Battles and Book Reviews

Military History, Book Reviews, and Other Things

Page 7 of 38

Why Does the West Seem Incapable of Winning Wars Anymore? – Part 1

I got to thinking about the question at the title of this post a few months ago.  Being me I started doing some research and then put my thoughts down in what ended up being a fairly long paper for… Continue Reading →

Book Review: Pearl Harbor: The Missing Motive by Kevin O’Connell

I will admit that when I first got the request to review Pearl Harbor: The Missing Motive I was skeptical. After finishing it I remain skeptical but will admit that the author makes a well-written, if not necessarily compelling case… Continue Reading →

Podcast: The UN: History and Organization

An explanation of the history and organization of the UN.  Given that the UN plays such a large role in contemporary international relations I thought it worthwhile to talk about what it is and what it does. Download this episode… Continue Reading →

Book Review: Decision Points by George W. Bush

Decision Points is a book I have put off reading for several years but finally got around to. I mainly put it off because I have essentially avoided reading any histories of the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars as they hit… Continue Reading →

Book Review: Ghost Fleet: A Novel of the Next World War by P.W. Singer & August Cole

If have read some of the old-school thrillers of the 80’s and 90’s like Red Storm Rising, Flight of the Old Dog, or Red Phoenix then you will love Ghost Fleet. This is essentially an update of the Cold War… Continue Reading →

The Battlefield of Cannae: a Site Visit

The Battlefield of Cannae: a Site Visit The Battle of Cannae in 212 B.C. is perhaps the platonic ideal of what a decisive victory should look like.  Western commanders have been trying to replicate it since it happened over two… Continue Reading →

Podcast: Sanctions – Do They Work?

This episode discusses sanctions. Both types of sanctions, diplomatic and economic. More importantly it discusses their usefulness and I give you my answer to what I consider the central question; do sanctions work? Download this episode (right click and save)

Book Review: Killing Titan by Greg Bear

I should have kept complaining. I recently wrote a glowing review of the first book in the War Gods trilogyWar Dogs, unfortunately the second book Killing Titan is not as fast paced or interesting. In fact, I barely struggled through… Continue Reading →

Book Review: Storming the City: U.S. Military Performance in Urban Warfare from World War II to Vietnam by Alec Wahlman

Storming the City: U.S. Military Performance in Urban Warfare from World War II to Vietnam by Alec Wahlman is a study of the 20th Century United States experience in urban warfare. It examines four urban battles fought by US forces… Continue Reading →

Podcast: Hard Power versus Soft Power

This episode explores the differences between hard and soft power and discusses what is normally meant when the to terms are used. Download this episode (right click and save)

Podcast: Terrorism – What is it and what can we do?

A discussion of what terrorism is, what are terrorism’s goal, and what are the realistic options for dealing with it. Download this episode (right click and save)

Book Review: War Dogs by Greg Bear

I complained earlier this year about the lack of good science fiction. Well, I can quit complaining. War Dogs by Greg Bear is a very good book and just what I have been waiting for. This book is science fiction… Continue Reading →

Book Review: 1916: a Global History by Keith Jeffrey

[FULL DISCLOSURE: I received my copy of this book free from the author and/or publisher. I was not paid for this review and the opinion expressed is purely my own] There has been a flurry of new books dealing with… Continue Reading →

Podcast: NGO’s: A Rambling Rant

A fairly rambling discussion about NGO’s and what they really accomplish. I will admit upfront that I don’t have a very good opinion of NGO’s. It seems to me that after 150 years of digging wells in Africa we should… Continue Reading →

Podcast: Strategy: It’s Different aspects

This podcast is a wider discussion of strategy and the different aspects and types of strategy there are. Strategy is not one overarching concept except at its most basic. There are different nuances to strategy and strategy development that exist… Continue Reading →

« Older posts Newer posts »

© 2026 Battles and Book Reviews — Powered by WordPress

Theme by Anders NorenUp ↑