The end of the cold war promised a new era of international peace. Instead, violence has proliferated across the globe. What does history tell us about how this conflict will play out? Noted military historian James R. Arnold delivers an engrossing narrative history of a century of counterinsurgent warfare. Analyzing past campaigns—the United States in the Philippines, the British in Malaya, the French in Algeria, and the United States in Vietnam—Arnold traces patterns of victory and defeat. Patience, determination, and adaptability are needed—an epilogue examines the occupation of Iraq, where America, to its cost, ignored the lessons of history. Jungle of Snakes is essential reading for anyone who wants to understand the ongoing worldwide conflict the Pentagon calls the "Long War."