Böcker utgivna av Naval Institute Press

Learning War examines the U.S. Navy's doctrinal development from 1898-1945 and explains why the Navy in that era was so successful as an organization at fostering innovation. A revolutionary study of one of history's greatest success stories, this book draws profoundly important conclusions that give new insight, not only into how the Navy succeeded in becoming the best naval force in the world, but also into how modern organizations can exploit today's rapid technological and social changes in their pursuit of success. Trent Hone argues that the Navy created a sophisticated learning system in the early years of the twentieth century that led to repeated innovations in the development of surface warfare tactics and doctrine. The conditions that allowed these innovations to emerge are analyzed through a consideration of the Navy as a complex adaptive system. Learning War is the first major work to apply this complex learning approach to military history. This approach permits a richer understanding of the mechanisms that enable human organizations to evolve, innovate, and learn, and it offers new insights into the history of the United States Navy.

The bold initiative of Japan’s Combined Fleet to conquer Port Moresby from the sea led to the first aircraft carrier clash in history, known better as the Battle of the Coral Sea. This engagement unexpectedly became one of the pivotal points of the Pacific War's early stage, slowing the Japanese advance and influencing further developments. After the naval offensive in the Indian Ocean, the Kidō Butai maintained its high combat readiness in preparation for the decisive quest in the Central Pacific. However, on the eve of the battle of Midway, the Japanese navy planners decided to advance from newly established positions in New Britain and New Guinea towards the Solomon Islands and Port Moresby to cut off Australia and New Zealand from American supplies and military support. Nippon Kaigun’s forces in this area were limited to the 4th Fleet of Vice-Admiral Shigeyoshi Inoue and the 11th Air Fleet of Vice-Admiral Nishizō Tsukahara. Combined Fleet’s command remained focused on the strategic initiative in the Central Pacific yet agreed to temporarily reinforce the 4th Fleet with the 5th Carrier Squadron comprising Shōkaku and Zuikaku. An outline of the Japanese plan was intercepted by American cryptanalysts, who helped to deploy the carrier task force of Rear Admiral Frank J. Fletcher in the South Pacific. At the beginning of May, the vast area of the Solomon Islands and the northern part of the Coral Sea became the stage of a fierce struggle between the US Navy and the Nippon Kaigun. The devious invasion of Tulagi, Yorktown’s raid on the enemy positions on the island, the desperate search for the enemy task force, strikes against secondary targets, and the central part of the battle between two carrier task forces turned out to be the first major Japanese strategic defeat in the Pacific War. The 4th Fleet cancelled Operation “MO” and postponed the seizure of Port Moresby. The battle of the Coral Sea not only proved the high determination of the Allied to check the Japanese advance but also significantly boosted the US Navy morale in the decisive week before the clash off Midway. This book, which presents Nippons Kaigun’s offensive in the South Pacific during the first days of May 1942 from the Japanese perspective whilst also including Allied sources, is a worthy contribution for all WWII book collections.

The Greatest Naval War is about naval warfare during World War II. Its narrative will follow the conflict’s greatest naval engagements, and it will focus on recurrent themes like technology innovations, command and control, logistics, and intelligence. However, the book’s overriding theme is the practice of sea power—not in a one size fits all, formulaic sort of way—but as practiced by all nations with a port and a beach, big or small, as best fitted their own national imperatives. The book will demonstrate that sea power is not a matter of flight decks and big guns, but a combination of many elements, and that it is not the exclusive purview of big navies.

Ernest Evans and his ship USS Johnston (DD-557) are legendary for their exploits in the Battle of Leyte Gulf. Evans is an intriguing character in a number of ways, including his Native American heritage, and the USS Johnston under Evans—he was the sole commander from commissioning to sinking—served in various campaigns and operations prior to the action off Samar that earned him the Medal of Honor. The ship was active in the Carolines and bombarded the beaches at Kwajalein and Eniwetok and (with two other destroyers) sank a sub off Bougainville (earning Evans a Bronze Star). She also was active at Guam and Peleliu. Thomas Cutler brings both Evans and USS Johnston to life in a manner that places them into the context of the greater Pacific War but keeps the focus on these two relatively small—but ultimately so significant—entities. A ship and her captain are nothing without the crew, and the author ensures that—despite his larger-than-life status—Evans is portrayed as part of that larger “organism,” with appropriate emphasis on the other members of the crew.

This book, framed in three parts to cover the contributions of these Naval Academy graduates in the Pacific Theater from the Sea, in the Air, and below the Surface – shares the experiences of a group of men who fought the full scope of the war against Japan. Opening with their lives on the Yard, chapters quickly follow the graduates to their first postings as the United States enters the war in December of ‘41. Driven by personal perspectives on a monumental scale of events, readers are taken from Pearl Harbor to the Coral Sea and Midway, to the Japanese home islands in June of 1945 to understand the experiences and contribution of these Naval Academy graduates in the most monumental conflict of the twentieth century.

The huge Soviet submarine fleet was a defining naval element of the Cold War. This is the first full account of the Western - mainly US and British - struggle to master that massive force. That struggle largely defined Western navies during the Cold War. During that period, Western navies had to wrestle with many of the problems they now face, such as shrinking numbers and increasingly potent enemies. With the end of that war, anti-submarine warfare shifted dramatically, to the point that probably no one currently in the Navy recalls the past experience. Yet the past - the subject of this book -- is coming back, as the Chinese field a large and growing submarine force, and the Russians are trying to revive theirs. Although the technology is changing, the past revealed by this book is more and more relevant. This is the first book to describe the whole Cold War struggle against Soviet submarines from the points of view of shifting Western  national and naval strategy, anti-submarine tactics,  changing technology, and the changing character of both the Western and Soviet fleets, including the weapons they wielded. It is based largely on declassified U.S. and British documents (plus some French ones) and on Soviet accounts which appeared during the brief opening of Soviet naval publication after the Cold War.

This book outlines the various threats that cyber warfare poses to operations in the maritime environment (defined broadly) and the abilities of modern navies to defend against those threats. It explains how navies are organized and equipped for cyber operations and the concepts and doctrine adopted by those navies. This includes not just the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard, but also the navies of allies (NATO, the Quad), opponents (China, Russia) and others. It also explores the relationship between USN.USMC and USCYBERCOM. Specific issues that the USN and USMC face in conducting defensive and offensive cyber operations include: recruiting, training, and retaining cyber personnel; consolidation (ashore) and distribution (at sea) of command of cyber operations; operational relationship to artificial intelligence (AI); relationship to electromagnetic warfare (EMW) overall; combining cyber with kinetic operations; unique cyber aspects of surface, air, littoral, and undersea warfare; weaponized dependence on space; cyberattacks on naval supply chains; and fleet resilience and cyber security.

Post Transmittal: This will begin to be populated after the AQ is received and the descriptive copy is finalized

This work will argue that the operational intelligence (OpIntel) culture in the U.S. Navy now was codified in the Cold War. The work will also make the case that this existing OpIntel culture is rooted in aircraft carrier culture, a culture which accepts adaptation and favors a structure that has the principles of mission command built in. Additionally, I see this work as having two purposes: 1) making the case that the USN's OpIntel strengths now in an age of Great Power competition are the same as those which guided the USN during the Cold War, and 2) Making the case for the success of USN OpIntel (or viewed another cynical way, that because we are in an era of Great Power competition, that the old methods of OpIntel at sea work, so why change them?) One other argument outside the central argument is that USN OpIntel owes its success to carrier culture specifically, so there is an aviation culture angle here. One other point the author raises in his proposal is that this evolution of OpIntel at sea in the face of the Soviet threat fostered a culture of trust between USN commanding officers and their intel officers.

Building upon the expertise of the authors and historians of the Naval Institute Press, the Naval History Special Editions are designed to offer studies of the key vessels, battles, and events of armed conflict. Using an image-heavy, magazine-style format, these special editions should appeal to scholars, enthusiasts, and general readers alike. Rarely is an aircraft design so inspired that it brings forth near-universal recognition and acclaim. In more than 110 years of naval aviation history and more than 50 years of Vought Corsairs in active-duty squadrons, one Corsair model, the F4U, stands alone. In that time, only a few naval aircraft have been acknowledged as game changers that singularly tipped the balance in air combat. The Vought F4U Corsair heads a short list of such aircraft by dint of its supremely efficient lines—a melding of the highly developed Double Wasp powerplant, the outsized Hydromatic propeller that it drove, and the finely tuned airframe that wrapped it.  Navy and Marine Corps aviators held the Corsair in high esteem for its ruggedness, speed, and adaptability as a fighter and a bomber, long after its first appearance in the South Pacific during World War II, through the closing weeks of the Korean War. The Corsair’s potency made it sought after by allied air forces long after its final days in U.S. inventory, rendering vital service in French livery at Dien Bien Phu and, finally, with South American air forces in the so-called  “Soccer War” of the late 1960s.  Here is the complete history of this storied aircraft, from early design through the legendary dogfights of Maj. Gregory “Pappy” Boyington’s Black Sheep Squadron over the Pacific, and in operations in Korea.

Written for the Naval History Special Editions series, this volume offers a compelling pictorial history of the vaunted HMS Belfast, from World War II and Korea to the present-day museum ship.Building on the expertise of the authors and historians of the Naval Institute Press, the Naval History Special Editions are designed to offer studies of the key vessels, battles, and events of armed conflict. Using an image-heavy format, these special editions should appeal to scholars, enthusiasts, and general readers alike.This special edition covers HMS Belfast, a ship whose long and storied career began just before World War II and included numerous critical battles. During the war she chased down German battleships and, on 6 June 1944, participated in the largest amphibious landing the world had ever witnessed. HMS Belfast was among the first to fire on D-Day, and Winston Churchill himself had planned to be on board to witness the landings at Normandy until King George VI intervened. Years later Belfast would go on to hold the line during the crucial weeks when Korea’s future hung in the balance, and she subsequently survived long enough to become the largest museum ship in the United Kingdom.HMS Belfast remains the last of the “full-size” British cruisers, a designation that ended with her construction due to the restrictions imposed by the 2nd London Naval Treaty. In 1938, shortly after commissioning, Belfast’s career was nearly cut short when she was severely damaged by a German magnetic mine. However, because of her brand-new status she was granted a reprieve and underwent extensive repair work in drydocks. Her survival can largely be attributed to these repairs, which enhanced her unique capabilities. At the time of writing, HMS Belfast is due to see a namesake successor, in the form of a modern Type 26 frigate, enter service before the end of the decade.

Much like Carol Reardon’s Launch the Intruders: A Naval Attack Squadron in The Vietnam War, 1972, this book will look at the War in the Pacific from August 1942 through January 1945 and demonstrate that one unit’s example was indicative of a wider whole. This book was birthed out of the August 2019 issue of Naval History titled “The Tale of Eleven,” which details the exploits of Carrier Air Group 11 during World War II. CVG-11 was composed of three to four squadrons of aircraft, most memorably fighter squadron VF-11, nicknamed the Sundowners for the dual nature of downing the rising sun of Japan and for the term indicating hard working sailor. CVG-11 saw action early in the war at Guadalcanal during its first tour and was later assigned to the USS Hornet in 1944 and fought at Leyte Gulf, Luzon, Mindoro, French Indochina, and Okinawa. The fighter squadron produced several aces during the war. The book will also demonstrate the exploits of the other two squadrons, illustrious in their own right: VB-11 and VT-11.

In the electrifying fourth novel of the Punk’s Series, Admiral ‘Punk’ Reichert faces a critical mission that could redefine naval warfare. With the future of the U.S.S. Gerald Ford—and the entire aircraft carrier program—hanging in the balance, Punk must prove that America’s pride can defend itself against the most advanced hypersonic missile threats. If he fails, long-range bombers may replace carriers, and the Navy’s legacy will be forever altered.Tasked with Operation Blue Aegis, Punk assembles a formidable team of former squadmates and brilliant engineers to deploy a cutting-edge directed-energy weapon, leveraging the latest in machine learning technology for battlefield supremacy. Yet, as he battles bureaucratic obstacles and personal crises—including his wife’s cancer diagnosis—he soon realizes that a far more sinister plot is unfolding. Enter Justin Wolfe, a ruthless tech magnate whose ambitions stretch from machine learning to supplying drones to terrorist groups. Wolfe’s vendetta against the Navy drives him to orchestrate an elaborate scheme involving a traitor within Punk’s ranks. With the stakes escalating, Wolfe will stop at nothing to see the Ford sunk, believing it will usher in a new era where technology reigns supreme over traditional military might. As tensions rise, Punk’s team grapples with internal conflicts and the shocking murder of a young engineer, heightening suspicion and anxiety. With only one directed-energy weapon at his disposal, Punk fights to maintain focus and morale among his team as they prepare for the test of a lifetime. On the day of the operation, chaos erupts as Wolfe hacks the Air Force’s systems to launch live hypersonic missiles at the Ford. The Navy and Air Force engage in a high-stakes showdown off the California coast, pitting the best pilots against the clock. In a heart-pounding race against time, Punk must rely on his leadership and the unwavering spirit of his team to counter a barrage of missiles that threaten to annihilate everything they’ve worked for. Punk’s Force is a gripping tale of loyalty, betrayal, and the relentless pursuit of excellence. As Punk navigates the storm of treachery and innovation, he learns that in the face of unprecedented threats, it is the human connection and teamwork that ultimately lead to victory. Join Punk and his allies in this thrilling installment, where every decision can mean the difference between survival and destruction, and the future of naval warfare hangs by a thread. Will they rise to the occasion and secure their legacy, or will they be lost to the tides of technology? The answer awaits in Punk’s Force.

Based primarily on original sources and contemporary accounts, this book is an account of the life and times of Benjamin Clough. Set in the golden age of whaling, the book follows him from the time he first went to sea in 1835 as a teenager to his retirement from whaling in 1867 as a veteran whaling captain and his life thereafter. It crosses the world’s oceans, providing the reader with an understanding of whaling from a first-hand perspective over a thirty-year period from the South Atlantic to the northern Pacific and then on into the Arctic Ocean. It is a gritty portrayal of the hardships, dangers, and harsh working conditions endured by whalers during this period. Clough’s life ashore during the intervals between voyages and after retiring from the sea featured its own unique experiences, offering a window into nineteenth-century life in Martha’s Vineyard.

In this third edition of the Chief Petty Officer’s Guide, author Paul Kingsbury offers the same caliber of wisdom and advice that has helped Chief Petty Officers (CPOs) succeed for decades. Fully revised, this edition features updates to every chapter as well as a broader context, scope, and audience. With the addition of guidance for Navy and Coast Guard chiefs of all experience levels, aspiring petty officers seeking advancement to chief, and other leaders, this book is a vital tool for anyone who wants to understand how great chiefs think, manage, and lead.Those striving to improve as a chief, senior chief, or master chief will find this handbook an essential resource on how to lead and manage strong maintenance and operational teams. Kingsbury provides key perspectives on how chiefs can use power bases, influence tactics, and managerial skills to achieve mission success at all levels of Navy and Coast Guard leadership. Chapters feature tools for self-assessment, including explanations of the attributes, behaviors, and qualities that all petty officers (or any leader or manager) should strive for.

Airpower over the Rhine is a critical new perspective on the air battle between the French Air Force (FAF) and the Luftwaffe in the skies over France during May and June 1940. Why were the French overpowered in the air? What factors led to their defeat? Author James F. Slaughter III examines how each country's leadership created the circumstances that enabled the Luftwaffe's victory over the FAF and Germany's ultimate defeat of France.  Conventional wisdom-especially in the English-speaking world-purports that the FAF was a nonentity whose loss was all but guaranteed. But the FAF did, in fact, show up to fight. With virtually every disadvantage and under impossible conditions, FAF pilots nevertheless managed to land significant blows against the Luftwaffe-far more than they are given credit for today. Slaughter traces this misconception to a largely collaborationist cover-up beginning with the Rion Trials in Vichy France that was then perpetuated by Cold War politics and popular mythology.  Rather than absence or incompetence, the FAF lost due to a series of complex internal conflicts within French leadership, both political and military, that set them up to fail. This work compares and examines six fundamental areas that affected the development of the FAF and the Luftwaffe: aircraft and equipment, the aircraft industries, intelligence, the experiences of the Spanish Civil War, doctrine and training, and politics and air power. It also offers new details about and insights into Pierre Cot, a controversial French politician largely unknown outside France. Airpower over the Rhine explains Cot's internal and external impact on the development of the French Air Force and details what is known about his apparent efforts to spy for the Soviet Union. Thoroughly researched and compellingly written, this book will appeal to anyone with an interest in World War II.

F/A-18 pilot combat veteran and lead Blue Angels Pilot Frank Weisser distills in this accessible volume the elemental lessons he's learned for facing challenges in life and work.“Pull your green ring! Pull your green ring!” That came through loud and clear over the radio despite all the other talking between the various jets and the controllers. It was my Division Leader, one of our Squadron’s most senior pilots, on a night flight during my first period flying off the aircraft carrier. I had unknowingly fallen victim to Hypoxia and was minutes, if not seconds, away from dying as I very much intended to softly land in a nearby swamp so I could get some much-needed rest. Moments later, having pulled the green ring resulting in pure oxygen being delivered instantly, I looked outside and said “Holy Sh*t. I’m flying. And it’s nighttime.” From the cockpit of an F/A-18 Hornet, U.S. Navy Commander Frank Weisser conveys the lessons he learned flying as the Lead Solo for the Blue Angels, on multiple combat deployments, and as stunt pilot for Top Gun: Maverick. So, how do you deal with adversity in your daily life? How do organizations and teams deal with it? Or develop trust? What happens the moment something goes wrong? Each chapter opens with a flight sequence, and describes a lesson, skill, or value that Weisser learned in the sky and that carried him through a life of service with the Navy: finding focus, developing trust, opening communication, overcoming adversity, facing failure, and recognizing courage within oneself. With a focus on the instructors, flight team members, and colleagues who taught and guided him, this short, accessible book contains wisdom for everyone on how to live thoughtfully, with courage, and well.

This comprehensive biography details the life of Rear Admiral John Lorimer Worden, who commanded the ironclad USS Monitor during the 1862 Battle of Hampton Roads and went on to co-found the U.S. Naval Institute.Throughout his 52-year career, Rear Adm. John Lorimer Worden was always the right officer for the job. The epitome of an innovative commander who helped move the U.S. Navy out of the age of sail and into the era of ironclad technology, Worden’s contributions extended beyond the Battle of Hampton Roads and shaped the future of the Navy. He demonstrated exceptional leadership in both combat and peacetime. Worden immediately proved himself a capable choice for key assignments, leading a successful rescue mission and capturing a prize ship during the Mexican-American War. Three tours at the U.S. Naval Observatory established him as a scientific officer. After delivering secret dispatches in 1861 that kept Fort Pickens in Florida for the Union, Worden attempted to return to Washington, D.C., and was arrested by Confederate authorities, thus becoming the first prisoner of war during the Civil War. After six months in captivity, he returned to command the USS Monitor—the “little ship that saved the nation”—at the historic Battle of Hampton Roads. There, he faced the Confederate CSS Virginia in the first-ever clash of ironclads, suffering severe wounds while fighting the battle to a standstill. Upon recovery, he returned to command the USS Montauk, where his unparalleled expertise in ironclad design and combat tactics continued to set him apart. From testing ships in battle to overseeing the innovative production of ironclads at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, he consistently refined his craft. Confronted with multiple ship design failures, he relentlessly drove improvements, pushing the boundaries of naval technology and securing lasting progress in the development of modern warships.  After the war, Worden became superintendent of the U.S. Naval Academy, where he trained the next generation of naval officers and co-founded the U.S. Naval Institute. His five-year tenure at the academy was not without controversy that tested his leadership. He deftly handled a nationally embarrassing hazing scandal, resulting in congressional authority for the superintendent to directly discipline and expel errant midshipmen. Worden also managed sensitive issues surrounding the appointment of the first African American midshipman and the first Japanese midshipman while he helmed the academy. Worden capped his career by ably serving as commander-in-chief of the European Squadron during a time of upheaval on that continent. Displaying courage, commitment, and diplomacy, Worden skillfully led U.S. European naval forces from 1875 to 1877. From Ironclads to Admiral’s thorough examination of Worden’s life and leadership emphasizes his strategic insights, innovative spirit, and dedication to service. Readers will uncover the profound impact of an officer of great achievement who inspired others to say, “Let Worden do it!”

In Destroyers at War Adm. James L. Holloway III, the twentieth Chief of Naval Operations, recalls his early life and service on destroyers during the final campaigns of the Pacific War in World War II. As the assistant gunnery officer in USS Ringgold (DD 500) and the gun boss on USS Bennion (DD 665), he took part in shore bombardment and anti-air radar picket missions during the assaults on Saipan, Tinian, Peleliu, and Leyte. He provides detailed explanations of how gunnery systems worked on small combatants as well as gripping accounts of combat events, including the climactic battle of Surigao Strait—the last battleship-vs-battleship clash in history—where a Bennion torpedo scored a fatal blow against the Japanese battleship Yamashiro.  This book also explores the relationship between Holloway and his father, James L. Holloway Jr.—the only father-son combination to serve on active duty as four-star admirals—and highlights the senior Holloway’s career as his son worked his way through the ranks. Holloway will be one of the last members of the Greatest Generation to publish a firsthand account of World War II.

"Admiral James Stavridis, a leader in international business, national security, and global philanthropy, shares the books that facilitated his success. A guide to living and leading through reading, The Admiral's Bookshelf links twenty-five essential life lessons and leadership principles to the books that best illustrate them"--

How have navies contemplated possible enemies? How did they learn—or fail to learn—once operations began? How does this analysis inform today’s planning for future conflict? These questions guide the noted historians and naval strategists who contributed to Planning for War at Sea. A central theme is the regular failure of navies’ best-laid plans.Covering four centuries of naval warfare, the early chapters illustrate the challenges all navies faced when considering possible enemies. Even during the Age of Sail, ships were among the most expensive and long-term national endeavors. Navies thus planned well in advance for future wars, usually without knowing their adversaries or how they would fight them at sea. This strategy holds true today. Building a capable navy requires sustained investment in naval infrastructure long before the fighting starts.In the final chapters naval strategists expand on this historical analysis to address how effectively or ineffectively today’s three leading navies—Russia, China, and the United States—have configured themselves during the post–Cold War era in preparing for future great power conflict. This collection is an important work for strategists, scholars, and policymakers.

The Craft of Wargaming is designed to support supervisors, planners, and analysts who use wargames to support their organizations' missions.

For more than half of its existence, members of the Marine Corps largely self-identified as soldiers. It did not yet mean something distinct to be a Marine, either to themselves or to the public at large. As neither a land-based organization like the Army nor an entirely sea-based one like the Navy, the Corps' missions overlapped with both institutions. This work argues that the Marine Corps could not and would not settle on a mission, and therefore it turned to an image to ensure its institutional survival. The process by which a maligned group of nineteenth-century naval policemen began to consider themselves to be elite warriors benefited from the active engagement of Marine officers with the Corps' historical record as justification for its very being. Rather than look forward and actively seek out a mission that could secure their existence, late nineteenth-century Marines looked backward and embraced the past. They began to justify their existence by invoking their institutional traditions, their many martial engagements, and their claim to be the nation's oldest and proudest military institution. This led them to celebrate themselves as superior to soldiers and sailors. Although there are countless works on this hallowed fighting force, How the Few Became the Proud is the first to explore how the Marine Corps crafted such powerful myths.

One of the most difficult security challenges of the post-Cold War era has been stabilizing failing states in an era of irregular warfare. A consistent component of the strategy to address this problem has been security force assistance where outside powers train and advise the host nation's military. Despite billions of dollars spent, the commitment of thousands of advisors, and innumerable casualties, the American efforts in Afghanistan and Iraq failed catastrophically. Nevertheless, among those colossal military disasters were pockets of success. The Iraqi Special Operations Forces (ISOF) held back the Islamic State in 2014 long enough to allow American and allied forces to flow back into the country, and many Afghan commando units fought to the bitter end as their country disintegrated around them. What made those units successful while the larger missions ended disastrously? Author Frank K. Sobchak explores security force assistance across five case studies, examining what factors were most critical for U.S. Special Forces units to build capable partners like the ISOF and the commandos. More specifically, the book assesses the impact of five components of Special Forces advisory missions: language training and cultural awareness of the advising force; the partner force-to-advisor ratio; the advisors' ability to organize host-nation forces; whether advisors are permitted to guide in combat; and the consistency in advisor pairing. Based on the experiences of U.S. Army Special Forces in El Salvador (1981-1991), Colombia (2002-2016), the Philippines (2001-2015), Iraq (2003-2011), and Afghanistan (2007-2021), Sobchak argues that the most crucial factors in producing combat-effective partners are consistency in advisor pairing and maintaining a partner force-to-advisor ratio of twelve special forces soldiers advising a company-sized force or smaller. Intriguingly, and counter to conventional wisdom, at first glance language training and cultural awareness do not seem to be critical factors, as most of the Green Berets that trained units in Iraq and Afghanistan lacked both capabilities. Despite an orthodoxy that argues the opposite, there is little evidence that combat advising is decisive in producing effective partners and there is conflicting evidence that language training and cultural awareness are important. Many of these findings, while focused on Special Forces operations and doctrine, could be used to improve the odds of success for larger security-force assistance missions as well.

This book is a unique combination of intellectual history, personal memoir, and military theory. When Conrad Crane retired from twenty six years of active duty to become a research professor at the Army War College, he never expected to become a modern Cassandra, fated to tell truth to power without being heeded. As he watched the world change after the terrorist attacks of 9/11, he warned the Army that it was not prepared for Phase IV stability operations, counterinsurgency, and eventually the reconstruction of Iraq. Eventually his work attracted the attention of Lieutenant General David Petraeus, who along with his Marine counterpart James Mattis, was launching a broad program to make the American military a learning organization better prepared for modern war. Crane soon found himself in charge of a team of Soldiers, Marines, and civilian academics with the mission to create the very counterinsurgency doctrine he had pleaded for. For the next year he wrestled with conflicting ideas, complex personalities, and bureaucratic inertia to create the groundbreaking Field Manual 3-24/ Marine Corps Warfighting Publication 3-33.5 Counterinsurgency. The process was long and tortuous, and much more complicated than the way it has been characterized so far in other narratives. The end result was a unique blend of traditional and modern theory, tempered by hard lessons from Iraq and Afghanistan. Its principles and paradoxes of counterinsurgency, focus on legitimacy, and concepts of operational campaign design have had immense influence on US and NATO doctrine. The new doctrine was not perfect, and had been rushed through production in record time, but the guidance it provided would be an essential element in the Surge in Iraq that secured breathing space for the nascent Iraqi government to solve its political differences. Crane found that out when General Petraeus asked him to come observe the Surge himself in late 2007. Traveling all around that embattled nation, Crane watched the greatest counterinsurgency force the world had ever seen adapting to the exigencies of modern counterinsurgency is a very complex environment. He describes in great detail the hard work of dedicated Soldiers, Marines, and civilians that were creating a mosaic peace out of a mosaic war, in places as disparate as Baghdad, Anbar Province, and the detention facilities at Bucca. There were still problem areas, such as in the British zone and Diyala Province, but the conflict was definitely trending in the right direction. Crane closes his book with an account of what went wrong in Iraq, as the mosaic peace unraveled with the Americandeparture, and also how the new counterinsurgency doctrine was never properly resourced or applied in Afghanistan. His final chapter covers the lessons be believes should be gleaned from the past decade and a half of global war. There have been many critics of the new doctrine, and Crane recounts their arguments and concedes that promises of counterinsurgency were oversold. But much of what has been labeled as counterinsurgency is really just modern warfare, and while the United States is understandably reluctant to engage in further irregular conflicts and nation building, they remain a growth industry in the rest of the world. The United States government, military and civilian agencies, must be prepared to do better next time. And Cassandra says, there will be a next time.

On 26 February 1991, cavalry troops of Cougar Squadron, the 2nd Squadron of the 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment, charged out of a sandstorm during Operation Desert Storm and caught Iraqs Republican Guard Corps in the open desert along the North-South grid line of a military map referred to as the 73 Easting. Taken by surprise, the defending Iraqi armor brigade was swept away in salvos of American tank and missile fire in what became the U.S. Armys largest tank battle since World War II. Douglas Macgregor, the man who trained and led Cougar Squadron into battle, recounts two stories. One is the inspiring tale of the valiant American soldiers, sergeants, lieutenants, and captains who fought and won the battle. The other is a story of failed generalship, one that explains why Iraqs Republican Guard escaped, ensuring that Saddam Husseins regime survived and Americas war with Iraq dragged on. Certain to provoke debate, this is the latest book from the controversial and influential military veteran whose two previous books, Breaking the Phalanx and Transformation Under Fire, are credited with influencing thinking and organization inside Americas ground forces and figure prominently in current discussions about military strategy and defense policies. Its fast-moving battle narrative, told from the vantage point of Macgregors Abrams tank, and its detailed portraits of American soldiers, along with vivid descriptions of the devastating technology of mounted warfare, will captivate anyone with a taste for adventure as well as an interest in contemporary military history.