The American Way of War: A History
of United States Military Strategy and
Policy by Russell F. Weigley
A Key Work In Military History....
... a strong and stimulating book. It has no rival in either scope or quality.
For libraries, history buffs, and armchair warriors, it is a must. For political
science students, career diplomats, and officers in the armed services, its
reading should be required. -- History
A particularly timely account. -- Kansas City Times
It reads easily but is not a popularized history... nor does the book become
a history of battles.... Weigleys analyses and interpretations are searching,
competent, and useful. -- Perspective

Personal Review: The American Way of War: A History of United
States Military Strategy and Policy by Russell F. Weigley
Russell Weigley concludes this grand overview of American military
strategy with the observation that the time of usable combat may be
ending. The unlimited nature of nuclear warfare, and the trend since the
19th century for conventional war to produce less than decisive results,
were the ground for his conclusion.
He wrote this in the midst of the Vietnam War. What has happened since
argues for his conclusion. Limited counterinsurgency conflicts in Central
America aimed at keeping leftist elements from power only delayed the
process. They're part of and leading governments now. The first Iraq War
left an indecisive conclusion that nagged at the neocons until they had a
chance for a decisive victory, or so they thought. Now there is a grueling
conflict that is the essence of the indecisive result. Afghanistan is much the
same. Slow bleeding of American military, political and economic power is
the consequence of not heeding the lesson Weigley drew. Finally, the best
use of military power is to prevent its use, and once the sword is drawn,
policy has failed.
Weigley's reach is stunning, from Washington to Westmoreland, deeply
imbued with the changing strategic context of war generated by changing
technologies, from rifled weapons to nuclear missiles. It is this very growth
of technology that has made war increasingly unable to yield satisfactory
conclusions. This can only become more true, indicating that usable
combat is indeed coming to an end, and only the difficult but necessary
processes of negotiation and diplomacy will bring solutions to global
challenges that are only becoming more pressing, from climate change
and energy security to poverty, disease and indeed, the spread of
increasingly deadly weapons.
One interesting biographical note - Weigley came from Reading, Pa.,
where I grew up. From this I know that one character in this book, Gen.
Carl Spaatz of the Army Air Force who directed the bombing of Japan, also
came from Reading. The airport there is named after Spaatz. I can no
longer get a commercial flight into that airport though. They halted a few
years ago. Apparently post 9-11 security needs made it uneconomical to
operate commercial flights in there anymore. Ironic, indeed, and perhaps
another indirect confirmation of Weigley's final conclusion, when the most
powerful military in the world cannot assure domestic security.
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