Manousos E Kambouris

The concept of Hybrid Warfare has gained prominence in recent decades. It is a novel terminology, but the concept is detectable since antiquity: Ancient Chinese, Ancient Greeks and the Jews of Exodus were all well familiar, so well to have let us know. Similarly, bioagents have been used malevolently since always. What is novel is that these two, in the present context, are not only interfacing smoothly, but in an enhanced context: The Hybrid Warfare, which has now enriched its portfolio, from actions of provocation, insurgency, economic warfare, special operations, proxy warfare and social destabilization to the Residual domain, the cyberspace, while the conventional, 3D space expands. Now the Space and the Deep are included in the topography of the friction zone. In this, the bio- factor becomes not only relevant but also an amplifier: using the technology malevolently, all the advances made to combat disease may be used to cause, further, or perplex and complicate disease. Improved or totally novel or even alien germs may replace explosives in bombs, shells or suicidal /kamimaze drones and taint bullets and fragments. Microrobots may deliver cancer cells to targeted individuals to foster cancer, or specific supergerms for an infection to rage unchallenged. And what happens if the mechanism of these cancers and infections is intentionally provided with an Abort signal? Global extortions would become probable, not just possible. Far from Science Fiction, this dystopia becomes more probable by the day. The Artificial Intelligence simply makes it easier to occur. Technology allows manipulation and intervention in levels and extends only imagined in the Past, but the application of these capabilities is clearly of dual use, with the destructive potential leveraged by the complexity of the social and state structure. Within this book, we explore the “How” (occasionally the “What” also) in some of these instances. From cyber terrorists to aggressive bioindustrialists and “democratized” ballistic and cruise missile technology, it could be coined as "The Book of Modern Mayhem”.

Since 500 BC the mainland Greeks had been threatened by the Achaemenid Persian Empire. They had suffered major invasions but subsequent attempts to take the offensive had been thwarted. With Alexander the Great's invasion the rules changed. In Macedonia a new model army had been developed, taking the traditional hoplite heavy infantry in a new evolutionary direction and similarly transforming the heavy cavalry. These developments neutralized the Persians' own efforts to modernize their troops, tactics and equipment. Despite the inclusion of a state-of-the-art siege train, the structure of the reformed Macedonian army allowed an unprecedented operational tempo. Manousos Kambouris' detailed analysis explains that it was Alexander's intelligent use of these forces, that allowed him to dictate the course of the campaign. His excellent strategic and operational decision-making, based on an intimate knowledge of geography and logistics, along with well-timed movements and clever feints, allowed him to choose his battles, which he then won by tactical brilliance and guts. The author does not neglect to assess the Persian capabilities and decision making, concluding that Darius III was not as inept as often thought. Indeed, he may have been the most militarily capable King of Kings but it was his misfortune to be pitted against the genius of Alexander, the great avenger.

In The Trojan war as Military History, the author's starting point is the fact that the Iliad, notwithstanding the fantastical/mythological elements (the involvement of gods and demigods), is the earliest detailed description of warfare we have. Stripping away the myths, Manousos Kambouris analyses the epic and combines it with other textual and archaeological evidence to produce a coherent narrative of the conflict and of Bronze Age warfare in the Aegean. The author presents the most detailed analysis possible of Mycenaean Greek armies - their composition and organization, the warriors' weapons, armour and tactics, and those of their enemies. He finds sophisticated combined-arms forces blending massed infantry with missile troops and chariots, employing open battle, deception and special operations in what amounted to total war. The author's detailed examination of the mechanics of Bronze Age combat is enriched by his use of insights from experimental archaeology using replica equipment. No less illuminating or significant than the minutiae of heroic duels is the setting of the strategic context of the conflict and the geopolitical relationship of the Mycenaean Greeks with their rivals across the Aegean. Seeking to integrate the supernatural/divine element of the Iliad within the power structure and struggle of the day, the author lashes the Trojan War to the chariot of rationality and drags it from the mists of mythology and into the realm of History.

The dramatic conclusion to this trilogy explains the reversal of fortunes and final defeat of Xerxes' Persian invasion of Greece; not as unlikely as usually presupposed. The focus is on the successful repulse of the Persian massive armada at Salamis, a resounding naval victory with parallels to the English defeat of the Spanish Armada. Along with the backstage policies and cloak-and-dagger events, the analysis of hard data of naval and military realities and environment shows the reason for this outcome and more so of the closely fought double campaign of the following year that ended the Persian threat. The massive land victory at Plataea that ousted the empire form mainland Greece and crippled its armies, and the amphibious operation at Mycale that destroyed the remnants of the royal Grand Armada and shut the doors to further Persian incursions in Greece is examined in detail. Manousos Kambouris examines in depth the plans, potential, assets and liabilities of the two protagonists to explain command decisions and developments in the field. This is a fine finale to this fresh appraisal of these hugely significant events.

This is the epic story of the Great Persian War of 481-479 BC, the major land and sea Persian invasion of Greece under Xerxes. Starting from the Persian decision to avenge the outrage caused to imperial prestige by the battle of Marathon, this book details the policy, diplomacy and religion as they intermingle with matters of strategy and tactics. It includes detailed coverage of the legendary Battle of Thermopylae, immortalized in literature and film as the ultimate defiant last stand. There is similarly in-depth coverage, in terms of events, tactics, methods and intentions, afforded to the relatively unknown sea battles off Cape Artemisium, only recently dramatized for the Big Screen; a naval engagement that primed the Battle of Salamis. Special attention has been paid to the events following these two battles, leading to the bloody conquest of Athens and the implementation of vengeance by the Persian Empire, which for a brief time stood triumphant, victorious and awesome as never before, but also sowed the seeds of eventual defeat.

Manousos Kambouris revisits the epic events of the first Greco-Persian War and the Persian invasion of Greece. He gives excellent detail on the Persian perspective and sets the war in the context of the rise of Achaemenid Persia as the superpower of the day and the expansion of their empire into Europe. After relating the earlier Persian campaigns in Europe the author shows how the Ionian Revolt, by the Greeks of Asia Minor already under Persian rule, was instrumental. Darius I, the Persian King of Kings ordered the invasion of Greece ostensibly to punish the Greeks, and more specifically the Athenians, for their support of the Revolt and to contain further insurgencies but in truth to achieve god-ordained world dominance. Describing the invasion in great detail, the author analyses the king's immense (even if occasionally exaggerated) army, considering its composition and logistical constraints. The campaign leading to Marathon and the decisive battle itself are then clearly narrated. Manousos Kambouris' meticulous research brings fresh insights to this timeless tale of defiance of the odds and victory for the underdog.

Genomics in Biosecurity: Principles and Applications of Genomic Technologies in Expanded Biosecurity Concepts, in the Translational and Applied Genomics series, explains in definite and practical terms the applicability of genomic technologies in every aspect of biosecurity, from emergent diagnostics to bioterrorism, agroterrorism, next generation biowarfare, biosurveillance and risk assessment. This book offers an integrated discussion of genomics and GCBR (global catastrophic biological risks) events, considering both basic aspects of biosecurity genomics and application of genomic technologies to drive new solutions. Readers will find evidence-based strategies to apply genomics in disease and pathogen monitoring and diagnosis, and more. Social aspects of GCBR events and genomic biosecurity, such as issues of terrorism, policy ethics, and practice, are also considered in-depth.