Beyond Vom Kriege: The Character and Conduct of Modern War
Author
R. D. Hooker, Jr.
Introduction by
LTG (Ret.) H. R. McMaster
ISBN
978-1-940771-71-7
Print Version
$27.99
The technology of warfare has changed since Carl von Clausewitz’s Vom Kriege was first published, but the fundamental nature of modern warfare is still the same. Beyond Vom Kriege furthers Clausewitz’s theory of war by offering a first-hand account of global conflicts and strategies that influenced American national security strategy across six presidential administrations. Intelligence officers and policy makers will appreciate this honest and clear-cut essay collection, which includes reflections on Grenada, Somalia, Iraq, and Afghanistan. A foreword by LTG H. R. McMaster begins this valuable collection of military strategy.
R. D. Hooker, Jr., is a University Professor and the Theodore Roosevelt Chair in National Security Affairs at the National Defense University. During his career, he served three tours as a director and senior director with the National Security Council; as director for the Institute for National Strategic Studies at NDU; and as dean of the NATO Defense College in Rome. A former White House Fellow, he taught at West Point and at the National War College in Washington, D.C. Colonel Hooker graduated from the U.S. Military Academy in 1981 and holds a Ph.D. in international relations from the University of Virginia. He served for 30 years in the United States Army as an infantry officer and participated in combat operations in Grenada, Somalia, Kosovo, Iraq, and Afghanistan, including command of a parachute brigade in Baghdad.
H. R. McMaster served as National Security Adviser from 2017–2018, culminating a distinguished military career as a combat leader and soldier/statesman. Lieutenant General McMaster was awarded the Silver Star, Bronze Star with V, and the Purple Heart in a career that saw service in the Gulf War, Afghanistan, and Iraq, where he commanded the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment. A West Point graduate, he holds a doctorate in history from the University of North Carolina and is the author of the award-winning Dereliction of Duty.
Ricky L. Waddell is a Lieutenant General in the U.S. Army Reserve and Assistant to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs. He served as Deputy National Security Adviser from 2017—2018 following extensive service in Iraq and Afghanistan. A West Point graduate and Rhodes Scholar, he holds a doctorate in international affairs from Columbia University, taught at West Point, and commanded the 76th Division. He is the author of Wars Then and Now.
Joseph J. Collins is a professor at the National Defense University. A retired Army colonel, he is a former deputy assistant Secretary of Defense for Stability Operations and holds a doctorate in international relations from Columbia University. Colonel Collins served extensively in the offices of the Chief of Staff of the Army and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs and is the author of Understanding the War in Afghanistan.
As a partner to the Association of the United States Army (AUSA) Book Program, UNG Press will aid AUSA’s educational mission by producing high-quality books to be designated as “AUSA Books.” These books will address such subjects as military land power and land warfare history, technology, combat, and strategy and tactics. This curated collection will serve to help and educate members of the U.S. Army, the Department of Defense, the AUSA, U.S. government officials, and the general public. To further these goals, AUSA will promote UNG Press’s AUSA Books by linking them to AUSA’s website, listing them in AUSA publications as a member benefit, and reviewing them in ARMY magazine or other AUSA publications.
Reviews
“A thoughtful, comprehensive, and incisive look at modern warfare in its many dimensions. R. D. Hooker combines deep practical experience as a warfighter and policymaker with an extensive academic background to produce a rich and varied assessment of how and why we fight in the 21st century. A must-read for students and practitioners of national security alike.”
- Admiral James Stavridis, U.S. Navy (Retired), former Commander, U.S. European Command, and Supreme Allied Commander Europe
“If you want to explore the character of modern warfare and critical issues of national security and strategy, read this book! Beyond Vom Kriege is a masterful and engaging read that illustrates R. D. Hooker’s decades of study of the art of war and his many years of service as a Soldier-Leader with experience in many of our nation’s recent conflicts.”
- General Curtis M. Scaparrotti, U.S. Army (Retired), former Commander, U.S. European Command, and Supreme Allied Commander Europe
“A wonderfully stimulating, thoughtful, and engrossing survey of recent wars, the context in which they were fought, and the leadership exercised by those who conducted them.”
- General David Petraeus, U.S. Army (Ret.), former Director of the CIA, and former Commander of Coalition Forces in Iraq and Afghanistan and U.S. Central Command
“R. D. Hooker, Jr., has, for a very long time, set for us all the highest standard of scholarship in the study of the art and science of war and this book confirms it. A keen observer of war and conflict, Hooker has accumulated a rich body of research and publication. Uniquely, R. D. Hooker was also a skilled and courageous combat commander and an unsurpassed staff officer in the United States Army. Few writers can bring together this much professional and personal substance in one offering, but Beyond Vom Kriege delivers. It is a must read for any serious student of war and the profession of arms.”
- General John Allen, U.S. Marine Corps (Retired), former Commander of U.S. and Coalition forces in Afghanistan, and President, The Brookings Institution
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