The Straw Giant

Analyzes the American military's successes and failures from the period just before World War II through the Vietnam and Korean Wars and the failed Iran hostage rescue mission

A former Pentagon correspondent and consultant to the Joint Chiefs, Hadley here provocatively explores the gulf between the armed services and the rest of society, the weakening effect of interservice rivalry, the flawed structure of the defense hierarchy, and a phenomenon he calls KAFCA (Keeping the Able from Contributing to the Action). Cautioning that our strategic forces are "expensively unready," he broods at length over the prevalent defense-establishment belief "that weapons can be designed that will turn mediocre soldiers into winners." Arguing for reform in the structure of the Joint Chief and its staff, he urges the direct funding of major defense missions rather than through the three services, as at present. The book includes a devastating analysis of the Desert One affairthe attempt to rescue the hostages in Iranwhich seems to expose nearly everything that was wrong, and still is, with our military establishment. Hadley's freewheeling criticism of the Defense Department makes a perfect complement to Edward Luttwak's grim The Pentagon and the Art of War. Author tour. (June 17
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Both of these books address the concern that the conventional forces of the United States cannot do what they are intended to do: win in combat; and that moreover we pay for the cost of such failure both in taxes and in a decrease in security. Senator Hart (D-Col.) and defense advisor Lind have set forth the basic elements of the problem and some solutions, including new concepts of maneuver for the Army; a change from a carrier-based to a submarine-based Navy and from inadequate planes and flight time for the Air Force; the training of officers to fight, not manage; and revision of the now corrupt and expensive process of planning and purchasing weapons. Whereas Hart and Lind are systematic in their analysis, Hadley is both more encompassing and more anecdotal. Recounting episodes drawn from his career as a military journalist, Hadley exposes a trail of egos, poor planning, tragic failures, and a cumulative policy that has led the United States military to be a "straw giant." He stresses the isolation of the military from mainstream American life, intraservice as well as interservice rivalry, flawed organization, poor readiness, and personnel mismanagement. These themes are explored throughout the book and illuminate the sometimes appalling lack of testing and readiness in weapons systems. Both books reveal that high technology and endless dollars do not necessarily mean effective combat power. Both are highly recommended. Richard B. Finnegan, Political Science Dept., Stonehill Coll., N. Easton, Mass.
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc.