by Pete Hegseth
First published 2024
Pete Hegseth examines what he sees as the military's transformation from a lethal fighting force into an institution consumed by cultural politics. Drawing from his two decades of service, Hegseth argues that the Army he joined focused on competency and battlefield effectiveness. He contends that today's military leadership has abandoned these principles in favor of ideological priorities that weaken combat readiness. The author traces this shift to broader cultural changes that he believes have diminished respect for traditional masculine virtues like risk-taking and decisive action. Hegseth warns that Americans cannot escape this problem by relocating or avoiding it, since the nation possesses only one Pentagon. He combines personal military experiences with analysis of command structure failures to diagnose institutional dysfunction. The book presents Hegseth's blueprint for reclaiming military effectiveness before future conflicts expose these weaknesses. He maintains that warriors who embody traditional military values remain essential for national security, regardless of political trends that minimize external threats.
Genres: american, political-science, war, military-fiction, non-fiction, 21st-century
Vibes: thought-provoking
Tropes: social-commentary
256 pages · Hardcover · Fox News Books