Military Reading List Monthly
MilitaryReadingList.com - June 2001 Issue
http://www.militaryreadinglist.com

IN THIS MONTH'S ISSUE:

 - Recommended Book of the Month (Waging Modern War:  Bosnia, Kosovo, and the Future of Combat)

- In the news (Arab-Israeli Conflict)

- New to the Intelligence Reading List

- New to the Sea Power Reading List

- Link Partner of the Month

RECOMMENDED BOOK OF THE MONTH

Waging Modern War:  Bosnia, Kosovo, and the Future of Combat by General Wesley K. Clark (May 22, 2001)

The Supreme Allied Commander who directed and won NATO's war in Kosovo offers a unique behind-the-scenes look at how the war was actually fought, and explains the conflict's surprising implications for how war will be waged in the decades to come.

Ugly, shocking, frightening, war came to Europe once more in March 1999.  The world watched in dismay as Yugoslavia's military machine attacked its own citizens in the province of Kosovo. Pictures of refugees fleeing and stories of murder and rape flashed to the top of the news. But this time, the United States and its allies intervened. Using an innovative, high technology air operation, NATO brought modern military power to bear against Serb forces in the field and the machinery of repression that backed them up. It was modern war-limited in scope, measured in effect, extraordinarily complex in execution.

The American commander who oversaw this massive military effort and managed the often-incompatible demands of NATO's nineteen governments was General Wesley K. Clark. In Waging Modern War, Clark recounts not only the events that led to armed conflict, but also the context within which he made the key strategic decisions. He also describes, for the first time, the personal conflict he felt as he walked the tightrope of high diplomacy and military strategy and navigated the crushing restraints of domestic politics. Laying out the new realities of war fighting and war-planning, Clark reveals how the American military infrastructure will have to adapt if it is to meet new threats. This is the story of war today, and as it will be fought tomorrow.
-- Amazon Review.

IN THE NEWS:  ARAB-ISRAELI CONFLICT

 A History of the Modern Middle East by William L. Cleveland (January 2000)

This comprehensive work provides an analysis of the last two centuries of Middle Eastern history, from the rise of the Safavids and Ottomans to the recent Gulf War. Explains the deep historical currents flowing beneath today's headlines--essential reading for anyone seeking a better understanding of today's turbulent world. Photos. Maps.
-- Amazon Review.

NEW TO THE INTELLIGENCE READING LIST

Body of Secrets: Anatomy of the Ultra-Secret National Security Agency from the Cold War Through the Dawn of a New Century by James Bamford (April 24, 2001)

Everybody knows about the CIA--the cloak-and-dagger branch of the U.S. government. Many fewer are familiar with the National Security Agency, even though it has been more important to American espionage in recent years than its better-known counterpart. The NSA is responsible for much of the intelligence gathering done via technology such as satellites and the Internet. Its home office in Maryland "contains what is probably the largest body of secrets ever created."

Little was known about the agency's confidential culture until veteran journalist James Bamford blew the lid off in 1982 with his bestseller The Puzzle Palace. Still, much remained in the shadows. In Body of Secrets, Bamford throws much more light on his subject--and he reveals loads of shocking information. The story of the U-2 crisis in 1960 is well known, including President Eisenhower's decision to tell a fib to the public in order to protect a national-security secret. Bamford takes the story a disturbing step forward, showing how Eisenhower "went so far as to order his Cabinet officers to hide his involvement in the scandal even while under oath. At least one Cabinet member directly lied to the committee, a fact known to Eisenhower." Even more worrisome is another revelation, from the Kennedy years: "The Joint Chiefs of Staff drew up and approved plans for what may be the most corrupt plan ever created by the U.S. government. In the name of anticommunism, they proposed launching a secret and bloody war of terrorism against their own country in order to trick the American public into supporting an ill-conceived war they intended to launch against Cuba."

Body of Secrets is an incredible piece of journalism, and it paints a deeply troubling portrait of an agency about which the public knows next to nothing. Fans of The Sword and the Shield will want to read it, as will anybody who is intrigued by conspiracies and real-life spy stories. --John J. Miller –- Amazon Review.

NEW TO THE SEA POWER READING LIST

 The Silent War: The Cold War Battle Beneath the Sea by John Pina Craven 
(March 15, 2001)

In October 1962, the United States government demanded that the Soviet Union remove long-range tactical missiles that it had positioned in Cuba, a short flight from targets like Washington and New York. After nearly a week's wait, during which the world braced for nuclear war, the Soviet government finally relented. It did so, in part, because its capitalist foe had one weapon that it then did not: 10 dozen submarine-mounted nuclear missiles that could be fired from beneath the waves and reach targets inside the Soviet Union within a matter of minutes.

In The Silent War, John Craven, an architect of the Polaris missile program, writes that the episode offered unambiguous proof of the value of "a strong silent deterrent" and of the importance of a superb submarine force in preserving the balance of power. In this memoir, he recounts the evolution of the Polaris weapons system during the cold war. Along the way, he reveals little-known incidents of espionage and saber rattling that will give readers pause to wonder how war was avoided for all those years. A bonus for Tom Clancy fans (who are likely to enjoy his book in any event) is Craven's sketchy but fascinating tale of a real hunt for a lost Soviet submarine that took place during his tenure as well as his accessible but nonetheless detailed account of the advanced military technology he helped bring into being. --Gregory McNamee –- Amazon Review.

LINK PARTNER OF THE MONTH

MilitaryByOwner.com
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MilitaryByOwner.com is a service provided to military families selling, renting or searching for a home during their PCS move.  MilitaryByOwner specializes in Homes For Sale By Owner and Homes For Rent around all Military Bases in the U.S.

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MilitaryReadingList.com is owned and operated by David Gran and Jeff Stansfield.  Both Jeff and Dave are career military officers who came up with the idea for MilitaryReadingList as an educational resource to military personnel and military history enthusiasts.