Thomas A. Marks is Distinguished Professor and MG Edward Lansdale Chair of Irregular Warfighting Strategy, College of International Security Affairs (CISA) of the National Defense University (NDU) in Washington, DC, USA. He has authored hundreds of publications, to include the benchmark Maoist Insurgency Since Vietnam, and served as the Oppenheimer Chair of Warfighting Strategy at the Marine Corps University (Quantico), as well as longtime adjunct professor at AFSOS (Hurlburt Field) and the Sherman Kent School (Washington, DC). A former army and US government officer, he has worked as an independent contractor, including for Control Risks of London.

Paul B. Rich is editor of the journal Small Wars & Insurgencies and author/editor of over ten books including The Routledge Handbook of Insurgency and Counterinsurgency, State Power and Black Politics in South Africa, Crisis in the Caucasus: Russia, Georgia and the West, The Counter Insurgent State, and Warlords in International Relations. He holds a BA from the University of Sussex in International Relations and International History, an MA from the University of York in Politics, and a PhD from the University of Warwick. His research interests are in insurgency, counterinsurgency and hybrid warfare with particular reference to the Middle East and post-Soviet politics.