Military Incompetence: Why the American Military Doesn't Win

Analyzes the five operations--all unsuccessful--carried out by American forces since the Vietnam War and identifies faulty intelligence, clumsy execution, or poor planning by the Joint Chiefs of Staff as the key causes of these failures

Gabriel begins with a good chapter on why things go wrong in the military and then details what went wrong in five small-scale American military opera tions: the raid on Sontay prison in North Vietnam; the rescue of the crew of the Mayaguez in Cambodia; the Ira nian hostage mission; the involvement in Beirut; and the invasion of Grenada. His thesis, as in his earlier books, is that command channels are so con fused that they invite failure. He dem onstrates how each of these operations was mismanaged from the top. The cul prits were not the soldiers, but the offi cers and civilians who did the planning. Gabriel makes his points with convic tion and an insider's appreciation. The journalistic writing is clear and general ly factual, but a bit too emotional to have much impact in public debate. For comprehensive collections. Edward Gibson, James Madison Univ. Lib., Harrisonburg, Va.
Copyright 1985 Reed Business Information, Inc.