Welcome to JSOU Press

JSOU Press is the scholarly publishing arm of United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM). We are USSOCOM’s “go-to” publisher for research of interest to the special operations forces community. We pride ourselves on our unique ability to put knowledge into the hands of SOF professionals, and we aim to inform national policy & strategy with quality research. Since our inception in 2004, we have edited and published over 200 peer-reviewed scholarly monographs, edited volumes, reference manuals, journal articles, and papers by more than 200 authors at the cutting-edge of SOF research. The works included here are solely the ideas of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official position of the U.S. Special Operations Command or Joint Special Operations University.


SOF-Related Publications

Articles and other publications from outside of JSOU that are relevant to the SOF enterprise. 


USSOCOM Commander 

General Bryan P. Fenton's Reading List


Space and Ice: Envisioning Special Operations Forces’ Role in Future Operational Environments

by 

Statecraft, Strategy, and the Special Forces Soldier: The Philosophical Foundations of Unconventional and Political Warfare

by David Maxwell

Published July 2025 in Small Wars Journal


Building Strategic Lethality: Special Operations Models for Joint Force Learning and Leader Development

By Spencer B. Meredith, III

Published in Joint Force Quarterly 118, Q3 2025





MISSION

The Joint Special Operations University Press supports JSOU and the U.S. Special Operations Command by publishing open access materials that address topics relevant to the SOF enterprise. Research into priorities unique to the special operations enterprise helps provide new and creative solutions in support of command priorities.

VISION

The JSOU Press publishes materials developed specifically for and unique to the special operations enterprise worldwide. Topics include irregular warfare, counterintelligence, insurgency, resistance and resilience, psychological operations, strategic competition, counterterrorism and more. Publishing researched-based academic works provides valuable information that addresses concerns of critical importance to U.S. Special Operations Command and Department of Defense leadership.



Top Publications
Resistance Operating Concept (ROC)
Authored by:
Otto Fiala, Kirk Smith, Anders Löfberg
The Fourth Age: The Future of Special Operations
Edited by:
August Cole, PW Singer
Competing for Advantage: The Chinese Communist Party, Statecraft, and Special Operations
Authored by:
Barkin, Samuel; Conrad, Justin; Horowitz, Shale; Ye, Min; Reardon, Lawrence; Irwin, Will; Craft, Stephen; Black, Charles; Ellis, David
Edited by:
Ellis, David
Operating on the Margins: SOF in the Gray Zone
Edited by:
Dr. Howard G. Coombs , Dr. Christopher Marsh
A Perilous Future: High-Intensity Conflict and the Implications for SOF
Authored by:
Peter Mccabe, Andrew Brown, James Kiras, Nicolas Provencher, Andrew Brown, Nicholas Kramer, Tony Balasevicius, C.G. Landry, Bernd Horn, Keith Carter


Featured Publications
Resilience and Resistance: Interdisciplinary Lessons in Competition, Deterrence, and Irregular Warfare
Authored by:
Robert S. Burrell, John Collison, A. Jackson, David Oakley, Brian Petit, Chris Mason, John H. Mongan, David DiOrio, Thomas A. Marks, Aaron Baty, Gabriele Pierini, Christopher Marsh, David Maxwell, Namrata Goswami
Edited by:
Robert S. Burrell
Published on 7/18/2025
Digital Only

Recent Publications
Resilience and Resistance: Interdisciplinary Lessons in Competition, Deterrence, and Irregular Warfare
Authored by:
Robert S. Burrell, John Collison, A. Jackson, David Oakley, Brian Petit, Chris Mason, John H. Mongan, David DiOrio, Thomas A. Marks, Aaron Baty, Gabriele Pierini, Christopher Marsh, David Maxwell, Namrata Goswami
Edited by:
Robert S. Burrell
Published on 7/18/2025
Digital Only

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI) POLICY

JSOU copyright and plagiarism guidance protects original and creative works, both published and unpublished, which have been fixed in tangible medium. It is unacceptable to submit generative AI as one’s own work. Anyone submitting a paper for JSOU Press publication consideration, including JSOU students, faculty, and staff, MUST disclose use of generative AI in their work, including text generation and image generation, and cite it properly. An AI tool (e.g., ChatGPT, Gemini, CoPilot) is not considered an author but rather a source and should be cited as such. Authors should verify AI output with credible sources and cite those sources, not the generative AI. Failure to properly attribute the use of generative AI is considered plagiarism.