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Unrestricted Warfare: Translated from the Original People's Liberation Army Documents

Unrestricted Warfare: Translated from the Original People's Liberation Army Documents

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  • Create Date：2021-07-23 06:55:47
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
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  • Author：Qiao Liang
  • ISBN：1626543062
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Summary

A sobering and fascinating study on war in the modern era， "Unrestricted Warfare" carefully explores strategies that militarily and politically disadvantaged nations might take in order to successfully attack a geopolitical super-power like the United States。 American military doctrine is typically led by technology; a new class of weapon or vehicle is developed， which allows or encourages an adjustment in strategy。 Military strategists Qiao Liang and Wang Xiangsui argue that this dynamic is a crucial weakness in the American military， and that this blind spot with regard to alternative forms warfare could be effectively exploited by enemies。 "Unrestricted Warfare" concerns the many ways in which this might occur， and， in turn， suggests what the United States might do to defend itself。

The traditional mentality that offensive action is limited to military action is no longer adequate given the range of contemporary threats and the rising costs-both in dollars and lives lost-of traditional warfare。 Instead， Liang and Xiangsui suggest the significance of alternatives to direct military confrontation， including international policy， economic warfare， attacks on digital infrastructure and networks， and terrorism。 Even a relatively insignificant state can incapacitate a far more powerful enemy by applying pressure to their economic and political systems。 Exploring each of these considerations with remarkable insight and clarity， "Unrestricted Warfare" is an engaging evaluation of our geopolitical future。

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Reviews

Anthony O'Connor ，

Misleading title。Probably not the authors fault but the new title， flashy cover and advertising blurb give a totally incorrect impression of the likely content。 Always deliberate and always annoying。The book itself was written in 1999 and is an abstract even abstruse analysis of aspects of military theory and philosophy。 There are a lot of vague generalisations。 Some very weird and waffly superstitious nonsense about the golden section。 I don’t know what the hell that was really about。 Finally t Misleading title。Probably not the authors fault but the new title， flashy cover and advertising blurb give a totally incorrect impression of the likely content。 Always deliberate and always annoying。The book itself was written in 1999 and is an abstract even abstruse analysis of aspects of military theory and philosophy。 There are a lot of vague generalisations。 Some very weird and waffly superstitious nonsense about the golden section。 I don’t know what the hell that was really about。 Finally there is a discussion of war by other means。 Any means。 Which is chilling and prescient。 。。。more

Al Hynes ，

The first two or three chapters of this book are vital reading for any person involved in national security。 This was written in 1998， and therefore obviously before the 2001 epoch change of western defence strategy。 Yet， it calls out major issues that are only now being considered in the West as insightful over twenty years later！The remainder of the book however is quite dated， but still worthwhile reading。 It relies too much on the Gulf War， though the value of its constant deconstruction is The first two or three chapters of this book are vital reading for any person involved in national security。 This was written in 1998， and therefore obviously before the 2001 epoch change of western defence strategy。 Yet， it calls out major issues that are only now being considered in the West as insightful over twenty years later！The remainder of the book however is quite dated， but still worthwhile reading。 It relies too much on the Gulf War， though the value of its constant deconstruction is useful in hammering home how much that conflict changed America’s approach to use of force。 Very important book。 。。。more

Vikramadithya ，

The original publication was back in 1999， so it felt a bit dated to read now。 Most of what must have been considered more cutting edge in '99 seems fairly run of the mill now。Nevertheless， it gives a good idea on what shape conflict in the 21st century may take。 The original publication was back in 1999， so it felt a bit dated to read now。 Most of what must have been considered more cutting edge in '99 seems fairly run of the mill now。Nevertheless， it gives a good idea on what shape conflict in the 21st century may take。 。。。more

Gabriel Lewis ，

Truly amazing read。 Every officer should read this book

Clay Davis ，

The poetic language used in this book was unexpected。 The China's military seems to know a lot about U。S。 military weapon systems。 Surprised to learn how the Golden Ratio had an important role in some battles。 The book explores the Gulf War at length。 One could say this work is like a modern day The Art of War。 The poetic language used in this book was unexpected。 The China's military seems to know a lot about U。S。 military weapon systems。 Surprised to learn how the Golden Ratio had an important role in some battles。 The book explores the Gulf War at length。 One could say this work is like a modern day The Art of War。 。。。more

Tony Tone ，

Given the influence this book has reputedly had on the thinking of the People’s Liberation Army makes it is an interesting text to read。 That said it was originally published in 1999 and reflects the period of American hegemony and military triumph between the collapse of Communism in Europe and the September 11 attack。 I suspect had it been written ten years later much of its analysis would have been different。 If you are looking for a more contemporary consideration of Chinese and American mil Given the influence this book has reputedly had on the thinking of the People’s Liberation Army makes it is an interesting text to read。 That said it was originally published in 1999 and reflects the period of American hegemony and military triumph between the collapse of Communism in Europe and the September 11 attack。 I suspect had it been written ten years later much of its analysis would have been different。 If you are looking for a more contemporary consideration of Chinese and American military strategy read David Kilcullen’s book the Dragons and the Snakes。 。。。more

Kenneth Tubman ，

An interesting observation of the history and methods of warfare， including the strategies from famous warrior generals of past。 The authors point out the formulas for strategies and methods for proven victory。 They also suggest where America may be weak in these regards， and what it should do to avoid a disastrously lost effort to prevail in warfare。Interesting that this book was printed and published in 1999， that its predictions are so to date now。Although these two Chinese military officers An interesting observation of the history and methods of warfare， including the strategies from famous warrior generals of past。 The authors point out the formulas for strategies and methods for proven victory。 They also suggest where America may be weak in these regards， and what it should do to avoid a disastrously lost effort to prevail in warfare。Interesting that this book was printed and published in 1999， that its predictions are so to date now。Although these two Chinese military officers and authors suggest their country's proven methods are proven， I believe that America and her allies might prevail in any circumstance provided it not all out nuclear warfare。 Against China - we will see， that's for sure。 。。。more

George Siehl ，

First general impression upon finishing is， "Get out of the cities and get off of the grid。" Meanwhile， hope that unrestricted warfare never happens。 A sobering read。Two senior colonels of the Chinese People's Liberation Army （PLA） had this book published in 1999。 It gained a degree of official notice and recognition within the PLA leadership。 Clearly hawks， the writers advocate a fuller view of what constitutes warfare to include actions by both military and non-military actors against an enemy First general impression upon finishing is， "Get out of the cities and get off of the grid。" Meanwhile， hope that unrestricted warfare never happens。 A sobering read。Two senior colonels of the Chinese People's Liberation Army （PLA） had this book published in 1999。 It gained a degree of official notice and recognition within the PLA leadership。 Clearly hawks， the writers advocate a fuller view of what constitutes warfare to include actions by both military and non-military actors against an enemy。 The enemy most often referenced in the book is America。 The exposition of their thesis draws upon pragmatic， philosophical， and metaphorical arguments。America was identified as the primary target of much of the world because of the quick， devastating dispatch of the Iraq Army in the 1991 Gulf War。 The technological supremacy shown by the U。S。 military led to many other countries trying to follow suite， but finding the effort both difficult and costly。 This brought the two authors to look to means other than state-of-the-art weaponry， organization， and operations to defeat such an adversary。 Their proposal: unrestricted warfare， in which， "the first rule of unrestricted warfare is that there are no rules， with nothing forbidden。"With this， the new concept of weapons is limitless。 They state， "there is nothing in the world today that cannot become a weapon。" This could include "man-made earthquakes， tsunamis， weather disasters， or subsonic wave and new biological and chemical weapons。" Or， "a single man-made stock-market crash， a single computer virus invasion， or a single rumor or scandal that results in a fluctuation in the enemy country's exchange rates or exposes the leaders of an enemy country on the internet， all can be included in the ranks of new-concept weapons。" They write also of "kinder weapons，" with which " the best way to achieve victory is to control， not to kill。"The authors are close followers of American military leadership trends and writings。 Their assessments of both make for interesting reading。 Another point of interest in their writing is the fine point of semantics in discussing warfare。 At first， this seems to contain a lot of circular logic， as sitting at a bar and having a well lubricated patron go on about people who "Act because they believe， believing in the Act。" Qiao's and Wang's work comes out better than that， but it takes some close reading to get there。The incorporation of the military and the private sectors， the diplomatic corps， and whatever cooperating alliances may be involved is clearly a quite complex way of going to war。 How can such a combination be effectively coordinated and managed？ Here， democracies seem to be at a disadvantage， while authoritarian governments without public input or even multiple political parties appear to have a significant advantage。 China's one-party organization works well for them in competition with a democratic， multi-party state with changing top leadership。There is much in this small book to ponder。 Those with an interest in history in the making should find it well worth reading。 It is worrisome， especially when we continue to learn of foreign cyber penetrations of our government agencies， private corporations， complexes such as regional electrical power grids， and individuals。 Are we successfully doing likewise to the strong competitor， potential enemy states we face？ One would hope we are at least staying even， but that is not likely to be part of any press releases from our national government。 This book gives us many other questions to which we are unlikely to be informed。 Dave Kilcullen's recent book provides a more recent and more global assessment of the spectrum of international competition in his 2020 book， "The Dragons and the Snakes。" His book draws upon， and introduced me to， "Unrestricted Warfare。" 。。。more

David Dâng ，

听说美国鹰派也有在读这本书。有意思的是中国这边动辄指责西方国家在对华搞颜色革命，到了推特洋人们又以此书为例指责中国在搞超限战。第一章提出的论点和一些概念很有意思。“慈化”不会改变战争残酷本质。第二章就是说“未来”战争已经超越了传统界限，比如一堆黑客干的事情不亚于一粒核弹。

Julia ，

Almost gave it up since the discussion of the Gulf War was a bit tedious。 However then I got to chapter 7 which put a lot of things in perspective。 Although a lot of the stuff they say is obviously no longer new the clarity of their thinking is impressive。

Bryan Kerr ，

I wish I would have read this much， much earlier。 Although this book is over twenty years old， it is still very reveling on the subject of the future of warfare。 The authors make an allusion to a future second addition， that I for one would seek out and read immediately。 This book was written before the September 11， 2011 tragedy and， obviously before the Afghan and Iraq wars。 The authors write this book with the Gulf War as the most recent pivotal changing point in modern warfare。 The authors a I wish I would have read this much， much earlier。 Although this book is over twenty years old， it is still very reveling on the subject of the future of warfare。 The authors make an allusion to a future second addition， that I for one would seek out and read immediately。 This book was written before the September 11， 2011 tragedy and， obviously before the Afghan and Iraq wars。 The authors write this book with the Gulf War as the most recent pivotal changing point in modern warfare。 The authors are very convincing in their arguments that the Gulf War represents the beginning of a new multi-faceted era of modern warfare。 This new modern warfare will less and less look like the wars of the past， and more and more blur the lines of combatants。 I believe the authors point correctly to a future of warfare where there is no defined battleground， because warfare will be conducted economically， internationally and above all electronically。 Nations and countries will no longer have rigid boundaries that mean anything or can put up any sort of defense in the face of market manipulations and cyber attacks。 I could go on， but for those who care， I really believe this text is more worthy of an in-depth study than a quick read。 。。。more

David Barker ，

A Must-Read For Understanding Current EventsBoth brilliant and frightening， this small text details China’s strategy for global dominance。 Written by two Chinese colonels at the end of the 20th century， they convincingly argued the time had come to not just modernize war in the military sphere， but to take war into every sphere of influence to include the cultural， religious， political， philosophical， technological， and psychological - and do so simultaneously。 You see in this text， the strategi A Must-Read For Understanding Current EventsBoth brilliant and frightening， this small text details China’s strategy for global dominance。 Written by two Chinese colonels at the end of the 20th century， they convincingly argued the time had come to not just modernize war in the military sphere， but to take war into every sphere of influence to include the cultural， religious， political， philosophical， technological， and psychological - and do so simultaneously。 You see in this text， the strategies that were put in motion decades ago that have brought us to our current state。 。。。more

Sebastian ，

This is a 1999 military treatise from two officers in the People's Liberation Army。 To begin， the basic plot as the authors present it:By the late 90's the United States is plowing so much money into conventional weapon development and production that no other country can possibly keep up。 "Based on weight，" Qiao and Wang point out， "the B-2 [bomber] is some three times more expensive than an equivalent weight of gold。" [14-15]。 And so it would be foolish to try and fight the Americans in a conv This is a 1999 military treatise from two officers in the People's Liberation Army。 To begin， the basic plot as the authors present it:By the late 90's the United States is plowing so much money into conventional weapon development and production that no other country can possibly keep up。 "Based on weight，" Qiao and Wang point out， "the B-2 [bomber] is some three times more expensive than an equivalent weight of gold。" [14-15]。 And so it would be foolish to try and fight the Americans in a conventional way。 The 1990-91 Gulf War was a horribly lopsided American victory against the Iraqi conventional forces （e。g。 184 vs 30，000 casualties） that underscores this point [47]。How can an emerging power then compete with the US？ Trouble with unconventional forces in e。g。 Somalia after the Gulf War reveals a possible underbelly。 If you can't beat the Americans in a traditional military conflict， you need to expand the battlefield and modes of war to exert force in other ways and ultimately buffalo them into accepting your interests。To Qiao and Wang "there is nothing in the world today that cannot become a weapon" [16]， and "soldiers no longer have a monopoly on war" [36]。 Wars instead will be financial （they accuse George Soros numerous times of acts of financial war）， cyber war， or more like Osama Bin-Laden's 1993 WTC bombing。Good news for the PLA: the Americans are flat on their feet， vying for Congressional dollars instead of truly preparing for an "unrestricted" conflict [67-74]。 The US military "has pushed [responsibility for new types of war] on to the politicians and the CIA" and "retreated from the existing all-dimensional wars" [106]。 "What is surprising" to the Chinese authors "is that such a large nation unexpectedly does not have a unified strategy and command structure to deal with the threat" [107]。They conclude that the correct strategy is to embrace and prepare for "modified combined warfare that goes beyond limits" [154]。 This is fighting across domains， means， and sizes and scopes of action。 It is pairing some aspects of conventional war with disruptions of "the civilian electricity network， traffic dispatching network， 。。。 mass media，" with a goal of inciting "social panic， street riots， and a political crisis" [123]。（NB: I am skipping over a bizarre numerology chapter which tries to frame the unrestricted warfare strategy as a manifestation of the golden ratio and therefore correct and true。 I guess we can give them credit for being good Marxists and trying to make rules to describe the flow of human history。）I don't disagree with the authors about the nature of conflict involving traditionally non-military actors and avenues。 Although， this does not seem like a novel idea that emerged only after the Gulf War。 Propaganda， embargoes and tariffs， etc have been around for some time。I do disagree that these new types of war ought to be linked to a military apparatus。As a semantic issue， all groups of humans since the start of humans have found ways of exerting force （as distinct from violence） to get other humans to accept their interests。 The Avignon Papacy got a bunch of Christians to hand over their gold for to fund debaucherous parties for most of the 14th century by making everyone afraid of hell。 Was the Pope at war with Christians？ We don't have to call any exertion of force "war"。 Qiao and Wang are guilty of semantic imperialism。As a practical issue， they don't understand the anathema that such concentration of power （i。e。 making the military responsible for all elements of what they call "war"） would be in a free society。 They giddily point out the conflict even within the US military between branches。 It's hard for them to wrap their heads around over there in the authoritarian CCP police state， but we ensure freedom from tyranny precisely by breaking up loci of power。 It is a tradeoff that we make -- such a mighty coordinated total war machine could also be turned against us domestically。Without a coordinating authority are we doomed？America's enduring advantage lies in allowing brilliance to rise from the bottom up。 It may take longer to reach a solution in comparison to the blunt dictum of an autocrat， but a solution that has survived rounds of selective pressure usually beats a solution passed down from authorities。Rather than appointing our own Xi Jinping， our focus ought to be to make Americans aware of what we are up against from the bottom up。 The Chinese Communist Party is no friend of America。 They say they are going to incite civil unrest， fight financial wars， and use international organs （like the UN -- including the WHO， and the WTO） to inflict damage onto us and we ought to take it at face value -- even if they never intend to engage in a hot war。 When we start to understand that， maybe Jack Dorsey will begin to censor Zhao Lijian （https://twitter。com/zlj517） instead of the US President， and Google will start working with the US military instead of the People's Liberation Army。 。。。more

Brian Thorson ，

This book is foundational to understanding China’s approach to modern warfare。 While two plus decades have elapsed since the authors penned Unrestricted Warfare， the passage of time has only reinforced the principles outlined in the book。

Scott Holstad ，

This is my third time to read this book and I still get the same feelings I did as when I read it the first time -- genius， fascination， worried as hell， kind of freaked out， and curious as to what may be used from this book by the PLA， specifically against the US。 In the 21 years since its believed to have been publication， I think we've had a good number of questions answered， although there remain quite a few。When I first got my hands on this book， it was hard as hell to find。 It was rumored This is my third time to read this book and I still get the same feelings I did as when I read it the first time -- genius， fascination， worried as hell， kind of freaked out， and curious as to what may be used from this book by the PLA， specifically against the US。 In the 21 years since its believed to have been publication， I think we've had a good number of questions answered， although there remain quite a few。When I first got my hands on this book， it was hard as hell to find。 It was rumored to exist， and some in China allegedly confirmed it。 Somehow， it made its way out of China and this was awhile ago， so forgive me if I'm not 100% accurate， but I recalled that some unknown French press published a copy that some could get with effort for a short while， and then some time later a South American publisher， also largely unknown， published a print run that I think was in English and it was a little easier to get。 At some point， it somehow became much more prominent and you can now easily find it， although sometimes the sub-titles differ and in fact are sometimes hilarious。However， the point I wish to make here is it's a fair controversial book， and not solely due to the subject matter。 A number of China analysts and experts do not believe it to be authentic， view it as a fraud， and often tend to look down their noses at those who DO take it seriously。 Despite the fact that many of the tactics described by the PLA authors have indeed been used since then。 Meanwhile， probably just as many， if not more， China analysts and experts （and while I don't claim Expert status， I do include myself among this group in terms of belief） absolutely believe in the authenticity of this book， argue what I've already alluded to -- that a number of tactics described in this book written by high level PLA officers in the 1990 have already， and continue to， be used against the US。 I think more importantly to me was the fact that the also controversial author and expert， Michael Pillsbury， whose books include a scary-as-shit one about China's 100-year program -- beginning in 1949 and ending in 2049 -- to pursue and eventually surpass -- by whatever means -- the US as the global superpower。 He has tons of evidence to back this theory， and I think not only is it justified， but we can see progressively aggressive evidence of this plan in action yearly， as well as the fact that I place much more stock in his expert opinion and that of other experts I know and admire， than of a few high-profile ones who seem to always be in the limelight but who have never impressed me and who I think are naive idealists -- no names mentioned。However， whether you buy it or not， this is a Must-Read for anyone who cares about the dying west and emerging east and China's role in it as well as its ultimate end game。 I can't recommend this more strongly and I guess that's all for now。。。 。。。more

Jim Dowdell ，

Are we at war？ After reading this book the question gains much more validity。 Few people on the left or the on the right can deny that we are undergoing an historic level of “interesting times”。 But looking for prime causes， and evidence is a daunting task。 The attacks on our society seem to be hidden in the fog of media bias and restrictions on free speech。This new phenomenon of a mainstream media managed by ideological forces seems to be an attack by foreign interests。 Who in the world would d Are we at war？ After reading this book the question gains much more validity。 Few people on the left or the on the right can deny that we are undergoing an historic level of “interesting times”。 But looking for prime causes， and evidence is a daunting task。 The attacks on our society seem to be hidden in the fog of media bias and restrictions on free speech。This new phenomenon of a mainstream media managed by ideological forces seems to be an attack by foreign interests。 Who in the world would do such a destructive thing？ But those who pay attention can see the changes even over the last twenty years since this book was written。The social engineering， the school propaganda， the cult attacks on “carbon”， the renewed tribalism of identity groups， the attempt to discredit and destroy the civilian police forces （to be replaced by troops and private security）， the crazy proliferation of regulations impacting every minute of our lives， the collapse of family and church influence， the blatant corruption and enrichment of the leviathan corporations and ruling class; this is just the most brazen evidence that the situation is not “normal”。This partial list of currant events is not even discussed by the ruling class。 The justice system and intelligence powers have been weaponized against all who are trying to save freedom in our western civilization。 Every level of government seems to be infiltrated by a hostile ideology。 The people with power seem to have increasing hatred of the middle class and the system that created it。 Special interest groups are running amok as they try to “burn it all down” and the rulers are complicit with this law breaking – except when people try to protect their property。 An observer fresh from outer space would wonder why a civilization that has created so much seems so willing to throw it all away。 When you read Unrestricted Warfare all this will come into sharp focus。 Do not read this as a bedtime story。 The subtitle tells you to wake up， the rest of the book tells you what you will find when you do。 。。。more

Robert Morgan ，

Great book and a must read for all military officers and policy makers。 Very interesting perspective on US policies and history from an outside source。 Gives a glimpse of Chinese strategy as we continue our contentious relationship and possibly what their weakness is

Julian Batz ，

So I read the original translated copy without Alex Santoli （as seen on Goodreads）。It was definitely an interesting view of the PLAs view point on the future if war。 What they call "beyond limits warfare"。 The US Army has adopted "multi-domain warfare"， which is a similar concept。The most fascinating part of the book was that it was published in 1999。 The 21 year head start on military thinking was striking， as was their predictions of events like the Global War on Terror。The US Army could take So I read the original translated copy without Alex Santoli （as seen on Goodreads）。It was definitely an interesting view of the PLAs view point on the future if war。 What they call "beyond limits warfare"。 The US Army has adopted "multi-domain warfare"， which is a similar concept。The most fascinating part of the book was that it was published in 1999。 The 21 year head start on military thinking was striking， as was their predictions of events like the Global War on Terror。The US Army could take a few lessons， especially on the principle of "limited objects" and "unlimited means"。 Definitely worth a read。 。。。more

Damon Ralph ，

A book that was written two decades ago， some of its then avant-garde concepts like lawfare， economic warfare， network warfare and the use of terror groups are now established as part of military canon。 An interesting insight on how Chinese military thinkers may have approached anti-US military planning。

Tj Connor ，

I almost don't want to advocate purchase of this book， but I think you need to read it for yourself and make your own determination。 It's interesting。 Even the writing and analogies piqued my interest。 I almost don't want to advocate purchase of this book， but I think you need to read it for yourself and make your own determination。 It's interesting。 Even the writing and analogies piqued my interest。 。。。more

Tom Marshall ，

Very interesting read， it would be less so if the appearance of current Chinese foreign policy was not so strikingly similar。 It would be interesting to see military analysis from other contemporary sources to compare this one to。

João ，

“Guerra irrestrita”， o Mein Kampf do PCCNo atual bombardeio de informações e desinformações que nos atinge é quase impossível manter a mesma opinião por mais de três minutos。 Mas uma coisa é certa。 A História é uma ciência que tem muitos pontos cegos， portanto só pode ser bem analisada em retrospectiva。 É temerário pintar um quadro exato da paisagem enquanto o trem está em movimento。Há quem diga que o flagelo nacional-socialista alemão fora todo ele previsto no libelo autobiográfico de Adolf Hit “Guerra irrestrita”， o Mein Kampf do PCCNo atual bombardeio de informações e desinformações que nos atinge é quase impossível manter a mesma opinião por mais de três minutos。 Mas uma coisa é certa。 A História é uma ciência que tem muitos pontos cegos， portanto só pode ser bem analisada em retrospectiva。 É temerário pintar um quadro exato da paisagem enquanto o trem está em movimento。Há quem diga que o flagelo nacional-socialista alemão fora todo ele previsto no libelo autobiográfico de Adolf Hitler， o livro “Mein Kampf”。 É verdade。 Descontados os paroxismos de ódio e os delírios megalomaníacos， está tudo lá。 As anexações; o Lebensraum （espaço vital）; o holocausto judeu。 Um ideário torpe， ainda em embrião， mas que se concretizou da forma mais macabra possível。Falando em livros proféticos… há um escrito em 1999 por dois coronéis do Exército chinês， （Qiao Liang e Wang Xiangsui） que parece se enquadrar nessa categoria。 É sabido que a China está em guerra comercial com os EUA。 Isso não prova definitivamente que haja um escalonamento desse novo tipo de violência， isto é， não se pode provar que o PCC declarou guerra ao mundo livre。 Mas， se a nação mais rica do planeta está sendo atacada， é inquestionável que isso venha a afetar pelo menos grande parte do ocidente。 O ato falho nesse raciocínio， e aí entra a “Guerra Irrestrita”， é achar que uma guerra hoje em dia seria conduzida nos moldes convencionais。 Uma guerra comercial pode não ser noticiada pela mídia nos primeiros meses de “embate” entre os envolvidos。 Estes， por sua vez， não são tão facilmente nomeáveis。 Os tratados de comum acordo， as áreas de livre comércio， as uniões geopolíticas locais transformam o tabuleiro da guerra “normal” numa gigantesca estrutura feita de dominós， frágeis e prontos a cair ao menor aumento do barril de petróleo。 E quem pode afirmar que uma suposta guerra comercial não seria apenas uma frente isolada num teatro de operações muito， mas muito mais vasto e surpreendente？Eis algumas “profecias” da “Guerra irrestrita”: “（。。。） a guerra renascerá sob outro formato （。。。） tornando-se um instrumento de enorme poder nas mãos dos que nutrem a intenção de controlar outros países e regiões。”“（。。。） enquanto presenciamos uma relativa redução na violência militar， estamos evidenciando， definitivamente， um aumento na violência política， econômica e tecnológica。”“Desta forma， a indução de um colapso de um mercado acionário， a contaminação de uma rede de computadores por um vírus， um rumor ou escândalo que resulte na flutuação do câmbio ou， a exposição comprometedora de líderes de um país， constituem ações que podem ser enquadradas como “armas neoconcepcionais。”“（。。。） tem havido o desenvolvimento de meios para atacar direta e especificamente um centro nervoso de um inimigo， sem danificar as áreas circundantes。 Desta forma têm-se novas opções para obtenção da vitória， gerando a crença de que a melhor forma de se obter a vitória é através de um maior exercício de controle e não através da imposição da morte。”“Até mesmo o último refúgio da raça humana — o mundo interior do ser humano — não está livre dos ataques da guerra psicológica。”O que estamos vivendo neste 2020， se não uma guerra psicológica！？E aqui um aviso temporão aos nossos comandantes militares sobre recursos materiais e humanos: “（。。。） algumas nações com visão prospectiva， ao invés de única e simplesmente priorizarem os cortes de efetivos， estão enfatizando: a elevação da qualificação técnica do seu pessoal; o incremento do nível de tecnologia avançada e semi-avançada incorporada ao seu armamento; e a atualização do pensamento militar e doutrinário。”Bem， aqui parece que o Brasil está na crista da onda， mesmo que involuntariamente， já que a evasão causada pelo achatamento dos salários iniciada nos anos noventa da década passada e levada adiante pelo atual governo， diminuiu bastante os efetivos militares。O PCC está deixando o mundo de joelhos。 Há os que se recusam a ver isso。 Há as mídias literalmente compradas pelo Partido que se recusam a noticiar isso。 Mascaradas e papagaiando estatísticas suspeitas， aterrorizam-nos diuturnamente com a “guerra contra o vírus”。 Lembram-se da “guerra contra o terror” dos anos 2000？ Aonde aquilo nos levou！？ Isso， ao Iraque。 Mesma tática， diferentes atores。Sobre isso， o que diz a “Guerra irrestrita”:“Poderia a compra ou obtenção do controle de ações ser usada para transformar os jornais e as cadeias de televisão de uma outra nação como instrumentos de uma guerra da mídia？”E para os românticos aficcionados da guerra tradicional， homem a homem， o Ministro da Guerra francês na primeira grande guerra Georges Clemenceau， no início do século XX， declarou que “a guerra é um assunto muito sério para ser deixado a cargo dos generais”。 Citado pelos coronéis chineses: “uma coisa é certa: os militares não detêm mais o monopólio da prática da guerra。”Para os que dão um risinho superior e debocham quando alguém usa o termo “comunismo”， eis um aviso que deveria estar nos manuais das academias militares （ops， esqueci-me de que a pedagogia militar positivista é superior às ideologias！！）:“（。。。） Os legislativos de nações que adotam o modelo representativo de governo não podem evitar o envolvimento por parte dos grupos de “lobby”。 Enfim， o livro é um áugure moderno do que ocorre hoje， diante dos nossos olhos。 Só não ver quem não quer。 。。。more

Adamo Colombo ，

Obra importante para entender parte do pensamento da PLA。 Faz-se necessário colocar o trabalho em seu momento na linha do tempo。 Estava depois da Op Tempestade no Deserto e antes 9/11。 Porém há traços interessantes de observar， como uma sensação de que os autores consideram seu país uma nova "cidade brilhante na colina"， capaz de impulsionar seus interesses e ser exemplo em um mundo multilateral。 Livro interessante。 Obra importante para entender parte do pensamento da PLA。 Faz-se necessário colocar o trabalho em seu momento na linha do tempo。 Estava depois da Op Tempestade no Deserto e antes 9/11。 Porém há traços interessantes de observar， como uma sensação de que os autores consideram seu país uma nova "cidade brilhante na colina"， capaz de impulsionar seus interesses e ser exemplo em um mundo multilateral。 Livro interessante。 。。。more

Wanda Keith ，

I read this book just prior to 9/11 and have never forgotten the information shared by the two generals who wrote the book。 I had loaned my copy several years ago so decided to invest in a new one。 The authors state they are generals in the Chinese army but that has never been confirmed， to my knowledge。 The book， which was published in 1999， is mostly about how and why wars are fought and it mostly concentrates on the time after the Gulf War。 The authors are complimentary to the United States i I read this book just prior to 9/11 and have never forgotten the information shared by the two generals who wrote the book。 I had loaned my copy several years ago so decided to invest in a new one。 The authors state they are generals in the Chinese army but that has never been confirmed， to my knowledge。 The book， which was published in 1999， is mostly about how and why wars are fought and it mostly concentrates on the time after the Gulf War。 The authors are complimentary to the United States in the way they conducted the Gulf War and state that the 'Reorganization Act'， passed by Congress in 1986， under President Reagan， was "The most successful and fitting application of military command since the services were divided"。 The Reorganization Act insured that the three branches of the military would pull together to fight the same war。 They then state， "What you must know is that this is a nationality （U。S。） that has never been willing to pay the price of life and， moreover， has always vied for victory at all costs。" During the Gulf War， of the 500，000 troops we sent， there were only 148 fatalities and 458 wounded。 These authors felt that our use of high-technology weaponry was the reason for our victory and I am sure that is likely true。 They then speak of how future wars will not be anything like the Gulf War and that those wars would be "fought and won in a war beyond the battlefield"。 They are speaking of cyber attacks， financial warfare， media warfare， regulatory warfare， psychological warfare， germ warfare， etc。 We see the recent COVID-19 virus and germ warfare is not too hard to believe。 We see how the media who are， in many instances， owned and operated by foreigners control the narrative of what people see and read each day。 This book was the first time I had ever heard of Osama bin Laden or George Soros， yet both were mentioned frequently。 Bin Laden was mentioned as a terrorist who was responsible for "secondary wars" and Soros was mentioned， also， as being responsible for secondary wars via financial tactics。 The book is not some 'Master Plan' to take over the world but it is clear that these generals have studied our culture and our country in depth and are trying to figure the best way to defeat us when the time is right。 They are looking for our weak spots and it is clear， from recent events， that we have placed ourselves in a precarious situation that we need to quickly reassess and hope that it isn't too late。 I never forgot this book but the information has so much more meaning to me almost twenty years later; after 9/11 and our continuing war in the Middle East。。。and currently COVID-19。 Wake up， America！ 。。。more

Cav ，

I was hoping for something different from this book。。。 Something more in line with， oh， the title of the book， perhaps。"Unrestricted Warfare" has a decent beginning， where the authors explain how the field of war has changed a lot since its early days， and how technology and innovations drive that change: "The only point which is certain is that， from this point on， war will no longer be what it was originally。 Which is to say that， if in the days to come mankind has no choice but to engage in I was hoping for something different from this book。。。 Something more in line with， oh， the title of the book， perhaps。"Unrestricted Warfare" has a decent beginning， where the authors explain how the field of war has changed a lot since its early days， and how technology and innovations drive that change: "The only point which is certain is that， from this point on， war will no longer be what it was originally。 Which is to say that， if in the days to come mankind has no choice but to engage in war， it can no longer be carried out in the ways with which we are familiar。 It is impossible for us to deny the impact on human society and its soul of the new motivations represented by economic freedom， the concept of human rights， and the awareness of environmental protection， but it is certain that the metamorphosis of warfare will have a more complex backdrop。 Otherwise， the immortal bird of warfare will not be able to attain nirvana when it is on the verge of decline: When people begin to lean toward and rejoice in the reduced use of military force to resolve conflicts， war will be reborn in another form and in another arena， becoming an instrument of enormous power in the hands of all those who harbor intentions of controlling other countries or regions。 In this sense， there is reason for us to maintain that the financial attack by George Soros on East Asia， the terrorist attack on the U。S。 embassy by Osama Bin Laden， the gas attack on the Tokyo subway by the disciples of the Aum Shinri Kyo， and the havoc wreaked by the likes of Morris Jr。 on the Internet， in which the degree of destruction is by no means second to that of a war， represent semi-warfare， quasi-warfare， and subwarfare， that is， the embryonic form of another kind of warfare。" It then spends most of the rest of its pages talking about the 1991 Iraq War， and its ramifications。The authors also pay homage to the greats of military strategy; Sun Tzu， Napolean， Clausewitz， Machiavelli， et al。The book never really got into the meat of the issue; which was what I was expecting - given both its title， and the description here。I wouldn't recommend this book。 It is written in a jumbled format and is excessively long-winded， arduous and dry。2。5 stars。 。。。more

Harun Aras ，

good

Nic Cooper ，

Firstly the title is pure hyperbole， which is unfortunate as the book seems to be a war college long form ‘a way of war according to three colonels’ who were apparently mesmerised by US capability displayed during the Gulf War of ‘91。 Of the book， I’d say there is around six excellent pages of thoughts covering the centrality of network enabled reconnaissance strike linkages and the benefits of multi-domain responses。 The chapter covering ‘golden rules’ was pure hokum - singularity for soldiers Firstly the title is pure hyperbole， which is unfortunate as the book seems to be a war college long form ‘a way of war according to three colonels’ who were apparently mesmerised by US capability displayed during the Gulf War of ‘91。 Of the book， I’d say there is around six excellent pages of thoughts covering the centrality of network enabled reconnaissance strike linkages and the benefits of multi-domain responses。 The chapter covering ‘golden rules’ was pure hokum - singularity for soldiers this was not。 What was of use was the authentic voice of the authors grappling with how to respond to what was at the time a vast chasm in China and US warfighting potential。 Interesting from a historical perspective but， advancing military thought - look elsewhere。 。。。more

Tyler Tidwell ，

Written by two Chinese colonels in the late 1990s， this book explores trends in modern warfare， especially in light of the Unites States' utter dominance in the Gulf War。 As you might glean from the title， the thesis of the book is that the domains and concepts we apply to "warfare" are radically expanding into other （all other） areas。 Consequently， this book is also a treatise on future warfare doctrine。 While it covers a lot of different ground， I'll sum up the main point by way of analogy:Wha Written by two Chinese colonels in the late 1990s， this book explores trends in modern warfare， especially in light of the Unites States' utter dominance in the Gulf War。 As you might glean from the title， the thesis of the book is that the domains and concepts we apply to "warfare" are radically expanding into other （all other） areas。 Consequently， this book is also a treatise on future warfare doctrine。 While it covers a lot of different ground， I'll sum up the main point by way of analogy:What's the one sport you don't want to play the New England Patriots in？ Football obviously。 While this may not be entirely avoidable， the goal should be to force the Patriots off the football field and onto the soccer field， or baseball diamond， or badminton court。 In other words， why oh why do you want to try to beat someone at their own game， especially when they have a borderline monopoly on it？According to the authors， the world was absolutely shocked by the dominance of the U。S。 military on a conventional battlefield during the Gulf War。 Up until that time， many militaries were trying to mimic what the U。S。 was doing by way of equipment， technology， and organization。 After 1991， they realized just how far ahead of everyone else the Americans were。 To the authors， the lesson was clear- if you can't win the game， try to change the rules of the game or change games altogether。 For them， achieving a national goal through a strategy predicated solely （or mostly） on the threat of physical violence is becoming increasingly untenable and anachronistic。 Instead， physical violence should be the handmaiden of a new "unrestricted" warfare strategy in which the concept of the "battlefield" is radically expanded to space， cyberspace， financial markets， television， etc。 Ironically， they admit that the Americans are already leading in this way of thinking， but， without going into detail， they believe American strategies on these issues will ultimately be too self-limiting and not realize the full potential of this new doctrine。 Some counterpoints I would offer:-I'm not so sure physical violence has decreased that much lately more than simply moving away from First-World military casualties towards non-combatants， Third-World militaries， and paramilitary groups。 In large swaths of the world， the most effective way to get what you want is still at the point of a gun。-At the end of the day， you might say the authors are just arguing for a hyper-integrated DIME methodology。 I'm not sure how novel this idea was in the late 90s， but I know it's part and parcel of JPME I for all military officers at this point。 What is an interesting topic not discussed by the authors is how national political structures might constrain or promote hyper-integrated DIME approaches。 Our political legacy has a strong bifurcation of the military and civilian realms。 In Communists countries however， political indoctrination is a staple of military training （at the time of publishing， both authors had the word "political" in their formal military billet titles）。 If democracies have a natural separation of powers whereas totalitarian regimes are obviously more monolithic， does that mean democracies are somehow inherently hindered from hyper-integrated DIME approaches relative to other political systems？ 。。。more

Zee Wang ，

When you hold a hammer， you want to nail everything。 When you see this world as a battleground 。。。 Why？

Mitch Watson ，

This is a good book if you are trying to understand Chinese strategic culture。 It is interesting to compare contemporary Chinese actions with the theories expanded almost 20 years earlier by these authors。

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Unrestricted Warfare: Translated from the Original People's Liberation Army Documents

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Unrestricted Warfare: Translated from the Original People's Liberation Army Documents&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Unrestricted Warfare: Translated from the Original People's Liberation Army Documents&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0