Recent Publications

Parameters | Winter 2025–26
December 17, 2025 — Welcome to the Winter 2025–26 issue of Parameters, which consists of an In Focus special commentary, two forums (Indo-Pacific Deterrence and Considerations for Modern Warfare), and the new Strategic Competition Corner... MORE

Book Review: Alliances & Armor: Communist Diplomacy and Armored Warfare During the War in Vietnam
January 16, 2026 — In Alliances & Armor, Jim Pomeroy reveals how Cold War diplomacy shaped North Vietnam’s battlefield tactics, transforming guerrilla warfare into Soviet-style armored offensives. Drawing from multi-archival sources, the book traces Hanoi’s strategic pivot from China to the USSR amid shifting global alliances and escalating US involvement. With gripping detail, Pomeroy chronicles the rise of the People’s Army of Vietnam’s tank-led campaigns, culminating in the dramatic fall of Saigon... MORE

Cover of Alliances & Armor: Communist Diplomacy and Armored Warfare During the War in Vietnam by Jim Pomeroy

Book Review: World War II Battles Reconsidered: Game Theory and Decision Science Perspectives on Gazala, El Alamein, Falaise, and Arnhem
January 16, 2026 — Former Harvard professor Mark Thompson applies cutting-edge decision science and game theory to four pivotal World War II battles, revealing how strategic missteps and psychological biases shaped their outcomes. From Gazala’s disastrous command decisions to Arnhem’s flawed reliance on surprise, each case is dissected with analytical precision and historical depth. This groundbreaking study challenges conventional military narratives and offers a fresh lens on leadership, risk, and battlefield logic... MORE

Cover for World War II Battles Reconsidered: Game Theory and Decision Science Perspectives on Gazala, El Alamein, Falaise, and Arnhem by Mark Thompson

Book Review: Crisis and Crossfire: The United States and the Middle East Since 1945 – Second Edition
January 16, 2026 — From the Arab-Israeli peace process to the fight against terrorism, Hahn’s updated history reveals the forces shaping US policy in one of the world’s most volatile regions... MORE

Cover of Crisis and Crossfire: The United States and the Middle East Since 1945 – Second Edition by Peter L. Hahn

Book Review: A Day in September: The Battle of Antietam and the World It Left Behind
January 16, 2026 — A Day in September: The Battle of Antietam and the World It Left Behind analyzes the battle’s “Revolution in Military Affairs” and how it radically changed the United States and the world. It focuses on technologies, personalities, military doctrine, nongovernmental organizations, medical advances, international intrigue, and politics... MORE

Cover of A Day in September: The Battle of Antietam and the World It Left Behind by Stephen Budiansky

Can the 15th Five-Year Plan Fix the People’s Liberation Army’s Procurement Bottlenecks?
January 14, 2026 — China’s newly released 15th Five-Year Plan (2026–2030) proposal, unveiled after the Fourth Party Plenum in October 2025, not only marks Beijing’s quest to achieve the People’s Liberation Army’s goal of building a so-called world-class military by 2049. As the last major planning cycle before the 2035 benchmark for “basically achieving full modernization,” the plan also reaffirms General Secretary Xi Jinping’s core priorities: operational efficiency, technological self-reliance, and the Chinese Communist Party’s absolute command... MORE

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Book Review: Generals and Admirals, Criminals and Crooks: Dishonorable Leadership in the U.S. Military
January 12, 2026 — In this provocative and meticulously researched book, Jeffrey J. Matthews exposes the dark underbelly of US military leadership through a century of scandals—from war crimes and insubordination to corruption and abuse. Through gripping case studies, Matthews reveals how personal failings, and institutional blind spots have repeatedly undermined the integrity of America’s flag officers. A sobering exploration of power and accountability, the book challenges readers to rethink what ethical leadership truly demands in times of crisis... MORE

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Book Review: Defining the Mission: The Development of US Strategic Military Intelligence up to the Cold War
January 12, 2026 — From a modest four-man office in 1882 to a sprawling intelligence network by the 1940s, Scott A. Moseman traces the evolution of US strategic military intelligence through war, politics, and institutional transformation. Focusing on the Office of Naval Intelligence and the Military Intelligence Division, he reveals how competing visions from military leaders, government officials, and the public shaped the mission and identity of American intelligence agencies. This richly detailed history uncovers the roots of modern intelligence and its deep entanglement with the rise of American power... MORE

Cover for Defining the Mission, the Development of US Strategic Military Intelligence up to the Cold War

Book Review: A Search for Strategy: British–American Military Collaboration in 1942
January 12, 2026 — John F. Shortal’s book explores the relationship between Britain and the United States as they worked together to develop strategy during World War II. He introduces key players of strategy development, as well as how priorities the different countries brought to the table affected outcomes of specific battles and the war as a whole. The reviewer sees this book as more than a record of history, but also a provider of relevant lessons for strategic leaders... MORE

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Book Review: Facing the Victorious Turks: How the French Misread the Turkish War of Independence
January 12, 2026 — After World War I, French officials viewed the Middle East through a lens of Orientalism and imperial anxiety, leading them to misinterpret the rise of Turkish nationalism. In this gripping study, Andrew Orr reveals how flawed intelligence and racial biases shaped France’s response to Mustafa Kemal’s revolutionary movement. Facing the Victorious Turks offers a compelling reexamination of colonial misjudgment and its impact on the birth of modern Türkiye... MORE

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Book Review: The Dark Path: The Structure of War and the Rise of the West
January 12, 2026 — The Dark Path covers five decades of Western expansion as the author explores aspects of military organizations throughout history, focusing on the five Military-Social Revolutions. The reviewer believes this book “synthesizes [the author’s] career in an important and accessible package well worth the time for readers of this journal.”... MORE

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Book Review: Valiant Women: The Extraordinary American Servicewomen Who Helped Win World War II
January 12, 2026 — In Valiant Women, author Lena Andrews compiles stories that were largely gathered through interviews with women who served during World War II and uncovers their important but often overlooked contributions to the war effort. Although the reviewer regrets Andrews’s missed opportunity to include academic sources alongside the firsthand accounts, she still sees this compilation of untold stories as relevant and important... MORE

Cover for Valiant Women: The Extraordinary American Servicewomen Who Helped Win World War II