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Title: Military Intelligence Blunders by John Hughes-Wilson, Colonel John Hughes-Wilson ISBN: 0-7867-0715-1 Publisher: Carroll & Graf Pub. Date: February, 2000 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $12.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 3.73 (11 reviews)
Rating: 4
Summary: Interesting Read
Comment: Although this book would not rank among the unputdownables, it was interesting enough for me to read it from cover to cover over several days. The author has struck a balance between riveting story telling and details of who-did-what-when.
The title is a bit misleading as it was often not military intelligence per se that led to the blunders but the failure to appreciate or act on useful intelligence.
Rating: 5
Summary: Excellent Insights by an Insider
Comment: This is one the best books about military intelligence that I have read. Having spent many years working in the area, I find that most other books on the subject are written by outsiders who never quite fully understand what they are writing about, no matter how bright or well intentioned they may be. Few outsiders appreciate, for example, the details of the intelligence cycle, the multiple layers of intelligence collectors, the rivalries among collection agencies, the correct technical jargon, the practical effects on intelligence analysis of inter-agency battles for bigger budgets, etc.
Hughes-Wilson utilizes a case study approach. He analyzes nine different events or conflicts from World War II to the present. Having read about many of the conflicts before, I did not expect to learn much that was new. However, the author presented many new factual details about the events involving the Brits, in particular, that were fascinating. He was clearly a very informed observer and/or possible participant in many of the conflicts. His analysis of the American failure in Tet 1968 is one of the most incisive and dispassionate that I have read. He is no fan of official histories. He is blunt in his criticisms. His comments (actually a very minor part of his Pearl Harbor story)about the FBI's handling of Japanese and German espionage in WW II makes one seriously question the FBI's competence to work effectively as an intelligence organization at that time. But, then has anything really gotten better at the FBI?
Bottom line: As one other reviewer has commented, Hughes-Wilson's real message is that political considerations - whether those of a totalitarian regime or a democracy - often lead to what are called "intelligence blunders." His call for truly objective and independent intelligence collection, analysis and dissemination should be heeded, but it will probably be ignored. We will see more such blunders again.
Rating: 4
Summary: A wealth of info in a small space...
Comment: An excellent series of case studies by retired Colonel John Hughes-Wilson. He definitely did his homework, as he has a wealth of accurate information on each of his studies. There are a few of his conclusions that I would disagree with, but that is just differing opinions. In some instances, however, he does not clearly distinguish between intelligence blunders and errors of command decision, which are not the same. This may lead the uninformed reader astray. Nonetheless, this is a well-written, easy to read book that provides an excellent review of intelligence practices that have had historic impact in our world. This has become a permanent addition to my library for future reference. Well done.
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Title: Intelligence: From Secrets to Policy by Mark M. Lowenthal ISBN: 1568027591 Publisher: CQ Press Pub. Date: 01 July, 2003 List Price(USD): $39.95 |
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Title: Most Secret War by R. V. Jones ISBN: 185326699X Publisher: Wordsworth Editions Ltd Pub. Date: March, 1999 List Price(USD): $9.99 |
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Title: Pearl Harbor: Warning and Decision by Roberta Wohlstetter ISBN: 0804705984 Publisher: Stanford Univ Pr Pub. Date: December, 1962 List Price(USD): $27.95 |
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Title: See No Evil: The True Story of a Ground Soldier in the CIA's War on Terrorism by Robert Baer ISBN: 140004684X Publisher: Three Rivers Press Pub. Date: 07 January, 2003 List Price(USD): $14.00 |
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Title: The Reluctant Sheriff: The United States After the Cold War by Richard N. Haass ISBN: 0876091982 Publisher: Council on Foreign Relations Press Pub. Date: 01 June, 1997 List Price(USD): $16.95 |
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