Books

Cyberspace: Malevolent Actors, Criminal Opportunities, and Strategic Competition Dr Dighton Fiddner, Dr Phil Williams Book by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute, US Army War College Press "The following chapters raise major and enduring questions about the conceptual and analytic challenges posed by the unique nature of cyberspace; differences between cyberthreats and more traditional challenges to national security; the range of possible responses to cyberthreats, ranging from the development of codes of conduct in cyberspace to strategies of deterrence and denial, and even the development of offensive cyberwar capabilities; and the relevance of traditional concepts such as crisis management and escalation to potential confrontations in cyberspace."

The Human Terrain System: Operationally Relevant Social Science Research in Iraq and Afghanistan Dr Christopher Sims Book by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute, US Army War College Press "The announcement that the Human Terrain System (HTS) was brought to a close in the fall of 2014 met with a flurry of responses. Commentators assessed the character and content of the social science research program and several identified plausible legacies that it may bequeath U.S. Armed Services. Often the conclusions therein were mixed, hinting instructively at the absence of a strong empirical record of the program. Therefore, this book is a welcomed larger study of the HTS, one of the first investigations to delineate the experiences of former program members, chart the stance of the American Anthropological Association, and gain engagement both from the U.S. Training and Doctrine Command, and a manager from the first primary contractor, BAE Systems."

Underestimated: Our Not So Peaceful Nuclear Future Mr Henry D Sokolski Book by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute, US Army War College Press "The book provides a good picture of the growing stockpiles of separated plutonium and the stockpiles of highly enriched uranium, as well as the likely expansion of nuclear power programs in additional countries."

A Hard Look at Hard Power: Assessing the Defense Capabilities of Key U.S. Allies and Security Partners Mr Gary J Schmitt Book by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute, US Army War College Press "Since the end of World War II, the United States has made maintaining a favorable balance of power in Eurasia a core element of its national security strategy. It did so in good measure by maintaining a large conventional military force that was based not only at home, but also in bases spread across Europe and Asia. That strategy was buttressed by developing security ties and alliances with key powers and frontline states. The implicit bargain was that the United States would help keep the peace on their door front if they would provide access from which American forces could operate and, in turn, maintain credible forces themselves to reinforce and support U.S. efforts at keeping the great power peace. The question raised by this collection of essays is: Is that bargain unraveling?"

The Chinese People's Liberation Army in 2025 Mr Roy Kamphausen, Dr David Lai Book by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute, US Army War College Press "The scholarship presented in this edition addresses the uncertainty surrounding the potential direction of the PLA by examining three distinct focus areas: Domestic, External, and Technological Drivers of PLA Modernization; Alternative Futures for the PLA; and Implications for the Region, World, and U.S.-China Relations. The analysis provides an insightful perspective into the factors shaping and propelling the PLA’s modernization, its potential future orientation ranging from internally-focused to globally-focused, and how the PLA’s choices may impact China’s relations with its neighbors and the world."

The Strategic Lessons Unlearned from Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan: Why the ANSF Will Not Hold, and the Implications for the U.S. Army in Afghanistan Dr M Chris Mason Book by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute, US Army War College Press "Military personnel who have experience in Afghanistan, Iraq, or Vietnam, as well as senior leaders and military historians alike, will find this book by Dr. Chris Mason thought-provoking and useful. Dr. Mason examines indigenous personnel issues at the tactical, operational, and strategic levels of war and uses empirical data and exhaustive research to argue that all three wars were lost before the first shots were fired—not on the battlefield, but at the strategic level of war."

Stand Up and Fight! The Creation of U.S. Security Organizations, 1942-2005 COL Ty Seidule, Dr Jacqueline E Whitt Books by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute, US Army War College Press "Starting a new security organization is a difficult business. Hundreds of questions come in staccato bursts; each requires a decision and each decision takes on the permanence of tradition. Tradition becomes culture and a new organization becomes the sum of those early decisions. In this collection of essays, historians, most of them military officers, try to grapple with the challenges of creating new security organizations. Our aim is to help those few men and women who start new governmental bodies charged with protecting the American people to make sound and historically informed decisions by highlighting several common themes for consideration."

New Realities: Energy Security in the 2010s and Implications for the U.S. Military Dr John R Deni Book by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute, US Army War College Press "Global energy markets are undergoing dramatic shifts. Developing countries are beginning to outpace their more developed counterparts in energy demand, the result not simply of higher economic growth rates in the former, but also due to increased efficiency in the latter. Traditional producers of hydrocarbons in places such as Latin America, Eurasia, North Africa, and the Middle East face a host of political, economic, technical, and societal challenges that could potentially lead to major disruptions in the global energy supply. Meanwhile, the unconventional fossil fuels revolution has led to major changes in the flow of the global energy supply, seemingly overnight."

American Grand Strategy and the Future of U.S. Landpower Major Joseph V Da Silva, Dr Hugh P Liebert, Prof Isaiah Wilson III Book by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute, US Army War College Press "The current international security environment is characterized by unprecedented uncertainty. In the Asia-Pacific, our allies adjust to China’s rise and hedge against instability coming from North Korea. In the greater Middle East, the Syrian civil war draws in powerful state and nonstate actors, Iran’s weapons program worries its neighbors, the Arab Spring continues its uncertain course, and we see a growing Sunni-Shia split throughout the region. In Europe, the need for a strong North Atlantic Treaty Organization alliance has become clear as nations along Russia’s periphery reevaluate their strategic alignments in the wake of the situation in Crimea. In Africa, weak states with ethnic and religious tensions set conditions for terrorist groups to operate with near impunity. It is in this uncertain and unstable world that U.S. military forces will operate for the foreseeable future."