Description
Book SynopsisWhy is Israel’s relatively small and low-budget military also the world’s most innovative, technologically and logistically? Edward Luttwak and Eitan Shamir look to the IDF’s unique structure: integrating army, air force, and navy in one service, under an officer class constantly refreshed by short tenures, the IDF is built for agility and change.
Trade ReviewRich with rare detail, much of it a result of the authors’ access to the IDF’s inner sanctums and their intimate knowledge of grand strategy and military history. -- Tunku Varadarajan * Wall Street Journal *
An incisive, original study of military innovation as it has developed over more than half a century at one of the world’s most redoubtable armed forces, the Israel Defense Forces. Bursting with pertinent information, it is also a pleasure to read. It would be hard to find authors more highly qualified than Luttwak and Shamir to write this book, which should appeal to anyone interested in the modern military. -- Martin van Creveld, author of
The Transformation of WarUntil now, no one has adequately explained why the Israel Defense Forces has had such a unique legacy of innovation. Luttwak and Shamir do so in a way that illuminates not only the IDF but also the broader challenges of creativity in war. -- Eliot A. Cohen, author of
The Big StickBrilliantly reveals the secret to the success of the Israeli military: its capacity for innovation. Luttwak and Shamir, two distinguished historians who know the Israel Defense Forces inside and out, show how the receptiveness to invention and the courage to change course even in the heat of battle have made the IDF one of the world’s most effective armies. Every serving officer in the armed forces of NATO should read this indispensable work. -- Col. Douglas Macgregor, US Army, Ret., author of
Margin of VictoryAn important book for anyone interested in understanding how organizations innovate and improve. The saying ‘change or die’ is true for organizations in general, but in the case of the IDF, it is true in the most literal sense. Many armies throughout history have shown a great capacity for change when necessary, but Luttwak and Shamir show that for the Israeli military, innovation is a way of life. -- Lt. Gen. Aviv Kochavi, Chief of General Staff, Israel Defense Forces, Ret.
A compelling and important book. In wartime, armed forces must learn and apply what they learn in combat. In between wars, they must learn from the past and anticipate the future. The IDF is the perfect subject for drawing lessons important to developing military organizations that fight and win; Luttwak and Shamir are the perfect authors to illuminate those lessons. -- Lt. Gen. H. R. McMaster, US Army, Ret., author of
Battlegrounds
