For the better part of the last half century; the United States has been the World's Police; claiming to defend ideologies; allies; and our national security through brute force. But is military action always the most appropriate response? Drawing on his vast experience; from combat in Vietnam to peacekeeping in Somalia; to war games in Washington; DC and negotiations with former rebels in the Philippines; retired four-star General Tony Zinni argues that we have a lot of work to do to make the process of going to war―or not―more clear-eyed and ultimately successful. He examines the relationship between the executive and the military (including the difference between passive and engaged presidents); the failures of the Joint Chief of Staff; the challenges of working with the UN; coalition forces; and NATO; the difference between young; on the ground officers and less savvy senior leaders; the role of special forces and drone warfare; and the difficult choices that need to be made to create tomorrow's military. Among his provocative points:* Virtually every recent American military operation follows a disconnected series of actions that lead to outcomes we never foresaw or intended.* We need to assign accountability for the political decisions that can make or break a mission.* Words and ideas are as important to victory in today's conflicts as bullets.* The cyber "war" is ongoing. Either you must build better tech than the other guy; or you must steal it.* Our foreign aid budget is pitiful; our State Department; USAID; and the other government agencies that we critically need to be on a par with our military are underfunded; undermanned; and poorly structured for their current objectives.From the Oval Office to the battlefield; Before the First Shots Are Fired is a hard-hitting analysis of the history of America's use of military action and a spirited call for change.
#394320 in Books Cengage Learning 2012-01-01Ingredients: Example IngredientsOriginal language:EnglishPDF # 1 1.00 x 7.30 x 9.00l; 1.95 #File Name: 1111831718576 pages
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. The Tenth Edition is Poorly-Written and Not Worth Its CostBy Robert McMurrayI have spent the past several decades studying history; and as such I own a lot of books about various historical subjects. However; my primary area of interest is Western Civilization; and as such I have read the eighth edition of "Western Civilization: Ideas; Politics; and Society;" and I purchased the ninth edition several years ago. I was impressed by the ninth edition; I have read it often; and I have frequently used it as a reference. However; after having purchased the tenth edition; I am no longer impressed.While I realize that history marches on and history books which cover modern subjects need to be kept up-to-date; this tenth edition seems more like a "money grab" by the authors. By comparing the ninth and tenth editions; it is clear that the authors simply added additional verbiage to several of the passages; which was often unnecessary; and that would lead me to believe that the authors were attempting to artificially increase the apparent number of changes in this edition in order to pseudo-justify the need for academic institutions to ditch their existing editions in favor of this new edition.What's more; the tenth edition was very poorly edited. A large number of passages throughout the book are written quite poorly; a first-year college student could easily have re-written many of those passages with greater clarity. As a result; this edition reads like it was rushed to market.On a side note; after having used the two books in this series for several years in various editions; I have grown increasingly dissatisfied with the book's maps. Since the books have only a few colors to use when publishing maps; the author's usually employ geometric patterns rather than colors to differentiate geographic regions on the maps. As a result; readers are forced to spend a great deal of time trying to discern which pattern goes with which feature; rather than the publisher spending a few extra dollars to make the maps more legible.In summary; the tenth edition was a major disappointment; I will be returning my copy. But regardless of my choice to return my copy; the overall quality of the tenth edition is so poor that it in no way justifies its exceedingly-steep price tag.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Boring bookBy RobinI had to buy this book for school and i would not recommend it. The book was confusing and hard to follow at some times because of the order events were written in. The chapters are long and the word print is small. The material itself was slightly interesting; but the book failed to capture my attention.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Five StarsBy SamThe rental price was very reasonable and right on time.
