David H. Ucko, "The Insurgent's Dilemma: A Struggle to Prevail" (Oxford UP, 2022)

In Conversation: An OUP Podcast · Apr 20, 2022 · 1h 18m

Despite attracting headlines and hype, insurgents rarely win. Even when they claim territory and threaten governmental writ, they typically face a military backlash too powerful to withstand. States struggle with addressing the political roots of such movements, and their military efforts mostly just ‘mow the grass’; yet, for the insurgent, the grass is nonetheless mowed–and the armed project must start over. “In reviewing the overall insurgent experience in recent years, there are exceedingly few instances where they have toppled an established government and seized sustained power. Indeed…