are now being repeated in our own times really catches my attention. That old axiom about history repeating itself was never more clearly demonstrated than in this very compelling book.

There is a key page in this book introducing the concept of neo medievalism, as coined by Hedley Bull. There are five essential tests, which at the end of the Cold War, did not apply but with the advance of technology, overarching institutions like NGO, UN, the breakdown of states often covered by the creation of supra state organisations giving cover to devolving and decentralising state powers and the return of private violence/mercenary armies which is consistent with disengagement of some states eg US from collectives and the assumptions of single state actions. This book should be read in conjunction with McFates Goliath to gain a full oversight.

Esta obra nos mostra como a privatização da guerra ressurgiu com força durante as guerras do Afeganistão e Iraque. Mostra as principais empresas no ramo e também a possível ameaça que a privatização militar pode oferecer às democracias e Estados soberanos, uma termo que o autor se refere como Neomedievalismo, onde a autoridade pode ser exercida por diversos agentes não-estatais. Uma obra atual e necessária para se entender um pouco mais sobre o emprego das PMC "Private Military Company" em teatros de guerra.

Gives a full bean service. Dry as a camel's tit, but highly informative.

This is the second book I have bought by this author, he has been around the block and now in the world of the academic. I find his books cover very interesting subject matter really bringing the subject to life and drawing comparisons to illustrate. I bought the second book because even though author in academic world he writes in a very easy to understand way that really gets the message over even on a dry subject without being boring. I am nearly finished this book and ready to look for next option.

A very interested book. I thought this would be explaining more of a day to day business approach to mercenaries but this delves into more of a political science perspective on the use of force outside the monopoly of the state. Very interesting and relevant to current world. I would recommend this book.