Defense and Security Studies Commons^™

Book Review: Cassino ’44: The Brutal Battle For Rome, Wylie W. Johnson

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Author: James Holland

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

In this masterful retelling of the Italian Campaign’s final months, James Holland captures the harrowing struggle to break through the German Gustav Line and liberate Rome. Drawing from 20 years of research and firsthand accounts, he brings to life the chaos of Monte Cassino and Anzio through the eyes of soldiers, nurses, and civilians caught in the maelstrom. Cassino ’44 redefines our understanding of World War II’s most grueling campaign, revealing its strategic importance and human cost just days before the D-Day landings.

©2026 …

Book Review: Alliances & Armor: Communist Diplomacy And Armored Warfare During The War In Vietnam, Gregory A. Daddis

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Author: Jim Pomeroy

Reviewed by: Dr. Gregory A. Daddis, Melbern G. Glasscock Endowed Chair in American History, Texas A&M University

In Alliances & Armor, Jim Pomeroy reveals how Cold War diplomacy shaped North Vietnam’s battlefield tactics, transforming guerrilla warfare into Soviet-style armored offensives. Drawing from multi-archival sources, the book traces Hanoi’s strategic pivot from China to the USSR amid shifting global alliances and escalating US involvement. With gripping detail, Pomeroy chronicles the rise of the People’s Army of Vietnam’s tank-led campaigns, culminating in the dramatic fall of Saigon.

Book Review: Crisis And Crossfire: The United States And The Middle East Since 1945 – Second Edition, Phil Messer

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Author: Peter L. Hahn

Reviewed by: Colonel Phil Messer

From the Arab-Israeli peace process to the fight against terrorism, Hahn’s updated history reveals the forces shaping US policy in one of the world’s most volatile regions.

Book Review: World War Ii Battles Reconsidered: Game Theory And Decision Science Perspectives On Gazala, El Alamein, Falaise, And Arnhem, Andy Nichols

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Author: Mark Thompson

Reviewed by: Lieutenant Colonel Andy Nichols, US Army War College class of 2024

Former Harvard professor Mark Thompson applies cutting-edge decision science and game theory to four pivotal World War II battles, revealing how strategic missteps and psychological biases shaped their outcomes. From Gazala’s disastrous command decisions to Arnhem’s flawed reliance on surprise, each case is dissected with analytical precision and historical depth. This groundbreaking study challenges conventional military narratives and offers a fresh lens on leadership, risk, and battlefield logic.

Book Review: A Day In September: The Battle Of Antietam And The World It Left Behind, Wylie W. Johnson

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Author: Stephen Budiansky

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

A Day in September: The Battle of Antietam and the World It Left Behind analyzes the battle’s “Revolution in Military Affairs” and how it radically changed the United States and the world. It focuses on technologies, personalities, military doctrine, nongovernmental organizations, medical advances, international intrigue, and politics.

Book Review: The Politics Of War And Peace: A Survey Of Thought, Isaiah Wilson Iii

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Authors: Abbott A. Brayton and Stephana J. Landwehr

Reviewed by: Dr. Isaiah “Ike” Wilson III (colonel, US Army retired); professor of practice, Arizona State University; and president emeritus, Joint Special Operations University

Spanning centuries of political and philosophical reflection, Brayton’s work explores how thinkers from ancient times to the modern era have grappled with the moral and strategic dilemmas of war and peace. Through a rich tapestry of ideas, the book reveals the enduring tensions between justice, power, and diplomacy. It’s an essential guide for understanding how past wisdom continues to shape contemporary debates on conflict and resolution.

Copyright: ©2026 …

Book Review: A Search For Strategy: British–American Military Collaboration In 1942, William Phillips

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Author: John F. Shortal

Reviewed by: Reviewed by Colonel William Phillips, US Army retired, assistant professor, Department of Joint, Interagency, and Multinational Operations, Command and General Staff College

John F. Shortal’s book explores the relationship between Britain and the United States as they worked together to develop strategy during World War II. He introduces key players of strategy development, as well as how priorities the different countries brought to the table affected outcomes of specific battles and the war as a whole. The reviewer sees this book as more than a record of history, but also a provider of relevant …

Book Review: Facing The Victorious Turks: How The French Misread The Turkish War Of Independence, Michael S. Neiberg

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Author: Andrew Orr

Reviewed by: Dr. Michael S. Neiberg, chair of war studies, US Army War College

After World War I, French officials viewed the Middle East through a lens of Orientalism and imperial anxiety, leading them to misinterpret the rise of Turkish nationalism. In this gripping study, Andrew Orr reveals how flawed intelligence and racial biases shaped France’s response to Mustafa Kemal’s revolutionary movement. Facing the Victorious Turks offers a compelling reexamination of colonial misjudgment and its impact on the birth of modern Türkiye.

Book Review: Valiant Women: The Extraordinary American Servicewomen Who Helped Win World War Ii, Christine Cook

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Author: Lena Andrews

Reviewed by: Dr. Christine Cook, director of theories and war, Department of Distance Education, US Army War College

In Valiant Women, author Lena Andrews compiles stories that were largely gathered through interviews with women who served during World War II and uncovers their important but often overlooked contributions to the war effort. Although the reviewer regrets Andrews’s missed opportunity to include academic sources alongside the firsthand accounts, she still sees this compilation of untold stories as relevant and important.

©2025 Christine Cook

Book Review: Outmaneuvered: America’S Tragic Encounter With Warfare From Vietnam To Afghanistan, Marie Louise Deraismes Combes

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Author: James A. Warren

Reviewed by: Dr. Marie Louise deRaismes Combes, assistant professor of national security, Department of National Security and Strategy, US Army War College

Outmaneuvered: America’s Tragic Encounter with Warfare from Vietnam to Afghanistan chronologically examines the United States’ relationship with counterinsurgency. The author’s primary focus is the influence of politics on irregular warfare and covers irregular conflicts that occurred prior to and after 9/11. The reviewer saw both positives and negatives to the book and its arguments.

©2025 Marie Louise deRaismes Combes

Book Review: The Clausewitz Myth: Or The Emperor’S New Clothes, Darren W. Buss

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Author: Azar Gat

Reviewed by: Colonel Darren W. Buss, faculty instructor, Department of Military Strategy, Planning, and Operations, US Army War College

Azar Gat, the author of The Clausewitz Myth, takes a closer look at Carl von Clausewitz’s On War and argues through looking at historical documents and unpublished versions of the text that there have been misinterpretations of his thoughts. The reviewer believes Gat’s assertions are not earth-shattering but still notes “engaging with [Clausewitz’s] thoughts through the lens of Gat is a valuable experience for readers.”

A Long, Hard Year: Russia-Ukraine War Lessons Learned 2023, John A. Nagl, Michael T. Hackett

Integrated Research Projects

Following the 2024 A Call to Action: Lessons from Ukraine for the Future Force, which explored military lessons learned from the first year of the Russia-Ukraine War, this book examines the changing character of war as the second year of the war unfolded. This year’s authors explore the conflict from four different angles: information advantage (intelligence, information operations, and cyber); landpower operations (fires, maneuver, force protection, mission command, and mercenaries); multi-domain operations (air and maritime); and crosscutting themes (diplomacy, sustainment, and innovation and adaptation). The second year witnessed the innovative approaches to combat of the first year—drones, unmanned aerial …

A Human-Centric Framework: Employment Principles For Lethal Autonomous Weapons, Brennan Deveraux

Books, Monographs & Collaborative Studies

This monograph challenges the Department of War to reframe the conversation about humans’ involvement in lethal autonomous weapons systems by codifying a human-centric framework built on the employment pillars of certification, authority, restriction, and accountability. Although an ample body of literature discusses lethal autonomous weapon systems, this monograph takes a novel approach by proposing a theoretical framework and applying it to historical and hypothetical practical scenarios involving weapons with autonomous characteristics. In terms of methodology, the monograph relies heavily on primary sources, including UN documents and Department of War publications, which are augmented by secondary sources from experts in the …

Book Review: Generals And Admirals, Criminals And Crooks: Dishonorable Leadership In The U.S. Military, Josh Vanbuskirk

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Author: Jeffrey J. Matthews

Reviewed by: Lieutenant Colonel Josh VanBuskirk, instructor, Defense Strategy Foundation Course, Department of Distance Education, US Army War College

In this provocative and meticulously researched book, Jeffrey J. Matthews exposes the dark underbelly of US military leadership through a century of scandals—from war crimes and insubordination to corruption and abuse. Through gripping case studies, Matthews reveals how personal failings, and institutional blind spots have repeatedly undermined the integrity of America’s flag officers. A sobering exploration of power and accountability, the book challenges readers to rethink what ethical leadership truly demands in times of crisis.

Book Review: The Dark Path: The Structure Of War And The Rise Of The West, John A. Nagl

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Author: Williamson Murray

Reviewed by: Dr. John A. Nagl, General John J. Pershing Professor of Warfighting Studies, US Army War College

The Dark Path covers five decades of Western expansion as the author explores aspects of military organizations throughout history, focusing on the five Military-Social Revolutions. The reviewer believes this book “synthesizes [the author’s] career in an important and accessible package well worth the time for readers of this journal.”

©2025 John A. Nagl

Book Review: The Retreat From Strategy: Britain’S Dangerous Confusion Of Interests With Values, James D. Scudieri

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Authors: David Richards and Julian Lindley-French

Reviewed by: Dr. James D. Scudieri, senior research historian, US Army Heritage and Education Center, US Army War College

The Retreat from Strategy offers a detailed insight into the history of British strategy since the end of the Cold War. The authors dissect the issues they see in British strategy and offer specific solutions to the problems. The reviewer sees this as a timely read for US security professionals.

The 2024 Carlisle Conference On The Pla: Protracted War Against The Prc, Joshua Arostegui

Books, Monographs & Collaborative Studies

The US Army War College’s 2024 Carlisle Conference on the People’s Liberation Army was held on October 16 and 17 at Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania. The conference featured keynote speakers from the US Department of Defense and the think-tank community, and panels focused on assessing the People’s Republic of China’s understanding of and capability to carry out a protracted war in the Indo-Pacific. The conference brought together over 100 participants from government, military, US Intelligence Community, academic, and think-tank organizations.

The conference papers were authored by expert speakers and panelists and were designed to provide insight into key People’s Republic of …

Book Review: Sun Tzu In Space: What International Relations, History, And Science Fiction Teach Us About Our Future, Timothy S. Martin, Stephanie St. Louis

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Author: Gregory D. Miller

Reviewed by: Lieutenant Colonel Timothy S. Martin, director, Defense Strategy Course, US Army War College, and Captain Stephanie St. Louis, strategic planner, Office of the Chief of Army Reserve, Fort Belvoir

Sun Tzu in Space combines an examination of history and science fiction to assess what humanity’s future in space could look like through an international relations lens. The reviewer sees it as “a pulse check on the potential for violent future conflicts” and recommends it for policymakers and science fiction enthusiasts alike.

©2025 Timothy G. Martin and Stephanie St. Louis

Book Review: Arms Control At A Crossroads: Renewal Or Demise?, Ronald J. Granieri

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Editors: Jeffrey A. Larsen and Shane Smith

Reviewed by: Ronald J. Granieri

Arms Control at a Crossroads is a timely examination of arms control in a changing and complex strategic environment. The essays collected cover the broad context of arms control, specific examples of nuclear powers, and a review of arms control domains. The reviewer sees this book as “a useful addition to the library of any specialists in the field.”

Book Review: Ground Combat: Puncturing The Myths Of Modern War, Justin R. Lynch

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Author: Ben Connable

Reviewed by: Justin R. Lynch, lecturer, Georgetown University

Ground Combat: Puncturing the Myths of Modern War by Ben Connable dismantles popular assumptions about the future of warfare by grounding its analysis in over 400 real-world battles. Rather than relying on hype around technology and precision, Connable reveals the enduring, gritty realities of land combat. This thought-provoking study challenges military planners and strategists to rethink how wars are truly fought—and won.