Books : Corporate Warriors: The Rise of the Privatized Military Industry, Updated Edition (Cornell Studies in Security Affairs)
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Type of bind: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 327
EAN num: 9780801474361
ISBN number: 0801474361
Label: Cornell University Press
Manufacturer: Cornell University Press
Quantity: 1
Page Count: 360
Printing Date: November 29, 2007
Publishing house: Cornell University Press
Sale Popularity Level: 32900
Studio: Cornell University Press
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Some have claimed that 'War is too important to be left to the generals,' but P. W. Singer asks 'What about the business executives?' Breaking out of the guns-for-hire mold of traditional mercenaries, corporations now sell skills and services that until recently only state militaries possessed. Their products range from trained commando teams to strategic advice from generals. This new 'Privatized Military Industry' encompasses hundreds of companies, thousands of employees, and billions of dollars in revenue. Whether as proxies or suppliers, such firms have participated in wars in Africa, Asia, the Balkans, and Latin America. More recently, they have become a key element in U.S. military operations. Private corporations working for profit now sway the course of national and international conflict, but the consequences have been little explored. In this book, Singer provides the very first account of the military services industry and its broader implications. Corporate Warriors includes a description of how the business works, as well as portraits of each of the basic types of companies: military providers that offer troops for tactical operations; military consultants that supply expert advice and training; and military support companies that sell logistics, intelligence, and engineering.
In an updated edition of P. W. Singer's classic account of the military services industry and its broader implications, the author describes the continuing importance of that industry in the Iraq War. This conflict has amply borne out Singer's argument that the privatization of warfare allows startling new capabilities and efficiencies in the ways that war is carried out. At the same time, however, Singer finds that the introduction of the profit motive onto the battlefield raises troubling questions--for democracy, for ethics, for management, for human rights, and for national security.
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Rated by buyers 
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In the field of modern development of Private Military companies this should be your very first port of call. Outlines the development of PMCs and examines the implications of these developments. Its major shortfall is that it was written before some of the major growth in Iraq in recent years. It could also look more at the implications for governments and policy makers.
A must read in the field.
Peter Mahon
Rated by buyers -
This book provides an academic view of the topic (i.e., dry and sterile). Coming from an academic press (Cornell) and an academic, however, this not a surprise. The author starts with a history of the private sector in warfare during the medieval ages up to the current period, with emphasis on trend towards increasing state control (i.e., de-privitization) over time with increasing re-privatization. The later is in regard particularly to the U.S. and its overstretched (probably temporarily) forces. This is, in the author's opinion, is cause of large increase in recent expansion of privitization in the U.S. The author then discusses various aspects, mostly negative, regarding this privitization (i.e., legal status of private "troops", reliability in case of large scale combat and increase of the danger they face, etc.).
The book has two weaknesses. The very first is that it does not cover the benefits of this privitazation in sufficient detail. Especially financial savings and, more importantly, the private sector filling the void in Iraq due to lack of long-term permanent U.S. public sector troops. The author needs to address the question of how else the U.S. would be able to cope without this strategy (i.e., draft?). No discusion here. Also, some perspective on other nations' attempts at privitization would be useful for purposes of perspective and comparison with U.S. How much are they privitizing vis-a-vis the U.S. and how has it affected their combat effectiveness/cost of operations. For these reasons the book receives four stars instead of five. Nevertheless, provides a good primer on the subject. Especially considering the fact that most other books have been written by journalists from a sensationalist point of view.
Rated by buyers 
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Singer's research is flawless. His writing is well organized and incisive with very astute observations. He approaches the subject with an objective understanding(he uses the term "mercenary" sparingly and only to describe actual mercenaries) of how this newly formed industry is organized and how it will affect our (United States) ability to implement foreign policy. His tip of the spear taxonomy explains the industry better than any other I have read in my own research on the topic. This book has set a great standard for academic writings on PMFs and will survive as reference source for many years to come.
Rated by buyers 
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Corporate Warriors was in general a very boring book. Yes it was acurate and informative but was very dry. Singer seemed too biased against PMCs. I was also dissapointed to find out Singer has never been to Iraq himself to see PMCs at work there. When one writes a book with bias and with such depth I would like for them to have immersed themselves in the topic rather than write an academic report on PMCs. Sorry for the negative attitude but was dissapointed by the book.
Rated by buyers -
The title of this work is misleading. Singer has written an excellent guide to the recent history of PMCs (private military companies, such as Tim Spicer's Sandline) and PSCs (such as Blackwater), but has failed to distinguish between the two in a way made concrete for the uninformed reader. The result is that the fine line between hunting down Angolan rebels and guarding glorified haircuts like Paul Bremer has been blurred.
Sometimes this line is difficult to distinguish, but it is there. The fact that many of the PSC firms themselves sport members of past PMCs (many a South African and Rhodesian is back in action) has further blurred the situation, but you can be assured that their mandate is different. While the PSCs currently operating in Iraq and Afghanistan do their fair share of enemy engagement, they do so from a position of defense rather than from a position of offense. They are playing primarily a security role. They are not, by and large, performing paramilitary tasks at the bequest of dictators, corporations, or the State Department.
The author understands the difference, and does indeed endeavor to make the distinction, the title itself tends to muddle the roles.
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