Description
Book SynopsisTrade ReviewHighly recommended for aficionados of foreign-policy and national-security issues. Kirkus Reviews a lucid and insightful guide to the use of armed force as an instrument of U.S. power. American Conservative Betts combines serious thought, common sense, and deep historical knowledge, rather than simply applying abstract theories, and his conclusions are expressed in plain English -- Lawrence D. Freedman Foreign Affairs This volume is instructive for policy makers and would be engaging and provocative in the classroom... Recommeded. Choice American Force deserves to be widely read and debated. -- Scott A. Silverstone H-Diplo Roundtable Richard Betts has written an extremely important book that is probably the best critique of the prevalent bipartisan thinking on post-Cold War foreign policy produced to date... [Betts] has already written four or five classics in the field, and this book adds another to that remarkable list. -- Michael O'Hanlon Political Science Quarterly Betts provides a sobering and bluntly honest critique of US force. He does so through clear writing and argument. -- David Ryan International Affairs American Force is a well-reasoned and thoughtful critique of the current U.S. national security environment, one that policymakers should not ignore. -- Thomas Meagher H-War Richard K. Betts is an extraordinarily clear thinker and writer. Survival
Table of ContentsPreface Part I. The Post-Cold War Hiatus 1. Introduction: From Cold War to Hot Peace 2. Policy Milestones: Cold War Roots of Consensus 3. Confused Interventions: Puttering with Primacy 4. New Threats of Mass Destruction: Capabilities Down, Intentions Up Part II. History Strikes Back 5. Terrorism: The Soft Underbelly of Primacy 6. Striking First: Well-Lost Opportunities 7. Big Small Wars: Iraq, Afghanistan, and Vietnam 8. The Main Events: The Rise of China and Resurgence of Russia Part III. Decision and Implementation 9. Civil-Military Relations: A Special Problem? 10. Plans and Results: Is Strategy an Illusion? 11. A Disciplined Defense: Regaining Strategic Solvency 12. Conclusion: Selecting Security Notes Index
