Demystifying the American Military: Institutions Evolution and Challenges Since 1789

Product Description

The United States military has evolved from a tiny and distrusted institution at the margins of government into a central element of America and American power, yet the military is sometimes hard to comprehend because of its unique language, history, and culture. Paula Thornhill first provides a primer for understanding America’s military services. She then traces the military’s evolution from the nation’s founding through the present day to reveal how major American experiences repeatedly reshape the military. This examination offers a constant reminder that the armed services are the products of experience and accident. Thus, today’s twenty-first century military reflects patterns of adaptation and agglomeration, and so may only partially reveal the ideal military America would build if starting from a blank slate. Ultimately, this book seeks to open a window into the American military in such a way that the reader can see it, for good or for ill, for what it fundamentally is–a reflection of the nation, its priorities, and its people.

Review

“This concise guide serves as a very useful primer for those who want to better understand the nation’s military services. The author writes well, and she has produced a study that should be of great use to all those who want to better understand the evolution of our armed forces. At times, the text is also thought provoking, such as when the author closes her chapter on the period 2001-2017 with the observation: ‘Hopefully. The next time the nation goes to war, the force it has will look more like the force it needs.’ Amen to that!”
–The Journal of America’s Military Past

“Retired US Air Force brigadier general and defense analyst Thornhill, gives us a short course in the history, organization, and culture of America’s military institutions. Thornhill’s intention is to help the citizen better understand the services. And she does this quite well…. Well written and quite readable,
Demystifying the American Military is an excellent handbook for those … little familiar with the history and culture of the armed forces, and even those well-versed in these matters are likely to find some useful tidbits.”
–StrategyPage

”
Demystifying the American Military is a valuable contribution toward a greater understanding of the American military. A retired brigadier general in the U.S. Air Force, Thornhill has an insider’s understanding and familiarity with the present defense establishment and explains it in jargon-free prose. This book is informative and a good primer for novices, while also provocative for scholars.”
–The Strategy Bridge

“Thought-provoking and easy to read,
Demystifying the American Military is a five-star book that is a must-read for all military officers at the intermediate schools of professional military education and for any course in military history at civilian institutions. Our national security officials would also benefit from the historical primer. Whether someone is currently serving in uniform, a veteran, or interested in serving in the military, the book is a gem for helping open the window into understanding that our uniformed history goes step-in-step and hand-in-hand with our nation, from its founding to present day. This should be required reading for anyone who wishes to become a citizen of the United States.”
–Strategic Studies Quarterly

“Paula Thornhill’s
Demystifying the American Military offers ‘one-stop-shopping’ for those interested in the American military and defense policy. It’s the ideal primer that allows civilians to bridge the gap between American society and the insular world of the military that defends it. This book should be required reading for current and aspiring national security officials.” —
Dr. Mara Karlin, former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Strategy for strategy and force development; Director, Strategic Studies, Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies, Johns Hopkins Univer