Book Review – Urban Operations: War, Crime, and Conflict – John P. Sullivan, Nathan P. Jones and Daniel Weisz Argomedo of SWJ El Centro

Small Wars Journal is pleased to share this positive review of Urban Operations: War, Crime, and Conflict featured in the Canadian Army Journal! This new volume of the book is edited by our very own Dr. John P. Sullivan (Associate Editor and Senior Fellow of SWJ El Centro), Dr. Nathan P. Jones (Associate Editor and Senior Fellow of SWJ El Centro), and Daniel Weisz Argomedo (SWJ El Centro Fellow)! We are so proud of the hard, fantastic work by the editors and all contributing authors.

Reviewed by Lieutenant-Colonel (Retired) Steve MacBeth, MSC, MSM(2), CD2

“The 2022 United Nations World Cities Report states that half of the global population lived in cities in 2020, with that number projected to reach 60% by 2070. Urban areas will absorb 3 billion new people in the next generation, many of whom will move to under-governed and resource-strained cities. In recent years, urban warfare has escalated, with destructive battles in places like Mosul (2016–2017) and Ukrainian cities (2022–present) as well as in the Israeli–Hamas conflict (2023–present), highlighting challenges for military forces, risks to civilians, and complex legal and informational dynamics. Cities, now key hubs for markets, political power, criminal networks and social upheaval, will remain critical terrain in future conflicts.

In Future Shock, Alvin Toffler warns that as situations change, we must adapt by acquiring new knowledge and discarding what is no longer vital. Some military personnel suggest avoiding urban confrontations due to the risk of costly battles that demand significant resources, time and commitment. Urban operations are often seen as niche and outside conventional manoeuvre warfare, which is hard to train for at scale. Urban Operations: War, Crime, and Conflict, edited by John P. Sullivan, Nathan P. Jones and Daniel Weisz Argomedo, offers a comprehensive analysis of urban warfare’s challenges and its implications for security, governance and military strategy, emphasizing that urban combat will likely be a central focus of future conflicts.

The work guides the reader through historical urban warfare examples and contemporary considerations, prompting reflection on Toffler’s idea of needing to “learn, unlearn, and relearn” to adapt to the evolving nature of urban conflict. The book features essays on the evolution of urban warfare, the interaction between traditional and irregular threats, and the socio-political dynamics shaping urban battlefields. With an interdisciplinary approach, it examines tactical, operational and strategic considerations, while integrating emergent technologies and legal aspects for a fresh perspective. This review will summarize the work and use Toffler’s concept as a framework to discuss areas where the book could deepen the understanding of urban warfare. The collection is valuable for military professionals, policy-makers and scholars, offering recent lessons and new insights while reinforcing core concepts.”

Click here to find the full review.

Click the image above to download this special feature issue on urban operations, as it contains several valuable articles on various facets of urban operations and of course some more book reviews!

Topics covered include the full spectrium of urban operations ranging from swarming, and distrubuted urban siege, such as the vurtual urban sieges in Culiacán in October 2019 and January 2023, urban security crieses, terrorist attacks, and to large scale combat operations (LSCO), urban disaster response and post-war recovery. Artificial intelligence (AI), subterranean operations, wargaming, and civilain protection are also addressed. The book includes a preface by Jayson Geroux and John Spencer, as well as a postscript on future urban operations by David Kilcullen.

The book available in hardcover, paperback, and electronic versions. More information is available of the book’s website.

John P. Sullivan, Nathan P. Jones, Daniel Weisz Argomedo, Urban Operations: War, Crime, and Conflict. Boulder: KeyPoint Press, 2024.