Table of Contents

Acknowledgments Introduction 1. The Nuclear Revolution, 1945-1960 2. Flexible Response, 1961-1975 3. Technology and the War in Vietnam, 1963-1975 4. Winning the Cold War, 1976-1990 5. The Gulf War and the Post-Cold War Era, 1991-2001 6. The Global War on Terrorism, 2001-2005 7. Technology and the American Way of War Notes Index

Promotional Information

"Thomas G. Mahnken tackles a large and multifaceted issue: the importance of technology to the American way of war; the development and use of technology by those responsible for waging war (the military services, in whom the American 'way of war' is culturally embedded); to what extent service culture has been prodded onto new paths by the promises of technology; and the impact of the global strategic environment on the shape and trajectory of technology. Of particular value is Mahnken's careful and reasonable discussion of the 'revolution in military affairs,' the transformative effect of information technology, and the Afghan model of war. His book successfully cuts to the core of these issues." -- Emily O. Goldman, codirector of the Joint Center for International and Security Studies at the University of California, Davis

About the Author

Thomas G. Mahnken is deputy assistant secretary of defense for policy planning. He wrote this book while a professor of strategy at the U.S. Naval War College and a visiting fellow at the Merrill Center for Strategic Studies at Johns Hopkins University's Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS).

Reviews

This is a practitioner's account of military equipment and weapons written with the insight of a historian of technology. -- Alex Roland Technology and Culture Mahnken's study helps to reveal our sometimes hidden preconceptions and core beliefs about technology and war. Proceedings This is a useful book and one that is certain to stimulate discussion of its important subject. -- Kenneth P. Werrell The Journal of Military History