SKU: 62811586458

Armies of Sand: The Past, Present, and Future of Arab Military Effectiveness

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Armies of Sand: The Past, Present, and Future of Arab Military EffectivenessSince the Second World War, Arab armed forces have consistently punched below their weight. They have lost many wars that by all rights they should have won, and in their best performances only ever achieved quite modest accomplishments. Over time, soldiers, scholars, and military experts have offered various explanations for this pattern. Reliance on Soviet military methods, the poor civil military relations of the Arab world, the underdevelopment of

Since the Second World War, Arab armed forces have consistently punched below their weight. They have lost many wars that by all rights they should have won, and in their best performances only ever achieved quite modest accomplishments. Over time, soldiers, scholars, and military experts have offered various explanations for this pattern. Reliance on Soviet military methods, the poor civil-military relations of the Arab world, the underdevelopment of the Arab states, and patterns of behavior derived from the wider Arab culture, have all been suggested as the ultimate source of Arab military difficulties. In Armies of Sand, Kenneth M. Pollack assesses these differing explanations and isolates the most important causes. Over the course of the book, he examines the combat performance of fifteen Arab armies and air forces in virtually every Middle Eastern war, from the Jordanians and Syrians in 1948 to Hizballah in 2006 and the Iraqis and ISIS in 2014-2017. The book ultimately concludes that reliance on Soviet doctrine was more of a help than a hindrance to the Arabs. In contrast, politicization and underdevelopment were both important factors limiting Arab military effectiveness, but patterns of behavior derived from the dominant Arab culture was the most important factor of all. Pollack closes with a discussion of the rapid changes occurring across the Arab world, and suggests that because both Arab society and warfare are changing, the problems that have bedeviled Arab armed forces in the past could dissipate or even vanish in the future, with potentially dramatic consequences for the Middle East military balance. Sweeping in its coverage, this will be the go-to reference for anyone interested in the history of warfare in the Middle East since 1945.


Binding Type: Hardcover
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
Published: 01/15/2019
ISBN: 9780190906962
Pages: 696
Weight: 2.40lbs
Size: 9.50h x 6.40w x 1.70d

Review Citations: Choice 05/01/2019
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SKU: 62811586458

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4.6 ★★★★★
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Brenda A Davis
Birmingham, US
★★★★★ 4
Christmas 🎄 10 yrs later
Format: Kindle
Cute story of Moeller FMC who gets rejected by her childhood pack that at age 17 decides to break off their relationship which destroys her, 10 yrs later she returns home to a sickly grandmother and has to encounter them once again but this time her eyes are wide open with the possibility that they will have to grovel and romance hurt
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on May 4, 2026
M
Melissa Heredia
Charlottesville, US
★★★★★ 2
Did I miss the grovel??
Format: Kindle
Something about this story is off. I dont know if the characters are lacking or if it's just rushed, not my favorite
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on December 18, 2025
K
Kindle Customer
Lowell, US
★★★★★ 5
absolutely loved it!!!
Format: Kindle
This book was awesome!! I love how the female took the lead and said if you want me back you work for it!! I laughed and I cried! Thank you for sharing your characters with me and giving me a sweet place to escape to!! I definitely stayed up too late having to finish it haha!! Bouncing on my feet waiting for the next one!!!
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Reviewed in the United States on March 6, 2026
A
A D Lum
San Leandro, US
★★★★★ 3
Why call it "Grovel" when there is no actual groveling?
Format: Kindle
I'm so confused by this story. The title of the book is Grovel and yet the MMCs do not do any groveling at all. They reject her, say mean/cruel things to her and break her heart, but then do nothing to make up for it when she comes back to town. I couldn't stand Frost; the way that he treated her, and women in general, the things that he said to her just gave no reason for why he should be forgiven or be allowed back into Noelle's life. The interactions with Robin and Shepard were a little better, but nothing about this story showed me why she should forgive them and get back together with them. This was a good premise, but very poor execution of a story line. I felt bad for Noelle and what she had been through with these men, but wanted better for her and wished that she could have found a different pack that would actually treat her right and not blame her for the choices that their mother made. In the end, this book just wasn't for me. I liked the character of Nana, I even liked Noelle's parents and felt bad for what Noelle had to deal with, but I just didn't care for the supposed romance that this book was about. Maybe others will enjoy it, but I'll probably pass on any other stories from this author. I gave it 2.75 stars, but rounded up since Amazon doesn't allow partial stars.
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Reviewed in the United States on February 13, 2026
C
Carmen Alicea
Whiting, US
★★★★★ 4
The grovel wasn’t groveling.
Format: Kindle
Oh no, if you’re going to promise grovel, you better deliver. And unfortunately… this one fumbled the assignment. Three Alphas who rejected their scent match, broke her heart, and let her walk away for ten years, only to realize she was “the one suddenly”? I was ready for emotional devastation and tearful, knees-in-the-snow apologies. But here’s the problem: the grovel just didn’t hit hard enough. For a betrayal that deep, the emotional payoff felt rushed. The Alphas express regret, sure, but it never quite reaches that gut-wrenching, ache-for-it level you expect from a story built entirely on redemption. Their apologies come, but they lack the prolonged suffering, the desperate proving, the earn it or lose her forever energy that would’ve made this unforgettable. After ten years of heartbreak and abandonment, Noelle's forgiveness comes a little too easily, a little too quickly. You can feel the story nudging her toward reconciliation before the emotional scales are fully balanced. The chemistry is still there, the tension still simmers, and the small-town winter vibes are undeniably cozy, but for a book titled Grovel, the emotional reckoning needed to be deeper, messier, and far more punishing. A compelling setup with plenty of angst and longing, but if you’re here for hardcore grovel and slow-earned forgiveness, this one might leave you wanting more.
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Reviewed in the United States on March 26, 2026

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