News - Category Parameters Bookshelf

Book Review: No Peer Rivals: American Grand Strategy in the Era of Great Power Competition
July 16, 2026 — Great-power competition demands more than military might—it requires a grand strategy. In No Peer Rivals, Ionut Popescu argues that the United States must embrace a bold, offensive realist approach to maintain its global leadership against rising challengers like China and Russia. This provocative book offers a clear roadmap for navigating the strategic complexities of a multipolar world... MORE

Cover of No Peer Rivals: American Grand Strategy in the Era of Great Power Competition by Ionut Popescu

Book Review: US Coercive Diplomacy and the Global Order: A Critical Analysis of Post–Cold War Strategies
July 16, 2026 — Sanctions, threats, and isolation have become staples of US foreign policy—but are they working? In US Coercive Diplomacy and the Global Order, Richard Outzen delivers a sharp critique of post–Cold War American strategy, revealing how overreliance on coercive tools has often undermined global influence and strategic credibility. Drawing on case studies and firsthand experience, this book offers a vital roadmap for more disciplined and effective statecraft in an era of renewed great power competition... MORE

Cover of Death Before Dismount: U.S. Army Tanks in Iraq by Dr. Andrew Eric Wright Sr.

Book Review: A War of Their Own: FULRO: The Other National Liberation Front, Vietnam 1955–75
July 16, 2026 — William H. Chickering brings to light the untold story of FULRO, a coalition of Vietnam’s indigenous minorities who fought for autonomy amid the chaos of Cold War conflict. Through meticulous research and compelling narrative, the book reveals how these fighters navigated betrayal, shifting alliances, and global indifference. It’s a powerful account of resistance and identity in one of the most complex theaters of the Vietnam War... MORE

Cover of A Military History of the New World Disorder: 1989-2022 by Jonathan M. House

Book Review: A Military History of the New World Disorder: 1989–2022
July 16, 2026 — In A Military History of the New World Disorder: 1989–2022, Jonathan M. House explores how the collapse of the Soviet Union gave rise not to global stability, but to a chaotic new era of fragmented conflicts and shifting military strategies. From Iraq and Afghanistan to Syria and Ukraine, House examines how world powers adapted—or failed to adapt—to a world without a clear strategic framework. This sweeping analysis reveals the complex interplay between political decisions and battlefield realities in the post–Cold War age of uncertainty... MORE

Cover of A War of Their Own: FULRO: The Other National Liberation Front, Vietnam 1955-75 by William H. Chickering

Book Review: Death Before Dismount: U.S. Army Tanks in Iraq
July 16, 2026 — In this powerful account of armored warfare, Dr. Andrew Eric Wright Sr. chronicles the role of US Army tank crews during the Iraq War, highlighting their resilience, tactics, and battlefield innovation. Through firsthand narratives and operational analysis, the book captures the grit and complexity of mechanized combat in a volatile theater. It is a compelling tribute to the soldiers who lived by the creed: “Death Before Dismount.”... MORE

Cover of US Coercive Diplomacy and the Global Order: A Critical Analysis of Post-Cold War Strategies by Richard Outzen

Book Review: Chokepoints: American Power in the Age of Economic Warfare
June 15, 2026 — Economic tools are reshaping global power in ways military professionals cannot ignore. From sanctions to tech controls, modern statecraft is increasingly defined by financial and industrial leverage... MORE

Cover of Chokepoints: American Power in the Age of Economic Warfare, by Edward Fishman

Book Review: War in the Smartphone Age: Conflict, Connectivity and the Crises at Our Fingertips
June 15, 2026 — This review of War in the Smartphone Age highlights Matthew Ford’s argument that mass smartphone use is transforming modern warfare. Using recent conflicts, the book shows how civilian-generated data and connectivity accelerate decision making and reshape the conduct of war... MORE

Cover of War in the Smartphone Age: Conflict, Connectivity and the Crises at Our Fingertips, by Matthew Ford

Book Review: America’s Taiwan Dilemma: Allies’ Reactions and the Stakes for US Reputation
June 15, 2026 — This review of America’s Taiwan Dilemma: Allies’ Reactions and the Stakes for US Reputation highlights how Michael A. Hunzeker and Mark A. Christopher assess allied perceptions of US reliability in a Taiwan crisis. Drawing on extensive interviews with policymakers in Australia, Japan, and South Korea, the book argues these perceptions—rather than raw military power alone—will shape allied responses and the broader strategic outcome... MORE

Cover of America's Taiwan Dilemma: Allies’ Reactions and the Stakes for US Reputation, by Michael A. Hunzeker and Mark A. Christopher

Book Review: The Boundaries of War: Local and Global Perspectives in Military History
June 15, 2026 — The Boundaries of War: Local and Global Perspectives in Military History, edited by Lee L. Brice and Timothy M. Roberts, challenges traditional narratives by exploring how warfare is shaped by both local conditions and global forces. Through case studies ranging from ancient Rome to the World Wars, the book asks whether military history should be understood through regional uniqueness or broader transnational patterns. This thought-provoking collection redefines how we study conflict by bridging the gap between micro-level experiences and macro-level trends... MORE

Cover of The Boundaries of War: Local and Global Perspectives in Military History, edited by Lee L. Brice and Timothy M. Roberts

Book Review: A Violent Peace: A Global Military History of the Interwar Peace
June 15, 2026 — In A Violent Peace: A Global Military History of the Interwar Peace, editors Ian Ona Johnson and Robert Clemm challenge the myth of a tranquil interlude between the world wars by revealing a landscape of persistent and widespread conflict. Spanning four continents, the book uncovers forgotten wars, ideological clashes, and military transformations that shaped the global order long before 1939. This compelling volume reframes the interwar years as a violent and formative era, essential to understanding the trajectory of twentieth-century warfare... MORE

Cover of A Violent Peace: A Global Military History of the Interwar Peace, edited by Ian Ona Johnson and Robert Clemm