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The Impact of the Turn to the Left on the Advance of the People’s Republic of China in Latin
October 5, 2023
R. Evan Ellis  This work uses the comparative method, complemented by quantitative data, to examine engagement by the People’s Republic of China (PRC) in Latin America as a function of government type, across a range of activities, including trade, investment, infrastructure projects, security relations, and technical architectures over the past two decades. The findings indicate that the PRC establishes distinct and often broader forms of engagement with populist, anti-US governments, although this does not necessarily translate into a higher volume of PRC investment or overall trade with those governments. This is the first major work in the growing China–Latin America literature to explicitly analyze the dynamics of PRC engagement across regime type. It contributes to strategic analysis of the PRC challenge in the region by the operational force, including the identification of risks, and the formulation of responses, including credible messaging, in support of a coordinated whole-of-government response to the PRC challenge. Read now: The Impact of the Turn to the Left on the Advance of the People’s Republic of China in Latin Image adapted from FreePik (https://www.freepik.com/free-vector/coronavirus-map_7456298.htm)
The Air War in Vietnam
September 21, 2023
Book Review by Vince Alcazar of The Air War in Vietnam Author: Michael E. Weaver Reviewed by Vince Alcazar, Air Force (retired) planner and fighter pilot, Department of Defense The Air War in Vietnam addresses President Lyndon B. Johnson’s administration’s use of airpower (or lack of it) and why American airpower underperformed, as well as airpower innovations that influenced the US warfare model in the Vietnam War. The reviewer bills this work as “…an indispensable volume of airpower scholarship. It is a richly developed analysis of airpower in a decade-long war with challenging hybrid characteristics and shifting US strategies.”
Spies and Shuttles: NASA’s Secret Relationship with the DoD and CIA
September 21, 2023
Book Review by Carlos Barrera and Manuel Carranza of: Spies and Shuttles: NASA’s Secret Relationship with the DoD and CIA Author: James E. David Reviewed by Professor Carlos Barrera, Mexican Institute for Strategic Studies in National Security and Defence, and Manuel Carranza, defense and security affairs researcher Starting with the 1957 launches of the Soviet Union’s Sputnik 1 and 2, James E. David’s autobiography “offers a cautionary tale on grandiloquent endeavors and highlights the need to prioritize planning over narrative” in space. David was a curator in the Division of Space History at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, which gave him access to newly declassified materials. He put this information to good use in Spies and Shuttles as he chronicles NASA’s history and impact.
Original Sin: Power, Technology and War in Outer Space
September 21, 2023
Book Review by Jeffrey Caton of: Original Sin: Power, Technology and War in Outer Space Author: Bleddyn E. Bowen Reviewed by Jeffrey Caton, colonel, US Air Force (retired), and president, Kepler Strategies LLC Based on three key arguments, Original Sin covers the development of spacepower during the Cold War, space technology’s progress, and the weapons, planning and doctrine that surround space warfare. The reviewer notes, “What sets Original Sin apart from similar books is the outstanding context it provides and its willingness to challenge trite slogans attached to spacepower.”
Without Flyers, No Tannenberg: Aviation on the Eastern Front of 1914—Evolution of a Critical Role for Modern Warfare
September 21, 2023
Book Review by Greg Pickell: Without Flyers, No Tannenberg: Aviation on the Eastern Front of 1914—Evolution of a Critical Role for Modern Warfare Authors: Terrence J. Finnegan, Helmut Jäger, and Carl J. Bobrow Reviewed by Greg Pickell, US Army lieutenant colonel (retired) Providing valuable historical context, Without Flyers, No Tannenberg “offers a wealth of previously unavailable information and provided needed context to the German triumph over the Russian 2nd Army in the opening weeks of the First World War.” The book describes how aviation developed in Germany and Russia and offers detailed maps and graphics. The latter part of the book covers events following the defeat of Russian General Samsonov’s 2nd Army, to include the Battle of the Masurian Lakes and the campaign that followed.
National Hispanic Heritage Month – Brigadier General (Ret.) Irene M. Zoppi Rodriguez
September 18, 2023
National Hispanic Heritage Month Podcast
National Hispanic Heritage Month – Major General (Ret.) Luis R. Visot
September 15, 2023
National Hispanic Heritage Month Podcast
Strategia: A Primer on Theory and Strategy for Students of War
August 29, 2023
Book Review by Phillip Dolitsky: Strategia: A Primer on Theory and Strategy for Students of War Author: Charles S. Oliviero Reviewed by Phillip Dolitsky, master’s student at the School of International Service, American University Strategia: A Primer on Theory and Strategy for Students of War poses the question “What is the true nature of war?” According to the author, even after studying war for 2,000 years, it is still misunderstood. Topics include war on land, war at sea, and war in the air. The reviewer notes that several relevant strategists names are noticeably absent from the work, including J. C. Wylie, Raymond Aron, Colin S. Gray, and Edward N. Luttwak, and even Thucydides.
Cyber Intelligence: Actors, Policies, and Practices
August 29, 2023
Book Review by Robert J. Bunker: How Civil Wars Start and How to Stop Them Author: Barbara F. Walter Reviewed by Dr. Robert J. Bunker, director of research and analysis, managing partner, C/O Futures LLC How Civil Wars Start and How to Stop Them was written to acquaint readers with “the conditions that give rise to, and define, modern civil war” to “[understand how] close modern America is to erupting into conflict” (xviii). The reviewer notes, “American military officers, sworn government agents, and officials will find the work troubling” and praises its “nonpartisan exploration and objective analysis” in tackling a difficult topic.
How Civil Wars Start and How to Stop Them
August 29, 2023
Book Review by Robert J. Bunker: How Civil Wars Start and How to Stop Them Author: Barbara F. Walter Reviewed by Dr. Robert J. Bunker, director of research and analysis, managing partner, C/O Futures LLC How Civil Wars Start and How to Stop Them was written to acquaint readers with “the conditions that give rise to, and define, modern civil war” to “[understand how] close modern America is to erupting into conflict” (xviii). The reviewer notes, “American military officers, sworn government agents, and officials will find the work troubling” and praises its “nonpartisan exploration and objective analysis” in tackling a difficult topic.
Team America: Patton, MacArthur, Marshall, Eisenhower, and the World They Forged
August 29, 2023
Book Review by Wylie W. Johnson: Team America: Patton, MacArthur, Marshall, Eisenhower, and the World They Forged Author: Robert L. O’Connell Reviewed by Rev. Dr. Wylie W. Johnson, US Army War College class of 2010 Although early twentieth-century America’s Army was small, meagerly funded, short on equipment, and rife with other struggles, it saw the rise of great leaders. Team America: Patton, MacArthur, Marshall, Eisenhower, and the World They Forged focuses on four of them. They came from different backgrounds, yet “Together they accounted for 19 stars; together they brought about victory in their generation. Two became Chief of Staff of the Army. One rose to become the US Commander in Chief.
National Security after China’s 20th Party Congress: Trends in Discourse and Policy
August 29, 2023
National Security after China’s 20th Party Congress: Trends in Discourse and Policy (prcleader.org) | Sheena Chestnut Greitens