The Generals: American Military Command from World War II to Today

 Ricks, Thomas E. The Generals: American Military Command from World War II to Today. 2012. 576p. ISBN 978-1-5942-0404-3. Available at 355.009 RIC on the library shelves.

Wars are often won or loss based on the leaders at the top of the military chain of command. In the United States, generals are tasked with implemented the civilian leadership's will into action on the battlefield. During the First World War, General Pershing was in charge of all US troops in Europe, and he forced through leadership changes that enhanced what the army was doing.

In the Second World War, General Marshall crafted a policy that ensured generals would perform at appropriate levels, and those who could not would be relieved. As a result, the army was innovative and took well-evaluated risks to move their campaigns forward. Generals like Eisenhower, Patton, and Bradley were very successful in prosecuting war with Germany. 

Following the end of the war, however, the army found itself without a mission. The Korean conflict saw a swift rearmament, but suddenly military leadership became skittish. The Marshall policy of removing low-performing generals was ignored, which led to a leadership vacuum at the front. Leadership errors from the Korean war were compounded in Vietnam, where no general was held accountable for military and strategic failures.

The army was reformed after the 1970s, but though it became a more lean and efficient fighting machine, the leadership at the top was itself not transformed. As a result, the United States army continues to win impressive battles but suffer strategic setbacks that prevent it from successfully completing wars, from Iraq to Afghanistan to Syria. 

Fans of history will appreciate reading about the generals that influence the last 120 years of American military life. Lessons learned are exposed, and the flaws that led to today's environment are dissected, with suggestions on what can be done to improve both morale and strategic leadership.

The Post-Cold War

Maxim, Bailey, ed. The Post-Cold War. Part of the Political and Diplomatic History of the Modern World. 2017. 232p. ISBN 978-1-68048-357-4. Available at 909.83 POS on the library shelves.

The end of the Cold War brought about the hope that the deadly confrontation between the two superpowers would be replaced by an era of collaboration and peace. The dislocation of two mutually opposed alliances was replaced by a multipolar world in which mass terrorism and a return to nationalism flourished. Even as the Berlin Wall and the Iron Curtains collapsed, danger arose when Iraq invaded its smaller neighbor Koweit in a bid to achieve leadership of the Arab nations. The United States assembled a coalition that fought and defeated the Iraqi army but left Saddam Hussein, the nation's dictator, in power. A true international effort, the First Gulf War marked the first and only instance of an overwhelming alliance of the world's countries against an aggressor.

Many other conflicts followed in the 1990s, as Yugoslavia disintegrated, genocide took place in Rwanda, and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict continued. Russia, which had lost most of the Soviet satellites, regained a more hostile attitude towards the West. A period of relative economic prosperity, the world overall experienced a decreased in armed conflicts. Then September 11, 2001 took place, and terrorists used airplanes to successfully destroyed the World Trade Center and part of the Pentagon. The War on Terror thus drew the United States into involvement in Afghanistan, which became our longest military conflict. The hunt for terrorists and those who harbor them led the United States to invade Iraq in 2003. More conflict ensued, with tens of thousands killed and millions displaced.

An Arab Spring that successfully toppled two dictatorships in Tunisia and Egypt spread to other Middle Eastern countries but were severely repressed. Syria imploded, and millions of refugees streamed into Europe. What had begun at the end of the Cold War as a hopeful time turned out to have generated more conflicts. Fans of history will appreciate the thoroughness of this volume and its concise yet precise descriptions of the world's history over the last twenty years.

Volumes in this series include:

• World War I
• World War II
• The Cold War
• The Post-Cold War

George W. Bush

Zahensky, Kenneth, ed. George W. Bush. Part of the Profile in Leadership: Pivotal Presidents series. 2018. 80p. ISBN 978-1680486292. Available at B BUS on the library shelves.

The son of President George H.W. Bush, George W. Bush stood at the helm of the United States when the country was attacked by terrorists on September 11, 2001. His muscled and rapid response transformed the crisis into a victory in Afghanistan, but the subsequent decision to invade Iraq and poor government performance during Hurricane Katrina in 2005 hobbled his administration for the remainder of his second term.

Born after the Second World War, Bush went to college and entered the oil business in Texas. Opportunities presented themselves and he became a part-owner of the Texas Ranger, rebuilding the team and ensuring that it became competitive. He then parlayed his status as an acute and well-known businessman to the governorship of Texas, before running and winning a much contested Presidency in 2000 after Florida’s electoral college votes were handed to him by the Supreme Court.

Most Presidents are controversial and their policies are contested by the opposition, and Bush’s Presidency followed a similar pattern. To keep the country safe, measures were taken that violated Constitutional protections and rights, leading to protests and court defeats. Tax cuts were passed, which led to higher deficits. And the war on terror expanded. He also successfully appointed two new Supreme Court Justices, including Chief Justice Roberts, and he led a campaign against AIDS in Africa. Bush’s approach of compassionate conservatism demonstrated that it was possible to care for society while supporting core conservative principles.

Though the verdict is still out, Bush’s Presidency had a lasting impact on the United States and decisions taken over 15 years ago continue to influence national and international policies today. Fans of the Presidency or of recent history will appreciate this biography.

The Rise of ISIS: The Modern Age of Terrorism

Kennon, Caroline. The Rise of ISIS: The Modern Age of Terrorism. 2017. 104p. ISBN 978-1-5345-6056-7. Available at 956.05 KEN on the library shelves.

In the last ten years, no other organization has challenged modern Western society more than ISIS. The rise and partial fall of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria contributed to the emergence of decentralized and radical terrorism and has led to an increase in anti-Muslim incidents in the United States and around the world. Following the invasion of Iraq, many Iraqis opposed the American presence. Inspired by Al Qaeda, several individuals formed an organization called Al Qaeda in Iraq and fought against the Americans. Over time, this terrorist organization was severely crippled and its leadership removed multiple times, yet it adapted and grew until it controlled significant portions of Iraq and Syria. In the process it abandoned its allegiance to Al Qaeda, which it deemed not aggressive enough, and pursued its expansion and stated goal of establishing a caliphate.

Denounced by Muslims around the world, ISIS still attracted disaffected youths to the battlefields of Syria and Iraq. Military offensives have been necessary to push it back and to destroy its operational control of oil fields and cities. Pushed out of its last city stronghold, ISIS is once again crippled, but not yet defeated. This book provides a history of ISIS, from the world events that inspired its creation to how it rose in power and potency. Measures taken to deal with this threat are discussed, and an explanation of its social media strategy is given. Finally, photos illustrate life under ISIS and in surrounding areas.

Students of history and those interested in learning how a terrorist group came to occupy significant territorial portions of Iraq and Syria will appreciate this comprehensive introduction to one of the world’s worst terrorist organizations.