by Dana Priest
First published 2003
America increasingly turns to its military forces to handle diplomatic and political challenges around the globe. Dana Priest examines how this shift places enormous burdens on generals, soldiers, and Special Forces operatives who find themselves managing complex international relationships far beyond traditional warfare. The book follows military personnel as they confront cultural barriers and political complications in eighteen different countries. These men and women must balance their training as warriors with new roles as quasi-diplomats and nation builders. Priest reveals the tensions that arise when military culture meets foreign societies, showing how American forces struggle to adapt their methods to unfamiliar contexts. The account demonstrates the growing gap between what politicians expect from the military and what these forces can realistically accomplish in diverse global settings.
Genres: american, political-science, non-fiction, 21st-century, military-history, current-affairs
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water
Setting: America, Global
Period: 21st-Century
384 pages · Hardcover · W W Norton & Co Inc