America has been at war for years, but until now, it has not been clear with whom or precisely for what. With the publication of War Footing, lead-authored by Frank Gaffney, it not only becomes clear who the enemy is and how high the stakes are, but also exactly how we can prevail. War Footing shows that we are engaged in nothing less than a War for the Free World. This book is a highly readable and definitive owner's manual for the War for the Free World. Whether we like it or not, every American owns a stake in its outcome. War Footing tells us how we can make sure it comes out right.

By means of a series of 17 essays that cover topics ranging from ancient Greece to Ming-era China to modern America, The Makers of Strategy presents a comprehensive survey about the formulation of strategy as it has occurred across time and space. Instead of focusing on the outcomes of strategy, or comparing the efficacy, this book takes as its subject the processes by which strategy has been made. In doing so, it illuminates numerous factors which reappear throughout human history and provides an excellent reference for historians, political scientists, and decision makers.

This collection of 28 essays on the making and implementation of strategy is a much-needed update to the original 1943 version. The book mixes treatises both old and new, and illustrates the importance of cogent and coherent strategy for states both in peacetime and in war. One of the key messages of the book is that strategy must be integrated with political concerns, or else is runs the risk of withering unripened on the vine. Makers of Modern Strategy presents the reader with an invaluable reference for the understanding of the way in which strategy influences the outcome of human events.

Created in 1947, the National Security helps the President create and coordinate military and foreign policy. David Rothkopf's new book reviews the history of the NSC, tracing its actions through the major currents of foreign policy over the last 50 years. He details the informal and often ad hoc structures that have defined the NSC throughout much of its history, and illustrates the ways in which its sometimes confusing processes have effected the chief executive and the security of the United States. Students of policymaking should consider this a must-read.

Thinking in Time addresses one of the fundamental questions o the study of history: "Why?" It details the ways in which knowledge of the past can be of great aid to the leaders of the present. Among the subjects addressed are the limits and ends of power as viewed through the lens of history, the applicability of historical "lessons" to problems of today, and the way in which human nature has influence politics and strategy from ancient times of the present day. It provides a valuable insight into the role of history in decision making and offers a valuable intellectual anchor for those in positions of power today.

Rohan Gunaratna, "the foremost English-speaking expert on the terror network[s]," has done students of modern terrorism a great service with this book on the inner workings of Osama bin Laden's Al-Qaeda. Published in 2002, Inside Al-Qaeda predicted the metasticization of the terror networks as a result of the U.S.'s post-9/11 War on Terror. It gives intricate detail about the threat this new, networked organization will pose to the safety and security of the West. For readers seeking inside information about one of the gravest modern dangers to the U.S., they need go no farther than this compelling book.

This book is the meticulously researched brainchild of former NSC official Constantine Menges. It describes the stealthy and secretive strategy currently being pursued by the Chinese in the efforts to undermine and overturn U.S. geopolitical dominance both in East Asia and across the globe. Menges provides tantalizing detail about the PRC's economic strategy, its buildup of nuclear weapons, is covert alliance with Russia to fund anti-American terror, as well as numerous other actions by the Chinese that run counter to their repeated assertions that they seek only "peace and development." Any student of China or of 21st century geopolitics cannot be without this book.

North Korea's Kim Jong-il has taken a country blessed with natural resources and an educated populace with a dedicated work ethic and reduced it to the level of the most abysmal third-world pesthole. He is diverting resources that his country cannot spare to accelerate a program whereby he can become a nuclear power capable of proliferating weapons of mass destruction to terrorist groups in return for hard cash. Separated at Birth addresses these concerns, exploring North Korea's twentieth-century history, its separation from South Korea, as well as its place in the East and its relation to China, the U.S., and Japan.

In Countdown to Crisis, Kenneth Timmerman makes use of defector and dissident reports, declassified documents, and high-level government sources to provide an inside account of the threat that Iran and its nuclear program pose to the security of the U.S. and its allies. This book, with its numerous bombshells about the extent of Iranian funding of terror and its ominous nuclear intentions, provides a wake-up call to those who insist on denying the dangers facing the West in the person of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his hard-line clerical regime. All told, Timmerman's book is a valuable addition to the bookshelf of anyone worried about the Islamic Republic.

Written from top-secret KGB documents collected by Russian defector Vasili Mitrokhin, The Sword and the Shield is the best work yet published on the long history of the Soviet secret services. In its pages one finds details about provocations and penetrations of foreign intelligence services, the repressive and often gruesome machinations of the Soviet secret police, as well as heretofore unpublished information about the extent of Soviet disinformation, subversion, and propaganda aimed both at the West and at the Third World. This book is a must-have for any student of the Cold War and the Soviet threat.

In The Holy War on the Home Front, Kushner and Davis lay bare the how the U.S. government, the ACLU, and other with "multicultural" leanings allowed the spread of terror-sponsoring mosques, university groups, and charities in the U.S. The authors confront what the apologist attitudes of many in this country who fear to take action against violent Muslim groups for fear of violating their civil rights or for acting in an "intolerant" manner. The authors present a battle plan to help overcome our over-sensitivities and combat the threat that is burgeoning in our midst.

America has, for the last decade, been hailed as the world sole superpower. Now, with on-going wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, escalating tensions with Iran and North Korea, and strained relationships with friends and allies all over the globe, Hook and Spainer have provided a cogent an insightful analysis about what lessons the past 60 years of American foreign policy can teach today's decision makers. The authors argue in this valuable book that American foreign policy has long been defined by a sense of national exceptionalism, a surety of worth and of purpose that continue to color our leaders' decision making in both positive and negative ways.

Mead, a Senior Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, has done students of foreign policy a great service with this new book. In it, he looks back at the 20th Century in an effort to formulate an American grand strategy for the future. A devoted "advocate of the American project," Mead is sometimes highly critical of U.S. policy, but succeeds in coupling his criticisms with insightful reccomendations and policy proposals. He addresses both the hard and soft side of national power, and details the ways in which they should be incorporated into national strategy. All in all, this book is well worth reading.

In The Case for Democracy, Sharanksy, a former Soviet political prisoner turned Israeli politician, makes the case that only mature democracy can bring about lasting peace. He argues that free societies are the only way to undercut the poverty and repression that are behind so much of the terrorism and disorder of the world today. He uses the Palestinian-Israeli conflict to make his point, stating that only when the Palestinian people are free from autocratic, intolerant governance will they be able to reach a lasting peace with their Israeli neighboors.

With the publication of this book, John Yoo has contrubted mightily to the public debate over presidential powers in time of war. Yoo, formerly with the Bush Administration's department of Justice, personally authored many of the policies that have sparked so much controversy. However, The Powers of War and Peace is not a partisan defense of Bush's policy, but rather a cautious and detailed examination of precedent and theory as they relate to the constitutional prerogatives of a wartime administration. This book deserves a careful and considered reading from anyone who thinks seriously about the nature and purposes of American governance.

With Europe: A History, Norman Davies has written a synthetic one-volume overview of Europe from prehistory through the present. Davies' engaging writing carries the reader along, while the steady sweep of the main narrative is broken up by "capsules," boxed passages examining particular places, customs, or issues that cut across chronological lines. Davies also gives the eastern part of Europe its due, and manages to include commoners and the persecuted or ignored in his story along with the mighty and the royal. Europe: A History won't please everybody, but it's a highly intelligent, superbly readable overview that deserves to become a standard text.

Paul Johnson, in this epic work, artfully details more than 400 years of American history - including politics, culture, science, religion, and more. A History of the American People is a provocative examination of this country's defining events, ideas, and people, and presents the reader with a fascinating interpretation of the shaping of America. Johnson's optimistic tone defines the character of the book, and helps the book function as an aid to those who have a love of American history, and who seek to understand this country's past to as to better guide its future. Simply put, it is a must-have.

Founding Brothers is a riveting description of the political social, and personal lives of the Founding Fathers, one which carries a substantial relevance for modern times. The book makes use of a series of engaging vignettes to carry across the essence of the American founding. Throughout the text, Ellis explains the personal, face-to-face nature of early American politics--and notes that the members of the revolutionary generation were conscious of the fact that they were establishing precedents on which future generations would rely. If you're historically-minded or want a great overview of what undoubtedly is the "greatest generation," do yourself a favor and buy this book.

John O'Sullivan, a veteran journalist and former adviser and speech writer for Margaret Thatcher, makes a great contribution to Cold War history with this new book. He artfully details the way in which three western leaders grew into their responsibilities and worked to militarily, economically, diplomatically, and morally undermine the Soviet Union over the course of ten short, dramatic years. O'Sullivan describes Reagan, Thatcher, and JP II as exactly what the West needed after more than a decade of general apathy and decline. This book is a first-rate work and deserves to be widely read.

In this fascinating work, Max Boot lays bare a seldom-touched aspect of American history - the myriad of "small wars" that this nation fought throughout its rise to great-power status. With examples ranging from the Barbary pirates to Imperial China to the jungles of Vietnam, this book illuminates what, given this country's current involvement in the Middle East, is undoubtedly a crucial part of our past. No American or military history library is complete with out Boot's book, nor should any policy maker neglect its lessons about the nature of American power.

This book, widely described as a "provocative" and "stimulating" work on the history of military innovation, deserves to be widely read. Infused with penetrating insights into the workings of the past, it provides a valuable intellectual benchmark for those participating or interested in the on-going process of military transformation with the Department of Defense. It takes readers from the time of Edward III all the way to today's "revolution in military affairs." Both authors are widely-acclaimed historians and their work deserves to be part of the library of any serious history buff or policy advocate.

In this seminal work, John Nagl compares the U.S Army's failures in Vietnam with the marked successes of the British in Malaya. Critical of the inability of the U.S. to adapt to the insurgent tactics of the Vietnamese guerillas, Nagl states that DoD attempted to fight in Vietnam the same in which on the fields of Europe in WWII. Learning to Eat Soup with a Knife is thus a pertinent and timely work, given this country's ongoing struggles with counterinsurgency operations. This book is both an excellent introduction to the field and serves as a good reference for those with counterinsurgency experience.

In The General's War, Gordon and Trainor provide a behind-the-scenes look at the Gulf War's generalship. This meticulous reconstruction of American leadership in Desert Shield/Desert Storm presents the conflict as a laboratory for testing new weapons and doctrine and the services' capacity for cooperation in the field. It also serves as an object lesson in the failure of deterrence and the problem of war termination, with a discussion of President Bush's premature cease-fire order. Any student of history should make it a point to read this book.

In Victory on the Potomac, Locher tells of the Goldwater-Nichols Act and its strategically vital after-effect - the unification of the Pentagon. This book is a detailed account of the battles for civilian control of a "joint" military establishment that took place in Washington's halls of power, and describes the political momentum necessary to overturn a firmly entrenched bureaucratic tradition. Locher thus provides military aficionados with a valuable work on the formation of the modern DoD, and gives decision makers crucial insights into the workings of bureaucracies and how even the best of policies can be nearly scuttled by a recalcitrant few.

In his latest book, The Cold War: A New History, Yale academic Gaddis adds further to his reputation as one of the West's best Cold War historians. Gaddis correctly praises Reagan, Thatcher, and John Paul II for their role in helping to bring about the collapse of the communist "Evil Empire." He sets forth a series of compelling theses that set the Cold War firmly in the context of a Great Power ideological struggle of epic proportions. While one might not always agree with his arguments (that Gorbachev deserved a Nobel Peace Prize, for example), this book deserves the serious attention of any student of modern history.

In Silent Warfare, Abram Shulsky makes a valuable contribution to the field of intelligence, which has only in recent years come under serious academic scrutiny. This book serves as an excellent introduction to the field, and covers the areas of collection, analysis, counterintelligence, covert action, and security. It serves both to lift intelligence out of the world of James Bond-style make-believe and to cleanse it of the stigma it often receives in the media. Shulsky argues that intelligence is a vital, if sometimes maligned and neglected, tool of statecraft and strategic security policy.

John Keegan's Intelligence in War stands as one of the benchmark texts in the fields of intelligence study and military history. Keegan, a famed historian, seeks to search out and dileneate the role of intelligence in the formation and prosecution of military strategy and operations. Using examples ranging from the Napoleonic era to Midway to the War on Terror, this book will be of great service to the reader interested in furthering his or her knowledge of intelligence, which, claims Keegan, is neccessary for victory, but does not guarantee it.

Ghosts Wars is a riveting account of the CIA's on-again, off-again relationship with Afghanistan and its people since the days of the Soviet invasion. Coll, a journalist by trade, details the ways in which Afghanistan was and is a crossroads for Great Power politics, both during the Cold War and today. This book is a lengthy and detailed record of the intelligence wars that took place over the course of more than two decades, and tracks the rise of those militant Islamofascists who wreaked such grave harm upon this country on 9/11.

In Executive Secrets, William Daugherty, a 17-year veteran of the CIA, makes use of congressional investigations, declassified documents, as well as his own experience to paint a compelling picture the covert activities of the CIA. This picture is far different from the over-hyped public image of the Agency as a "rogue elephant." Daugherty details the legal and practical restraints upon covert action and does an excellent job of placing it in its proper context as a tool of national security policy. As such, no serious student of intelligence can do without this book.

In From the Shadows, fomer DCI Gates provides the ultimate insider's account of how the CIA and the rest of the U.S. goverment worked to bring down the Soviet Union in the final years of the Cold War. In this book one finds operational accounts of covert U.S.-Soviet meetings, scintillating detail on the political tensions of the period, and blow-by-blow descriptions of black ops and espionage activities that characterized this "hidden" Cold War. From the Shadows is a must-read for anyone interested in intelligence of the Cold War.

Lt. Col. R. Alan King's Twice Armed describes the activities of his unit, the 422nd Civil Affairs Battalion, as they went about their mission trying to win hearts and minds in Iraq. The 422nd's operations, which had them traveling far beyond the Green Zone in Baghdad front an instructive, front line account of what it's like to be a PSYOP officer and political warrior in today's military. King documents both the successes and failures of he and his unit, and in so doing, provides an illuminating and highly useful account of the War in Iraq, one that deserves as much attention as other books about "traditional" military operations.

Many in this country have fiercely debated the possibility of terrorist sabotage of the Internet, but almost no one discusses how the Internet serves to help network terror and proliferate its motivating ideologies. Terror on the Internet serves to fill this gap by clearly illuminating the ways in which terrorists attract recruits and funds, plan attacks, coordinate action, and wage propaganda wars by means of hundreds upon hundreds of websites. Using numerous real-life examples, Weinmann illustrates the danger that this new, networked terror poses to the West, and he sets forth a plan for what we can do about it.

Created by the British at the outset of the Second World War, the PWE was designed to fight the Nazi onslaught in the realm on words, images, and ideas. Garnett's in-depth history of the PWE, which makes use of interviews, government hearings, as well as numerous declassified documents from Her Majesty's government, provides an objective and interesting account of this all-too-often neglected aspect of WWII history, and of military and political history more generally. Students of political warfare, propaganda, or intelligence will find this to be a riveting read, and would do well to have it on their shelves.

The Communications Revolution has, in the words of one observer, turned the world into an "information fishbowl." Armistead's path-breaking work details this phenomenon, with special empasis on how warfighters and policy makers must harness the "soft" power of information in the service of strategoc, tactical and operational objectives. The author argues that from terrorists to autocratic nation states, there is no realm in which the security of the U.S. could not be enhanced by a creative, cogent, and coherent information operations policy. This book is, quite simply, a must-read.

Published by the Department of the Navy, Military Transformation and the Defense Industry After Next sets forth all of the ways in which modern networked warfare will alter the U.S. defense industry. The authors detail the ways in which the traditional operations of this industry will have to be modified and modernized, and set forth a cogent and coherent plan on how to do so. This book is a must-read for anyone seeking to understand how 21st century technologies are changing the way DoD does business.

As military procurement spending fell by more than 50 percent in the 1990s, mergers and Pentagon policies altered the defense industry in unexpected ways. This modified industry presents new challenges for American military policy, competitiveness, and international peace and security. Arming the Future documents the defense industrial changes of the post-cold war decade—why they happened and what they portend.

Supplying War draws on a wide variety of previously un-investigated and unpublished sources to paint a picture of what one reviewer called the "nuts and bolts" or warfare. With a deft touch, Van Creveld details the intricacies of troop movement and supply, administration and transportation, as well as other topics that are rarely touched by the vast majority of works on military history. The book, which is recommended by the Joint Chiefs of Staff, provides a unique and valuable reinterpretation of the history of warfare.