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Book Review: Age of Revolutions: Progress and Backlash from 1600 to the Present
September 22, 2025 — Age of Revolutions: Progress and Backlash from 1600 to the Present explores revolutions from the seventeenth century to today. Part I offers historical case studies of revolutions, including socioeconomic, political, and technological examples. Part II discusses current economic, technological, identity, and geopolitical revolutions and their implications—like the ways technology improves life but at the price of depersonalization and digital addiction for some. The reviewer recommends this book for lovers of international relations, history, philosophy, and strategic studies and notes, “Military and intelligence officials and policymakers will benefit from reading the book as they place nation-impacting decisions into context.”... MORE

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Book Review: America’s Cold Warrior: Paul Nitze and National Security from Roosevelt to Reagan
September 22, 2025 — In America’s Cold Warrior: Paul Nitze and National Security from Roosevelt to Reagan written by James Graham Wilson and reviewed by Rev. Dr. Wylie W. Johnson, readers follow the life of Paul Nitze. As a businessman and government official, Nitze lived a life of service, holding positions as United States Deputy Secretary of Defense, U.S. Secretary of the Navy, and Director of Policy Planning for the U.S. State Department. He also helped craft America’s Cold War policy. “Nitze’s life is more than an interesting story,” the reviewer notes, “it suggests the way forward for aspiring senior leaders.”... MORE

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Book Review: Warfare in the Robotics Age
September 22, 2025 — With real-world examples and clear explanations of how robotics influence air, maritime, land, space, and cyber operations, Warfare in the Robotics Age offers an overview of the history of robotics in war. Covering topics including drafting robots into military service, reimagining robotic warfare, and adapting to a robot way of war, the reviewer recommends the book for policymakers, strategists, practitioners, and senior leaders... MORE

Book Review: Algorithms of Armageddon: The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Future Wars
September 22, 2025 — Authors George Galdorisi and Sam J. Tangredi explore the risks and implications of AI on national security in Algorithms of Armageddon: The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Future Wars. With Russia and China pursuing weaponized AI systems, America must master the algorithms of war to remain dominant... MORE

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Book Review: The First Cold War: Anglo-Russian Relations in the 19th Century
September 22, 2025 — An instructive historical case study and strategic diagnostic, The First Cold War: Anglo-Russian Relations in the 19th Century, clearly distills complex dynamics, reminding readers that to deal with Russia, the United States must remember Russia's motives and fears... MORE

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Book Review: Spetsnaz: A History of the Soviet and Russian Special Forces
September 22, 2025 — Tor Bukkvoll delivers an in-depth and compelling history of Soviet and Russian Spetsnaz, tracing its evolution from strategic reconnaissance units to key players in hybrid and irregular warfare. The reviewer recommends the book for scholars, military professionals, and anyone interested in Russian special operations forces... MORE

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Book Review: China’s Quest for Military Supremacy
September 22, 2025 — Joel Wuthnow's and Phillip Saunders’s China’s Quest for Military Supremacy is a sharp, deeply researched examination of the People’s Liberation Army’s transformation into a modern force with regional ambitions and global implications. The book reveals how China’s military advances are tempered by internal structural weaknesses, political constraints, and a deliberate focus on deterring US intervention—especially over Taiwan. Balanced and insightful, it’s essential reading for anyone seeking to understand the shifting dynamics of power in Asia... MORE

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Book Review: Upstart: How China Became a Great Power
September 22, 2025 — Upstart: How China Became a Great Power, by Oriana Skylar Mastro, tracks China’s transition from a minor regional influence in the 1990s to a global power. The author developed and used the Upstart Strategy, which examines emulation, exploitation, and entrepreneurship, to offer predictive modeling that political and military leaders can use to anticipate China’s future trajectory. Reviewer Kelly Ihme applauds the specific and actionable recommendations for America and its allies... MORE

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For the Common Defense: 2025 Homeland Defense Symposium Compendium
September 19, 2025 — The United States Army War College’s 2025 Homeland Defense Symposium presented a unique opportunity for a whole-of-nation discussion and for information sharing on extant and emerging threats to the United States homeland. The research, presentations, key points, and discussions are consolidated in a compendium in this inaugural issue of For the Common Defense. Approximately 125 security professionals from a wide variety of backgrounds including the Joint Force, all levels of government, and civilian academia, attended in-person or virtually for three days. They participated in the symposium because they recognize that our homeland is once again in danger. Our potential adversaries are already making preparations to conduct operations in the continental U.S. in the event of a future large- scale combat operation. They will strive to disrupt infrastructure and supply chains, generate civil unrest, and create multiple dilemmas for elected leaders with the goal of keeping our military forces out of the warfight overseas... MORE

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Parameters | Autumn 2025
September 16, 2025 — Welcome to the Autumn 2025 issue of Parameters. We open with two In Focus commentaries. The first, “A Case for Military Proportionality: Disabling Nuclear Plants” by Henry Sokolski, offers practical ways in which military planners can disable civilian targets, such as nuclear infrastructure, without undermining operational goals, alliance cohesion, or long-term political objectives. Our second commentary, “The Consequences of Declining Patriotism in the United States” by Neil N. Snyder, presents findings from a national survey showing a decline in patriotism, especially among Generation Z nonveterans. His article highlights a growing civil-military values gap with implications for recruitment and national cohesion... MORE