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Rethinking the Principles of War

ISBN:: 1591144817
Format:: Hardcover, 572 pages
Publish Date:: December, 2005
Publisher:: 38
Other Format(s):: None

This cutting-edge work features the fresh thinking of 31 leading authors from a variety of military and national-security disciplines. Following an introduction by Lt. Gen. James Dubik, Commander I Corps, U.S. Army, the anthology first considers the general question of whether there is a distinctly American way of war. Dr. Colin Gray’s opening essay, “The American Way of War: Critique and Implications,” provides a state-of-the-question perspective. Sections on Operational Art (wherein writers address the issues in both conventional and small wars), Stability and Reconstruction, and Intelligence complete the volume. Among the well-known contributors are Robert Scales, Mary Kaldor, Ralph Peters, William Nolte, Jon Sumida, Grant Hammond, Milan Vego, Paulette Risher, Antulio Echevarria, and T.X. Hammes. The anthology is part of a larger “Rethinking the Principles of War” project, sponsored by the Office of Force Transformation and the U.S. Navy, re-examining traditional and unorthodox approaches to the future of warfare.

In his foreword, Vice Adm. Arthur K. Cebrowski, USN (Ret.), founding director of the Pentagon’s Office of Force Transformation and former president of the Naval War College, writes, “On today’s battlefield, we can witness new metrics being created that are the entry fee to the types of capabilities future forces must possess. These are access, speed, distribution, sensing, mobility, and networking. These are society’s new metrics. They are scale free and valid at every level of warfare – tactical, operational, and strategic. How are these new metrics impinging on the traditional principles of war delineated by Clausewitz nearly 200 years ago? That is what this anthology is all about.” Diverse viewpoints, varying scope, and strong source references combine to make this compilation of essays an essential acquisition for the active-duty officer and students of war in general.

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The books and additional publications of interest in the Navy Professional Reading Program were selected by the Navy Professional Reading program Advisory Group based on criteria for the program. The selection of these books and publications should not be construed as an explicit or implicit endorsement by the U.S. Navy for these particular books and publications, or the authors' or publishers' views or interpretations. Authors and publishers may submit other books for consideration for inclusion on future program lists to Accelerate Your Mind, Naval War College, 686 Cushing Road, Newport, RI 02841-1207.