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Title: Waging Modern War: Bosnia, Kosovo, and the Future of Combat by Wesley K. Clark ISBN: 1-58648-139-8 Publisher: PublicAffairs Pub. Date: 06 August, 2002 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $18.00 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.11 (37 reviews)
Rating: 4
Summary: Why We Should Disband NATO
Comment: "Waging Modern War: Bosnia, Kosovo, and the Future of Combat" is Gen. Wesley K. Clark's (ret.) first-hand account of the political and military operations conducted during the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's (NATO) attempts to end ethnic cleansing in Kosovo. Kosovo is a province of Yugoslavia that is predominantly Muslim Albanian while the rest of Yugoslavia is predominantly Christian Serb.
Clark presents a picture of battling egos and national interests that almost scuttled NATO's operations before they even started. Clark; as the dual-hatted Supreme Allied Commander, Europe (SACEUR) of NATO and the Commander in Chief, Europe (CINCEUR) of the United States; faced a myriad of challenges. Clark often had to reconcile the various opinions which separated the American and European visions of how to conduct the operations.
While Clark gives a good account of what it's like to conduct a military operation without the full support of your country or its military, what "Waging Modern War" can most be recommended for is its shining a light on the true nature of NATO. Clark didn't intend for his book to do so but, it gives the best explanation for why NATO should be disbanded.
In the Balkans, NATO only succeeded because it had overwhelming firepower. Had it met a more determined or well-armed foe, it would have been a resounding disaster. This is due to the inherent instability of the NATO system. Instead of giving overall authority to the obvious leader of the alliance, the United States, NATO is rule by consensus. When it comes to issues of power, there can only be one person or country in charge. NATO's structure violates this premise by giving an equal to all members without regard to their contribution.
This system was not a problem so long as NATO would never have to act. When it was merely a defensive structure aimed at deterring the Soviet Union from invading western Europe, NATO could function as one unit. When the threat of a Russian invasion melted away, NATO no longer had a raison d'etre.
The operation in Kosovo is a spectacle of what happens when an organization goes looking for a new mission when its old one ends. Unfortunately, that future for NATO seems to be intertwined with the rush to peacekeeping that is the latest fad amongst western democracies (as if the imposition of peace from the outside can ever be kept).
"Waging Modern War" cannot be considered the whole story of what happened in the Balkans during Clark's tenure; but, it is certainly an interesting and instructive view from the inside. I am eager to read some outside perspectives on the conflict and I do recommend reading Clark's version.
Rating: 4
Summary: Fascinating and Very Readable
Comment: The author presents a personal accounting of his time as SACEUR (Supreme Allied Commander, Europe). Clark's writing style is very easy to read -- you don't need to be a military expert to understand him. This account is chronological, even sometimes hour-by-hour, and reports on how we got into a war in Kosovo, and why certain key decisions were made.
You will be amazed at the revelations Clark makes about Serbian security and intelligence capabilities, Milosovic's character (or lack thereof), tensions within NATO, and the complexities of US military operations. I could hardly put this book down.
Sometimes, however, the book reads as a personal defense. He often blames problems with negotiations or operations on higher-ups, or on inherent structrual problems with the SACEUR position. Any reader should know that many people in the military do not view Wesley Clark with high esteem, and blame many of the problems during Kosovo specifically on him. I personally found Clark's version of events generally believable, but I wait for history to pass the final judgement.
Rating: 3
Summary: great read
Comment: This is a great read... For books similar to this, please visit www.campaign2004.com.
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Title: Winning Modern Wars: Iraq, Terrorism, and the American Empire by Wesley K. Clark ISBN: 1586482181 Publisher: PublicAffairs Pub. Date: October, 2003 List Price(USD): $25.00 |
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Title: Military Innovation in the Interwar Period by Williamson R. Murray, Allan R. Millett ISBN: 0521637600 Publisher: Cambridge University Press Pub. Date: 13 August, 1998 List Price(USD): $27.00 |
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Title: The Cambridge Illustrated History of Warfare by Geoffrey Parker ISBN: 0521794315 Publisher: Cambridge University Press Pub. Date: 11 September, 2000 List Price(USD): $35.00 |
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Title: America's First Battles, 1776-1965 by Charles E. Heller, William A. Stofft ISBN: 0700602771 Publisher: Univ Pr of Kansas Pub. Date: December, 1986 List Price(USD): $16.95 |
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Title: To End a War by RICHARD HOLBROOKE ISBN: 0375753605 Publisher: Modern Library Pub. Date: 25 May, 1999 List Price(USD): $15.95 |
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