Defense and Security Studies Commons^™

Book Reviews, Usawc Press

The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters

No abstract provided.

Thompson’S Rifle Battalion: The Original Unit Of The Army Of The United Colonies (Now The United States Regular Army), John A. Bonin

Books, Monographs & Collaborative Studies

©2025 John A. Bonin

Although 1775 is indisputably the birth year of the US Army, two events occurred on June 14 of that year to which the Army can credit its birthday. One is the adoption by the Continental Congress of the collective militia forces from several colonies outside Boston to form a Continental Army, of which Congress appointed George Washington the commander in chief on June 15, 1775. In addition, the US Regular Army officially dates its beginning to June 14, 1775, when the Second Continental Congress directed 10 companies of expert riflemen to be raised immediately in Pennsylvania, …

Book Review: The World Will Never See The Like: The Gettysburg Reunion Of 1913, Wylie W. Johnson

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Author: John L. Hopkins

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

The World Will Never See the Like: The Gettysburg Reunion of 1913, by John L. Hopkins, traces the story of the Gettysburg reunion from its inception in 1908 to its fruition in 1918, covering the community perspective, the veterans’ search for reconnection, spectators’ thoughts on the spectacle, and more. In the words of reviewer Wylie W. Johnson, “The takeaway for senior leaders from this compelling book is the overriding necessity for reconciliation.”

©2025 Wylie W. Johnson

Book Review: Knife Fights: A Memoir Of Modern War In Theory And Practice, Brennan Deveraux

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Author: John A. Nagl

Reviewed by Major Brennan Deveraux, national security researcher, Strategic Studies Institute, US Army War College

Today’s force still has plenty to learn about counterinsurgency from Operation Desert Storm. John Nagl’s Knife Fights: A Memoir of Modern War in Theory and Practice “a book about counterinsurgency and its journey from the far periphery of US military doctrine to its center, for better and, some would argue, for worse.” The reviewer notes, Nagl’s work “provides a tangible example of the impact junior leaders can have on the service.”

Book Review: Unit X: How The Pentagon And Silicon Valley Are Transforming The Future Of War, Robert D. Bradford Iii

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Author: Raj M. Shah and Christopher Kirchoff

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

Bureaucracy versus technology. The Pentagon versus Silicon Valley. Is cooperation possible? If you have ever wondered how the US military and civilian technological institutions can work together to America’s advantage, Robert D. Bradford III’s review of Unit X: How the Pentagon and Silicon Valley Are Transforming the Future of War explores the story of the Defense Innovation Unit Experimental and its connection to the Department of Defense and Silicon Valley.

Book Review: Co-Intelligence: Living And Working With Ai, Zachary E. Griffiths

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Author: Ethan Mollick

Reviewed by Lieutenant Colonel Zachary E. Griffiths, Special Assistant to the Chief of Staff of the Army

Zachary E. Griffiths’ review of Co-Intelligence: Living and Working with AI, portrays Ethan Mollick’s book as a concise, easy-to-read tour of artificial intelligence—a user’s guide of sorts. With insightful information about how to use AI, Mollick’s work also covers the history of artificial intelligence and ethical and legal issues that come with using large language models. In his review, Griffiths recommends all Army officers read this book.

©2025 Zachary E. Griffiths

Book Review: Next War: Reimagining How We Fight, Jeffrey Caton

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Author: John Antal

Reviewed by Colonel Jeffrey Caton (US Air Force, retired), president, Kepler Strategies LLC

In Next War: Reimagining How We Fight, by John Antal, the author’s goal is to “draw lessons and conclusions from the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War, the Israeli-Hamas War, and the ongoing Russia-Ukraine War.” He highlights nine disrupters that he claims are changing modern warfare. Reviewer Jeffery Caton sees room for improvement.

©2025 Jeffrey Caton

Parameters Spring 2025, Usawc Press

The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters

Welcome to the Spring 2025 issue of Parameters. This issue consists of an In Focus special commentary, three forums (Russia, Ukraine, and NATO; Strategic Competition and Managing National Security; and Joint Sustainment Strategies), the regular Civil-Military Relations Corner installment, and a review essay.

Ukraine’S Not-So-Whole-Of-Society At War: Force Generation In Modern Developed Societies, Ilmari Käihkö, Jan Willem Honig

The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters

This article argues that Ukraine offers a cautionary tale regarding the two main modern models of force generation. Neither the professional high-tech war model, favored by Western militaries, nor the whole-of-society war approach, said to have saved Ukraine in 2014 and 2022, proved successful formulas for Ukraine. Considering that Ukraine is fighting for survival, with Russian forces inside the country, the failure of both models in action has serious implications for NATO member states as they deliberate their choices regarding future force generation.

Measuring Interoperability Within Nato: Adapted Off-The-Shelf Or Bespoke Solution?, John R. Deni, Matthew R. Macleod, Sarah E. Stewart, Katherine M. Banko, Adrian Jones

The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters

Despite decades of work on interoperability, NATO Allies cannot measure, assess, and build upon it fully and accurately. The lack of agreed formats or standards for collection, management, and the communication of findings have prevented the Allies from developing common interoperability measurement and assessment tools. Nonetheless, NATO could adopt extant standards, methodologies, processes, or tools to achieve its interoperability objectives. Testing this notion through use cases, the authors identify practical and conceptual hurdles to adopting an off-the-shelf solution. They conclude that the Alliance may need to create assessment standards, methodologies, processes, and tools from scratch, despite the difficulties of doing …

By All Means Available: Memoirs Of A Life In Intelligence, Special Operations, And Strategy, Todd Greentree

The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters

Todd Greentree examines By All Means Available: Memoirs of a Life in Intelligence, Special Operations, and Strategy by Michael G. Vickers, who Greentree views as an exemplar of strategic leadership for current and future leaders.

Assessing The Zeitenwende: Implications For Germany, The United States, And Transatlantic Security, John R. Deni, Marina E. Henke, Aylin Matlé, Sophia Besch, Tim Bosch, Loyle Campbell, Angela E. Stent, Jeffrey D. Rathke, Theresa Luetkefend, May-Britt U. Stumbaum, Sharon De Cet

Books, Monographs & Collaborative Studies

Chapter 1 - ©2025 John R. Deni. All rights reserved.
Chapter 2 - ©2025 Marina E. Henke. All rights reserved.
Chapter 3 - ©2025 John R. Deni. All rights reserved.
Chapter 4 - ©2025 Aylin Matlé. All rights reserved.
Chapter 5 - ©2025 Sophia Besch. All rights reserved.
Chapter 6 - ©2025 Tim Bosch. All rights reserved.
Chapter 7 - ©2025 Angela E. Stent. All rights reserved.
Chapter 8 - ©2025 Jeffrey D. Rathke and Theresa Luetkefend. All rights reserved.
Chapter 9 - ©2025 May-Britt U. Stumbaum and Sharon de Cet. All rights reserved.

The essays in this volume analyze …

Toward A More Effective Dod Contribution To Strategic Competition In The Western Hemisphere, R. Evan Ellis

Books, Monographs & Collaborative Studies

©2025 R. Evan Ellis

Innovative new thinking on the security dimension of the challenges posed by the PRC’s engagement in Latin America and the DoD’s role in the whole-of-government US response is needed. This monograph highlights risks from PRC influence networks, digital architectures, and dual-use commercial facilities in the region, particularly at ports and in the space sector; shows how PRC economic engagement and other support sustains illiberal regimes, indirectly contributing to the risks these regimes pose by hosting criminal and terrorist groups and other US adversaries, such as Russia and Iran; and illustrates how commercial, people-to-people, and security engagements …

Book Review: Invisible Generals: Rediscovering Family Legacy, And A Quest To Honor America’S First Black Generals, Wylie W. Johnson

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Author: Doug Melville

Reviewed by: Reverend Dr. Wylie W. Johnson, chaplain (retired), US Army War College Class of 2010

Author Doug Melville’s multigenerational biography presents the little-known story of his family and two of its military veterans who always believed in the American dream—Brigadier General Benjamin O. Davis Sr., the first Black US Army general, and his son, General Benjamin O. Davis Jr., the first Black US Air Force brigadier general. Dr. Wylie W. Johnson reviewed the book because he was so impressed when he heard then–Brigadier General Benjamin O. Davis Jr. speak in chapel at his evangelical college.

Copyright: …

Book Review: Airpower Pioneers: From Billy Mitchell To Dave Deptula, Robert E. Underwood Iii

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Editor: John Andreas Olson

Reviewed by: Colonel Robert E. Underwood III, DPhil, armor officer and US Army Goodpaster Fellow, US Army Advanced Strategic Plans and Policy Program

In this review, Robert E. Underwood III bills Airpower Pioneers as a refreshing read that highlights the tension between bureaucracy and innovation against a backdrop of the lives of 12 aviation pioneers. The importance of relationships and their relevance adds a layer of depth to the book.

Copyright: ©2025 Robert E. Underwood III

Book Review: Great Power Clashes Along The Maritime Silk Road: Lessons From History To Shape Current Strategy, Patrick C. Bratton

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Author: Grant F. Rhode

Reviewed by Dr. Patrick C. Bratton, professor of national security and strategy studies and director of South Asian studies, US Army War College

Dr. Patrick C. Bratton, US Army War College director of South Asian Studies, reviews Grant F. Rhode’s “valuable contribution to [the] literature” that “[brings] attention to many of Eurasia’s often-forgotten maritime powers and conflicts.” Bratton highlights the particular value of Rhode’s “excellent” case studies “that deserve attention” and explains the book’s utility for policymakers while also providing a thoughtful critique of the book’s framing devices.

Book Review: Deterrence In The 21st Century: Statecraft In The Information Age, Timothy L. Thomas

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Authors: Eric Ouellet, Madeleine D’Agata, and Keith Stewart

Reviewed by Lieutenant Colonel Timothy L. Thomas (US Army, retired), analyst and Parameters editorial board member

Analyst Timothy L. Thomas provides a useful overview of “well-documented and thought-provoking compilation of Canadian perspectives on the interaction of modern-day deterrence postures affected by disinformation threats.” Thomas notes that “the book offers many new concepts for senior defense community experts to consider regarding deterrence and disinformation concepts and an expansive bibliography.” He also highlights the book’s treatment of China, Russia, and Hamas and writes that “[t]he numerous deterrence types . . . indicate that classical …

Book Review: Judgment At Tokyo: World War Ii On Trial And The Making Of Modern Asia, Peter M. Erickson

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Author: Gary J. Bass

Reviewed by Lieutenant Colonel Peter M. Erickson (US Army), PhD, Deputy G35, US Army Europe and Africa

Lieutenant Colonel Peter M. Erickson, PhD, provides a valuable overview of Gary J. Bass’s explanation of why the post–World War II Tokyo trials “were a relative failure.” He highlights how a lack of impartiality, the “legacy of empire,” and the judges’ backgrounds and motivations affected the trials. Erickson calls the book “a must-read for Defense community leaders who often wrestle with the strict legality of America’s tactical actions and the broader and deeper moral impacts of its strategic endeavors.”

Book Review: Longstreet: The Confederate General Who Defied The South, James "Andy" Nichols

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Author: Elizabeth R. Varon

Reviewed by Lieutenant Colonel James “Andy” Nichols, US Army War College class of 2024

Lieutenant Colonel James “Andy” Nichols reviews Elizabeth R. Varon’s biography of James Longstreet, which Nichols calls “an engaging, well-researched account of [the general’s] journey through disunion, reconstruction, and reconciliation.” He writes that Varon “lifts Longstreet out of the Lost Cause mythology and, through careful archival work, enables readers understand a man who experienced personal and professional transformation and sought redemption.”

Book Review: Witness To Neptune’S Inferno: The Pacific War Diary Of Lieutenant Commander Lloyd M. Mustin, Uss Atlanta (Cl 51), Jonathan Klug

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Author: David F. Winkler

Reviewed by Colonel Jonathan Klug (US Army), PhD, associate dean, associate professor, and Admiral William F. Halsey Chair of Naval Studies, US Army War College

Colonel Jonathan Klug (PhD), the US Army War College’s Admiral William F. Halsey Chair of Naval Studies, identifies David F. Winkler’s contribution to the field with this book. Klug writes, “Winkler adds tremendous value to [Lloyd M.] Mustin’s comments by placing them into their proper historical context and providing insight into the development of a mid-career naval officer into a strategic leader.” Klug also notes that “this book would be especially …

Book Review: British Grand Strategy In The Age Of American Hegemony, Frank L. Jones

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Author: William D. James

Reviewed by Dr. Frank L. Jones, distinguished fellow, US Army War College

Dr. Frank L. Jones, a distinguished fellow of the US Army War College, provides a useful and comprehensive review of author William D. James’s first book, “an excellent study for members of the defense community who want to understand British grand strategy historically or aspire to policy-making or strategy-making positions and need a sound introduction.” Jones outlines James’s main arguments and the value of the case studies presented, including the “East of Suez” case study, a “vivid example of strategic adjustment where timing, domestic …

Book Review: How The Army Made Britain A Global Power: 1688–1815, James D. Scudieri

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Author: Jeremy Black

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

Senior research historian Dr. James D. Scudieri provides a detailed outline of Jeremy Black’s history of the British Army from 1688 to 1815, highlighting the author’s “theme that the British Army made the empire as much as the Royal Navy—through projecting Landpower.” Scudieri also notes the book’s value to American readers, writing, “American security professionals will see parallel insights from this small regular army within a parliamentary system” and that the “US Army’s evolution in a republic that centers the military …

Book Review: We Had To Get Out Of That Place: A Memoir Of Redemption And Betrayal In Vietnam, Wylie W. Johnson

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Author: Steven Grzesik

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

Dr. Wylie W. Johnson reviews Vietnam War veteran Steven Grzesik’s memoir that, as Johnson explains, shows the effects of “the Army’s institutional policies” and how “[u]nit cohesiveness begins with senior leadership.” Grzesik’s personal experiences and the “isolation, abuse, and sacrifice of individual replacements” (which Johnson identifies as important themes in the book) provide a valuable perspective on “the imperative of caring for soldiers.”

Pretexts For War And The Preinvasion Crisis In Ukraine, Ron Gurantz

Books, Monographs & Collaborative Studies

©2024 Ron Gurantz

The US strategy in the run-up to the invasion of Ukraine appeared to undermine Russian efforts to justify the war. While studies of international crises typically focus on the goals of deterrence and escalation management, recent events in Ukraine show that counterjustification is another important objective. Russia used covert activities and deception to try and create a pretext for its invasion, and the United States aggressively countered these efforts. This monograph presents an exhaustive study of the US military, diplomatic, and informational strategy in the run-up to the invasion of Ukraine and derives lessons about counterjustification that …

Korea: The Enduring Policy Blindspot, Justin Malzac, Rene A. Mahomed

The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters

The threat posed by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea is a neglected and under prioritized problem across the US government, requiring a dramatic change of approach. Most proposals for Goldwater-Nichols reform focus on geography, either increasing or decreasing the number of geographic commands. Based on our personal experience as Joint military planners at strategic-level headquarters, we argue that the change needs to go further, focusing on global national security problems instead of geography. This article’s analysis and conclusions will provoke conversation across the national security enterprise about how the United States competes with multiple global threats.

The American Way Of Studying War: What Is It Good For?, Michael P. Ferguson

The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters

Academic military historians, government institutions, and defense practitioners have unique purposes for advancing the study of war that influence the way they consume and produce history. Although there is substantial scholarship covering how the discipline of military history has changed since the late nineteenth century, the literature surrounding why it changes and how it is used is less plentiful. Using primary and secondary sources to contextualize debates between historians, this study traces major developments in military historiography, considers the US Army’s relationship with its history, and explores potential connections between a history’s purpose and its use for military professionals.

Parameters Winter 2024-25, Usawc Press

The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters

Welcome to the Winter 2024–25 issue of Parameters. This issue consists of an In Focus special commentary, three forums (Indo-Pacific, Security Cooperation, and Historical Studies), and the regular Civil-Military Relations Corner installment.

Book Reviews, Usawc Press

The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters

No abstract provided.

Book Review: A Call To Action: Lessons From Ukraine For The Future Force, John C. Erickson, Timothy S. Martin

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Authors: John A. Nagl and Katie Crombe

Reviewed by John C. Erickson, senior engineer, Axiom Technologies, and Lieutenant Colonel Timothy S. Martin, director, Defense Strategy Course, US Army War College

John C. Erickson and Timothy S. Martin review one of the US Army War College Press’s most-downloaded publications, A Call to Action: Lessons from Ukraine for the Future Force, an integrated research project that covers the first year of the Russia-Ukraine War. Erickson and Martin provide a useful overview and analysis, highlighting 10 key themes, with a special focus on the “Clausewitzian triad” and “mission command,” and explaining why members …

Book Review: The Ballad Of Roy Benavidez: The Life And Times Of America’S Most Famous Hispanic War Hero, Wylie W. Johnson

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Author: William Sturkey

Reviewed by Dr. Wylie W. Johnson, chaplain, colonel (US Army, retired), US Army War College Class of 2010

Dr. Wylie W. Johnson presents a review of a recent publication on one of the most celebrated Hispanic war heroes in US history—Medal of Honor recipient Roy Benavidez. Johnson overviews author William Sturkey’s biography of Benavidez, which discusses Benavidez’s “perseverance against racial prejudice, poverty, substandard education, bureaucratic inertia, popular bias against patriotism, anti-military sentiment, and physical disabilities” and also his heroism in the Vietnam War and his lifetime of service afterward. Johnson recommends the book as “military leaders need …