Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Bargaining For Justice: Ukraine, Gaza, And The Ethics Of Conflict Termination, C. Anthony Pfaff

Monographs & Collaborative Studies

©2024 C. Anthony Pfaff

As wars in Ukraine and Gaza continue with little end in sight, the sense of urgency to determine how they should end is increasing, given how the wars could end. A just war aims to establish a better state of peace, but a better state of peace may not always be achievable, and even when it is achievable, it may not be good enough. When that is the case, actors must determine on what terms to settle, given what they think they can achieve based on relative capabilities and cost tolerances. The resulting “maximin” solution, a …

The Role Of America’S European Allies In The Russia-Ukraine War, 2022–24, John R. Deni, Lisa A. Aronsson

Monographs & Collaborative Studies

©2024 John R. Deni

What more can US allies in Europe do to assist Ukraine militarily? More broadly, what can the United States expect from its closest allies in Europe in strategic competition with Russia and China? In this monograph, John R. Deni and Lisa A. Aronsson assess whether US allies and partners in Europe can continue providing military assistance to Ukraine or expand assistance, while preserving their own national security and fulfilling their NATO commitments. They also explore what the Russia-Ukraine War reveals about the role of European allies in future iterations of strategic competition. Their findings indicate European …

Book Review: The World: A Family History Of Humanity, Zachary Griffiths

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Author: Simon Sebag Montefiore

Reviewed by Lieutenant Colonel Zachary Griffiths (US Army), Special Assistant to the Chief of Staff of the Army

The Harding Project’s Lieutenant Colonel Zachary Griffiths reviews this best-selling, epic in scope history of the world framed by powerful families and gives an honest evaluation of the book’s potential value (and shortcomings) for soldiers. Griffiths notes that the book provides insight into the “richness of the human experience” with “vignettes to give color to historical military campaigns and humanize those campaigns’ participants.”

Book Review: Standing Up Space Force: The Road To The Nation’S Sixth Armed Service, Robert D. Bradford Iii

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Author: Forrest L. Marion

Reviewed by Robert D. Bradford III, associate professor of defense and Joint processes, Department of Command, Leadership, and Management, US Army War College

Robert D. Bradford III reviews this “first history” of the United States Space Force. He overviews the author Forrest L. Marion’s resources (“primary sources and extensive oral history interviews”) and highlights the book’s value in the way it “depicts cultural and bureaucratic barriers to…organizational change.” Bradford notes the history’s universal applicability as it relates to other situations in which an institution successfully approaches change.

Satellites In The Russia-Ukraine War, Ron Gurantz

Monographs & Collaborative Studies

Satellites and counterspace systems have shown themselves to be important parts of modern warfare in the Russia-Ukraine War but have also been subject to various restrictions to prevent escalation. This monograph examines the role of satellites and counterspace systems in the Russia-Ukraine War’s high-technology warfare and the effects of satellite proliferation and commercialization on the conduct of the war. It also analyzes the restrictions under which space-based capabilities have been operating and the implications of these limits for future conflicts—a subject that has received little attention. Relying on an exhaustive study of open-source material and the application of limited-war theory …

2024 Annual Estimate Of The Strategic Security Environment

Monographs & Collaborative Studies

The 2024 Annual Estimate of the Strategic Security Environment sets the foundation for cutting-edge research to understand the ever-evolving security environment domestically and internationally. Competition with the People’s Republic of China continues to dominate the strategic narrative, with global implications for US national interests. The Russia-Ukraine War and the deteriorating situation in the Middle East, however, present immediate and political challenges that will undoubtedly influence US military efforts abroad. At the same time, the United States faces domestic challenges in navigating civil-military relations, and the Army is working diligently to overcome institutional hurdles. The United States published its first National …

Book Review: Skies Of Thunder: The Deadly World War Ii Mission Over The Roof Of The World, Heather Venable

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Author: Caroline Alexander

Reviewed by Dr. Heather Venable, course director, Airpower Strategy and Operations, Air Command and Staff College

Dr. Heather Venable, course director, Airpower Strategy and Operations, at the Air Command and Staff College, insightfully analyzes multifaceted author and translator Caroline Alexander’s latest history of the China-Burma-India Theater. Venable overviews the book’s four main elements and the two structural topics—the “ ‘Hump’ of the Himalayas” and the land bridge. She praises the author’s “beguiling human and geographical detail” that “brings the CBI Theater to life while casting a critical eye on the human frailties of her research subjects.”

Book Review: Info Ops: From World War I To The Twitter Era, José De Arimatéia Da Cruz

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Editors: Ofer Fridman, Vitaly Kabernik, and Francesca Granelli

Reviewed by Dr. José de Arimatéia da Cruz, Department of Homeland Defense and Security Issues, Center for Strategic Leadership, US Army War College

Dr. José de Arimatéia da Cruz calls Info Ops a “must-read for any future combatant commander concerned about how our enemies use information and communication technologies within a contested environment to advance their causes and wreak havoc within an increasingly polarized society.” He overviews the book’s topics, including World War I and World War II, social media, Soviet Union propaganda, and even Israel and Hamas, and discusses their immediate …

Lieutenant General Robert C. Richardson Jr.: Central Pacific Theater Army Commander For Admiral Chester W. Nimitz 1943–45, James D. Scudieri

Monographs & Collaborative Studies

This monograph analyzes Lieutenant General Robert C. Richardson Jr.’s service as de facto theater Army commander to Admiral Chester W. Nimitz from August 1943 to June 1945. It focuses on the theater-strategic level when Richardson led US Army Forces in Central Pacific Area and US Army Forces, Pacific Ocean Areas. This study highlights the context of Richardson’s operating environment beginning with prewar plans, the realities of early wartime defeats, and the state of joint operating procedures. It assesses Richardson’s accomplishments in exercising Landpower in the Pacific, across the entire range of today’s Army war-fighting and Joint functions and discusses the …

A Call To Action: Lessons From Ukraine For The Future Force, John A. Nagl, Katie Crombe

Monographs & Collaborative Studies

John A. Nagl, Project Director
Katie Crombe, Chief of Staff

This book explores the changing character of war through the lens of the Russia-Ukraine War. The authors analyze the conflict’s history, each side’s warfighting functions, the role of multidomain operations, and more. The radical changes in the character of war suggest the United States is at a strategic inflection point. The authors draw lessons from both the Ukrainians and the Russians to suggest improvements for the United States. Advances in drone technology, cyber warfare, and electromagnetic warfare pose new technological vulnerabilities and possibilities. In addition, the war has highlighted the …

Book Review: The Decline And Fall Of Republican Afghanistan, Whitney Grespin

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Authors: Ahmad Shuja Jamal and William Maley

Reviewed by Dr. Whitney Grespin, visiting research fellow, King's College London, UK Defence Academy; non-resident fellow, Joint Special Operations University; and Africa Regional Program Lead, DSCA/DSCU Institute for Security Governance

Foreign-policy expert Dr. Whitney Grespin reviews a “deservedly cutting reflection on mistakes made and lessons not learned during the Afghanistan War.” She notes the book’s “valuable perspective,” as one of the authors was in Kabul when it fell. Distilling the book’s contents into a detailed, useful overview, Grespin provides a helpful roadmap for readers interested in these topics and concludes the book is …

Book Review: Age Of Danger: Keeping America Safe In An Era Of New Superpowers, New Weapons, And New Threats, John A. Nagl

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Authors: Andrew Hoehn and Thom Shanker

Reviewed by Dr. John A. Nagl, professor of warfighting studies, Department of Military Strategy, Planning, and Operations, US Army War College

Dr. John A. Nagl overviews Andrew Hoehn and Thom Shanker’s contributions with their recent book, Age of Danger, which is “well worth readers’ attention.” Nagl describes Hoehn and Shanker’s emphasis on the importance and relationship between the US intelligence community and the US Department of Defense. His review also focuses on the US relationship with China and Russia, the latter of which is featured as “[t]he acute threat” in what Nagl calls …

Book Review: Cold Rivals: The New Era Of Us-China Strategic Competition, Jeffrey Reeves

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Editor: Evan S. Medeiros

Reviewed by Dr. Jeffrey Reeves, associate professor, Naval War College, Naval Postgraduate School

Naval War College associate professor Dr. Jeffrey Reeves provides a thoughtful critique of this anthology on relations between the United States and China. After a brief note on US-Chinese relations during the Trump and Biden-Harris administrations, Reeves offers suggestions for further reading and implies that the book, while providing a “historical account of US-China relations and [chronicling] its evolution,” is not unique in its contributions compared to similar literature, though he does praise two chapters on economics and technology that “stand out.”

Book Review: The Hollow Crown: Shakespeare On How Leaders Rise, Rule, And Fall, Zachary Griffiths

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Author: Eliot A. Cohen

Reviewed by Lieutenant Colonel Zachary Griffiths, special assistant, Office of the Chief of Staff of the Army

Lieutenant Colonel Zachary Griffiths provides an insightful review of Professor Eliot A. Cohen’s book on leadership lessons through the lens of William Shakespeare’s work, a method that “helps readers see common challenges in new ways.” Griffiths describes Cohen’s structural approach to the book—a blend of modern examples with Shakespearean counterparts—and writes that The Hollow Crown’s “effective structure allows chapters to stand on their own while remaining part of a cohesive whole.” Griffiths also notes that “[a] deep appreciation …

Book Review: Thanks For Your Service: The Causes And Consequences Of Public Confidence In The Us Military, James "Andy" Nichols

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Author: Christian Nikolaus Braun

Reviewed by Lieutenant Colonel James “Andy” Nichols, US Army War College class of 2023

Lieutenant Colonel James “Andy” Nichols provides a thoughtful review of Duke University professor Peter D. Feaver’s book on the reasons for—and proposed ways to maintain—the “high public confidence” that the US military has experienced since 2001. Nichols overviews Feaver’s research methodology and policy recommendations, providing potential readers useful praise of the book’s merits—particularly Feaver’s “discussions surrounding politicization (party) and public pressure”—and some critiques, namely that the policy recommendations are “underdeveloped.” Nichols concludes that “[t]he text advances policy discussions on public confidence in …

Book Review: The Wandering Army: The Campaigns That Transformed The British Way Of War, James D. Scudieri

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Author: Huw J. Davies

Reviewed by Dr. James D. Scudieri, senior research historian, Strategic Studies Institute, US Army War College

Senior research historian Dr. James D. Scudieri lends his expertise to review King’s College London academic Huw J. Davies’s most recent book, a “powerful monograph” on the 1750–1850 British Army’s “accidental military enlightenment.” Scudieri provides a chapter-by-chapter overview of the book’s contents and praises Davies for “[setting] the standard for military theoreticians and senior British commanders to integrate theory and practice in the big picture and in the field.” He calls the book a “formidable achievement” and notes that the …

Book Review: Armies In Retreat: Chaos, Cohesion, And Consequences, J.P. Clark

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Editors: Timothy G. Heck and Walker D. Mills

Reviewed by Dr. J.P. Clark, associate professor of strategy, Basic Strategic Art Program, US Army War College

Dr. J.P. Clark provides a thoughtful analysis of this anthology on retreat, an "under-studied topic in the US military." The book covers case studies spanning from the ancient world to the US withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021 and even discusses retreat in the context of cyberspace. Clark employs his expertise as a strategy professor to give a valuable critique, highlighting the book’s merits (for example, the “intriguing angle” of the Gallipoli Campaign analysis) and some …

Book Review: Limited Force And The Fight For The Just War Tradition, Wylie W. Johnson

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Author: Christian Nikolaus Braun

Reviewed by Reverend Dr. Wylie W. Johnson, chaplain, US Army War College class of 2010

Retired US Army chaplain Dr. Wylie W. Johnson reviews Christian Nikolaus Braun’s dissertation-turned-book on a “casuistic” approach to just war informed by the writings of St. Thomas Aquinas. Johnson overviews the philosophies with which Braun engages—those of Michael Walzer and of revisionists (virtue ethicists)—and quotes Braun’s central purpose: to provide a “third way” to these philosophies and “remind contemporary thinkers of the tradition’s core—namely, its practical function as a guide to statecraft.”

Book Review: Resourcing The National Security Enterprise: Connecting The Ways And Means Of Us National Security, Christopher Sandrolini

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Edited by: Susan Bryant and Mark Troutman

Reviewed by Christopher Sandrolini, Foreign Service officer and professor, US Army War College

Foreign Service officer and US Army War College professor Christopher Sandrolini calls this anthology, which contextualizes the defense budget within federal spending, a “well-organized and lucid practical introduction to working within the confines of a bureaucracy.” He highlights and distills Bryant and Troutman’s main arguments, noting, “[m]astering these rules [of bureaucracy] is essential to turn strategies and policies into funded, viable programs.” He also discusses the book’s explanation of how the Department of Defense balances the “four pillars” framework (force …

Emerging Technologies And Terrorism: An American Perspective

Monographs & Collaborative Studies

In a world where technology is rapidly advancing and available to the masses, companies and policymakers face a daunting reality—non-state actors are using innovation for sinister purposes. While artificial intelligence (AI) and autonomous systems promise enhanced threat detection, terrorist groups are exploiting these tools for recruitment and attacks. The future is concerning as AI becomes more widespread and autonomous systems and augmented reality redefine society.

A groundbreaking report is born from a collaboration between NATO COE-DAT and the US Army War College Strategic Studies Institute. This book unveils a grim forecast that terrorists are poised to exploit advances in artificial …

Book Review: Military Culture Shift: The Impact Of War, Money, And Generational Perspective On Morale, Retention, And Leadership, Rodger M. Kissane

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Author: Corie Weathers

Reviewed by Rodger M. Kissane, graduate student, College of International Security Affairs, National Defense University

Rodger M. Kissane provides a thoughtful review of this important book on “bridging and even transcending generational differences” in the US military. Kissane highlights author Corie Weathers’s “insightful . . . recognition that each generation imprints itself upon the institution in ways that reflect their life experiences.” He also outlines the book’s relevance to leaders in that Weathers addresses “ ‘messy dynamics’ leaders confront in synthesizing . . . various perspectives, ideals, and values.”

Decisive Decade: Prc Global Strategy And The Pla As A Pacing Challenge – 2023 Pla Conference – Updated And Expanded

Monographs & Collaborative Studies

The US Army War College’s 2023 Conference on the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) was held February 22 to 24, 2023, at Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania. The conference, entitled “Decisive Decade: PRC Global Strategy and the PLA as Pacing Challenge,” featured presentations on PRC global and regional strategy, and the PLA’s enabling role by experts from a wide range of academic, media, and government agencies and organizations.

The conference papers better defined the notion of the PLA as a pacing challenge as evidenced by PRC strategies and activities in various regions to build a much stronger appreciation of how PLA operations in …

Review: Hybrid Warriors: Proxies, Freelancers And Moscow’S Struggle For Ukraine, Sarah Lohmann

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Author: Anna Arutunyan

Reviewed by Dr. Sarah Lohmann, teaching faculty, University of Washington

Dr. Sarah Lohmann, editor of What Ukraine Taught NATO about Hybrid Warfare (US Army War College Press, 2022), calls Anna Arutunyan's latest book, Hybrid Warriors, a "must-read for senior members of the US defense community" that "encourages strategists to think beyond segmented operations to ensure Russia's broad defeat." Lohmann highlights the book's value in that it provides "perspectives that have not yet been heard in the West," as Arutunyan "relies on Russian sources from media and academia, as well as hundreds of interviews." Lohmann also notes …

Book Review: The War In Nicaragua, Joerg Stenzel

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Review essay by Colonel Joerg Stenzel, instructor, Department of Military Strategy, Planning, and Operations, US Army War College

Colonel Joerg Stenzel (German Army), an instructor at the US Army War College, lends his expertise in strategy to this review of "the most famous and successful" filibuster featured in William Walker's 1860 work, The War in Nicaragua. As Stenzel notes, the book is Walker's "personal description of his own war in Nicaragua" that it is "arguably biased" and written "in the third person in a style that differs greatly from his earlier editorials." Stenzel provides an overview of Walker's life …

Book Review: Conflict: The Evolution Of Warfare From 1945 To Ukraine, John A. Nagl

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Authors: David Petraeus and Andrew Roberts

Reviewed by Dr. John A. Nagl, professor of warfighting studies, US Army War College

Teaser: Dr. John A. Nagl provides readers a roadmap to navigate—and a lens with which to interpret—General David Petraeus and Andrew Roberts's best-selling book, Conflict, which Nagl considers "'[t]he closest thing to a memoir" of Petraeus and "likely . . . the best first-person account in history of [Petraeus's] efforts and results in Iraq and Afghanistan that made him the most important Army officer of his generation." Nagl focuses on what he believes are Petraeus's main contributions to the …

Alliances And Partnerships In A Complex And Challenging Security Environment, Regina Karp (Editor), Richard Maass (Editor)

Political Science & Geography Faculty Books

This publication is a product of the Conference "Alliances and Partnerships in a Complex and Challenging Security Environment," organized by NATO Allied Command Transformation (ACT) and Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia. The Conference, held in person on March 11-13, 2024, is part of a long-term cooperation among the two institutions, and it represents the eleventh iteration of ACT's Academic Conference series. The success of the event was due to the joint efforts of the two institutions, and the editors want to acknowledge ACT's Academic Outreach Team, in particular Dr. Vlasta Zekulic, Lieutenant Colonel Virginie Lotti, and Staff Officer Luisa …

Book Review: The Islamic State In Afghanistan And Pakistan: Strategic Alliances And Rivalries, Thomas F. Lynch Iii

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Authors: Amira Jadoon with Andrew Mines

Reviewed by Thomas F. Lynch III, PhD, Distinguished Research Fellow, Institute of National Strategic Studies, National Defense University

Dr. Thomas F. Lynch III offers his expertise in a thoughtful review of this "essential primer" on the Islamic-State Khorasan Province (ISK). While finding the book's idea that the ISK is currently a "latent, global terrorist threat" to be "less persuasive," Lynch highlights the value of author Amira Jadoon's unique ability "to write with an appropriate level of depth about the complexity of tribal groups, subgroups, fragments, and splinters" and notes that "There is no other …

Book Review: Violence In Defeat: The Wehrmacht On German Soil, 1944–1945, Daniel Gipper

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Author: Bastiaan Willems

Reviewed by Lieutenant Colonel Daniel Gipper, US Air Force, faculty development scholar, Air University

Through an analysis of the German Wehrmacht's "barbarization" toward the end of World War II, Violence in Defeat provides a useful and cautionary case study on military effectiveness, distinction, and necessity. Reviewer Daniel Gipper highlights the book's particular contributions to the literature, particularly the examination of German "violence against German citizens," which Gipper notes is a "widely overlooked event." Gipper also notes the book's value for reexamining "long-standing assumptions about unit cohesion."

Book Review: Small Armies, Big Cities: Rethinking Urban Warfare, John P. Sullivan

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Author: Louise A. Tumchewics (editor)

Reviewed by Dr. John P. Sullivan, instructor, Safe Communities Institute, University of Southern California

Dr. John P. Sullivan gives an overview of Louise A. Tumchewics's anthology on the "persistent challenge" of urban warfare and highlights the work's strongest chapters and their value to "commanders and planners of future urban operations." Sullivan mentions chapter author Patrick Finnegan's discussion of "liminality" as particularly valuable and also calls John Spencer's siege discussion "one of the book's core contributions."

Book Review: Waging A Good War: How The Civil Rights Movement Won Its Battles, 1954–1968, Keith Nightingale

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Author: Thomas E. Ricks

Reviewed by Keith Nightingale, retired colonel, US Army

Pulitzer Prize winner Thomas E. Ricks frames the American civil rights movement in terms of a (nonviolent) war, examining the leadership, strategy, and tactics required for success. Ricks also discusses the postwar-like effects the movement had on its participants (such as PTSD), which reviewer Colonel Keith Nightingale (US Army, retired) calls "the most poignant matter in the book." Nightingale also praises the work as "a highly readable dissection of the movement" and "a history of the first order."