Recent Publications - Tag Cold War

Book Review: The Airborne Mafia: The Paratroopers Who Shaped America’s Cold War Army
March 5, 2026 — In this gripping organizational history, Robert F. Williams reveals how a tight-knit group of World War II paratroopers rose to dominate the US Army’s leadership and reshape its doctrine during the Cold War. Through bold innovation and a fiercely held airborne culture, figures like Ridgway, Taylor, and Gavin transformed civil-military relations, atomic warfare planning, and airmobile strategy. The Airborne Mafia uncovers how subcultures can wield extraordinary influence, leaving a legacy that still echoes through today’s military institutions... MORE

Cover of The Airborne Mafia: The Paratroopers Who Shaped America’s Cold War Army by Robert F. Williams

Book Review: Cornerstone of the Nation: The Defense Industry and the Building of Modern Korea under Park Chung Hee
March 5, 2026 — In this groundbreaking study, Peter Banseok Kwon uncovers how South Korea’s defense industry became the engine of its rapid modernization under President Park Chung Hee. Drawing on declassified archives and firsthand interviews, Kwon reveals a hidden alliance of military, scientific, and industrial forces that transformed Korea into a global economic power. Cornerstone of the Nation reframes the “Miracle on the Han River” as a story of militarized industrialization, offering fresh insights into authoritarian development and Cold War geopolitics... MORE

Cover of Cornerstone of the Nation: The Defense Industry and the Building of Modern Korea under Park Chung Hee by Peter Banseok Kwon

On “Korea and the Arsenal of Democracy” and “Allies, Partners, or Puppets?: American and Chilean Armies, 1961–69”
November 14, 2025 — In this episode, authors Dr. Michael Fitzpatrick and Dr. Hugo Harvey-Valdés compare the transatlantic partnerships between the United States and West Germany in the 1970s, the US and South Korea in the 1970s and 80s, and the US and Chilean armies’ relations in the 1960s. They discuss the successes and struggles of those partnerships and the strengths and limits of American influence during these time periods... MORE

Decisive Point Podcast – Ep 5-34 – Michael Fitzpatrick and Hugo Harvey-Valdés – On “Korea and the Arsenal of Democracy” and “Allies, Partners, or Puppets?: American and Chilean Armies, 1961–69”

Book Review: America’s Cold Warrior: Paul Nitze and National Security from Roosevelt to Reagan
September 22, 2025 — In America’s Cold Warrior: Paul Nitze and National Security from Roosevelt to Reagan written by James Graham Wilson and reviewed by Rev. Dr. Wylie W. Johnson, readers follow the life of Paul Nitze. As a businessman and government official, Nitze lived a life of service, holding positions as United States Deputy Secretary of Defense, U.S. Secretary of the Navy, and Director of Policy Planning for the U.S. State Department. He also helped craft America’s Cold War policy. “Nitze’s life is more than an interesting story,” the reviewer notes, “it suggests the way forward for aspiring senior leaders.”... MORE

Cover of America’s Cold Warrior: Paul Nitze and National Security from Roosevelt to Reagan

Book Review: Provoked: How Washington Started the New Cold War with Russia and the Catastrophe in Ukraine
July 1, 2025 — Billed by the reviewer as “must-read for military professionals who want to understand how the United States and Russia came to the precipice of war,” this book posits that the Washington bipartisan foreign policy consensus is to blame for the Russia-Ukraine War. Using US diplomats, bureaucrats, defense contractors, and politicians to make his point, Horton uses their work to argue for restraint when dealing with Russia. ... MORE

Cover for Provoked: How Washington Started the New Cold War with Russia and the Catastrophe in Ukraine

Book Review: British Grand Strategy in the Age of American Hegemony
December 12, 2024 — Dr. Frank L. Jones, a distinguished fellow of the US Army War College, provides a useful and comprehensive review of author William D. James’s first book, “an excellent study for members of the defense community who want to understand British grand strategy historically or aspire to policy-making or strategy-making positions and need a sound introduction.” Jones outlines James’s main arguments and the value of the case studies presented, including the “East of Suez” case study, a “vivid example of strategic adjustment where timing, domestic politics, other foreign policy priorities, economic power, and the concerns of allies shape decision making.”... MORE

Book cover: British Grand Strategy in the Age of American Hegemony

Parameters | Winter 2024–25
November 21, 2024 — Welcome to the Winter 2024–25 issue of Parameters. This issue consists of an In Focus special commentary, three forums (Indo-Pacific, Security Cooperation, and Historical Studies), and the regular Civil-Military Relations Corner installment... MORE

“The Challenges of Next-Gen Insurgency”
November 5, 2024 — In this episode, Steven Metz discusses his article, “The Challenges of Next-Gen Insurgency,” which was published in the Autumn 2024 issue of Parameters. We discuss how generational conflict may drive future insurgencies, particularly tensions between youth and older generations fueled by frustration and radical ideologies... MORE

“Exploring the Nexus of Military and Society at a 50-Year Milestone”
October 7, 2024 — In this episode, Patricia M. Shields, a Regents Professor at Texas State University, discusses the evolving dynamics between military institutions and civilian society over the last 50 years. She explores key themes such as recruitment strategies, veteran welfare, and the impacts of pivotal events like the Vietnam War and 9/11 on civil-military relations... MORE

“Exploring the Nexus of Military and Society at a 50-Year Milestone” | Patricia M. Shields

Parameters | Autumn 2024
August 29, 2024 — Welcome to the Autumn 2024 issue of Parameters. The Autumn issue consists of a special piece from the US Army War College Commandant and Provost on their strategic vision for the college, two In Focus special commentaries, three forums (Cooperative Partnerships, Professional Development, and Historical Studies), two regular forums (A Major’s Perspective and the Civil-Military Relations Corner), and a... MORE

NATO’s in Denial about Deterrence by Denial
July 8, 2024 — Taking the necessary steps to fully operationalize deterrence by denial is critical — especially before a possible change in America’s relationship with NATO.Recent revelations that the Chinese government has been substantially aiding Russia’s war effort in Ukraine — selling the country all it needs to build its own armaments, including microchips... MORE

NATO’s in Denial about Deterrence by Denial
John R. Deni
Published by POLITICO

The Good Captain: A Personal Memoir of America at War
July 21, 2023 — Strategic Leadership Book Review: The Good Captain: A Personal Memoir of America at War Author: R. D. Hooker Jr. | Reviewed by Joseph J. Collins, PhD, retired US Army colonel | Retired Army colonel Rich Hooker’s The Good Captain is a memoir spanning the Cold War through the Global War on Terror. Hooker’s deployments take up the bulk of the book... MORE