by Katherine Carroll, William B. Hickman
This book offers an accessible
introduction to the U.S. military as an institution and provides
insights into the military’s structure and norms.
Designed
for undergraduate students, the book offers an interdisciplinary
overview of America’s armed forces through three critical lenses.
First, it introduces the military’s constitutional and historical
context. Second, it presents concise factual information chosen for its
relevance to the military’s structures, procedures, norms, and varied
activities. Finally, it intersperses these facts with debates,
theories, and questions to spark student interest, class discussion,
and further research. The text is written for the beginner but covers
complex topics such as force structure and the defense budget. With
contributions informed by both scholarly approaches and long military
careers, the bookwill prepare students for further studies in
international relations, civil-military relations, or U.S. foreign
policy. It also encourages critical thinking, elucidating an
institution that undergraduates and other civilians too often perceive
as both baffling and above reproach.
This book will be of much interest to students of the U.S. military, civil-military relations, U.S. politics, and public policy.
