Kirkus Reviews
A collection of essays by top-selling Peters, author of A Perfect Soldier (1995). Reprinted from such military-science publications as Parameters, Army Times, and Strategic Review, these essays pose major questions about Americas military preparedness to fight the type of conflicts likely to arise in the 21st century, those involving terrorist organizations (both independent and state-sponsored), ethnic strife, and an emerging Third World. Peters examines such possibilities with a sharp eye and then considers the ways in which the American armed forces are preparing to fight them. While his analysis is cogent, his conclusionsfor example, that the spectacularly expensive weapons systems being produced today are designed to combat Cold War enemies that no longer existare hardly as shocking or controversial as he himself would have the reader believe. (In fact, as long as there has been a military, there have been critics to point out flaws in preparedness.) While Peters is a reasonably proficient writer, his essays are marred by trite epigrams placed throughout the text, offering such no-brainer musings as ``Revolutions happen, above all, in the minds of men'' and ``If there is a single power the West underestimates, it is the power of collective hatred. When the author gets down to specific topics, such as the future of armored warfare or soldiering in an urban environment, he is at his best; unfortunately these sections form only a small portion of the book. And Peterss prose is pedantic, clich-ridden, and repetitive. In general, the average reader will be as entranced as if reading a military-science dissertation. --
Copyright ©1999, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.
Book Description
"[Ralph Peters is] considered to be one of the best military minds of his generation . . ." --
Newsweek "Few have been more provocative or more diligent in pursuit of large and difficult truths . . . a strong and clarifying case for radical policy review." --The Washington Post
"A thinking man's Tom Clancy . . . a fine writer . . . an influential military theorist" --The Wall Street Journal
Highly acclaimed military strategist and writer Ralph Peters challenges America's defense establishment and national leadership with startling insights and no-holds-barred criticism. His radical reassessment of the future of conflict and the kinds of enemies we will face has already excited international controversy and influenced policy. Peters challenges our military leaders to stop dreaming about the kinds of wars they would like to fight. He identifies a "new warrior class" and a new culture of conflict that could undo America on the battlefields of the future. He broadly reinterprets the meaning of strategy. His writing--tough, yet elegant--makes dramatic new ideas accessible to the general reader, as well as to businessmen, diplomats, and soldiers. Will America win? Yes, but only if her leaders open their minds to the new and dangerous international environment left in the wake of the Cold War.
Ralph Peters is a former military officer with extensive experience abroad. He has provided commentary to National Public Radio, The Washington Post, Harper's, The Washington Monthly, major television networks here and abroad, and to a wide range of military and policy journals. He is also a best-selling novelist who has written eight books, including Red Army, The War in 2020, and the recent The Devil's Garden.
