Kinsey Christopher. Corporate Soldiers and International Security

Routledge, 2006. — 209 p. — ISBN10: 0–415–36583–XThis book is the first to explore comprehensively the rise of UK private military companies on the international stage. After illustrating early examples of private force, such as mercenary companies, which fi lled the ranks of European armies right up to the 1850s, Christopher Kinsey traces the development of UK private military companies (PMCs) from the mercenary organisations that operated in Africa in the 1960s and early 1970s, through to the start of the rise of legally established private military companies in the mid-1970s and early 1980s, to today’s private military companies which are now important contributors to international security and post-conf l ict reconstruction.
This volume fi rst points to why and how the change from the mercenary organisations of the 1960s and 1970s came about. In particular it examines in some detail the Sandline affair, a crucial turning point in the industry’s history.
It then analyses how PMCs have been able to impact upon international security.
Finally, the book examines the type of problems, as well as advantages, that can arise for organisations that decide to turn to private military companies for their security requirements.
This book will be of much interest to students of security, military studies and international relations in general.