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Book review: Invisible Generals: Rediscovering Family Legacy, and a Quest to Honor America’s First Black Generals
Wylie W. Johnson
Author: Doug Melville
Reviewed by: Reverend Dr. Wylie W. Johnson, chaplain (retired), US Army War College Class of 2010
Author Doug Melville’s multigenerational biography presents the little-known story of his family and two of its military veterans who always believed in the American dream—Brigadier General Benjamin O. Davis Sr., the first Black US Army general, and his son, General Benjamin O. Davis Jr., the first Black US Air Force brigadier general. Dr. Wylie W. Johnson reviewed the book because he was so impressed when he heard then–Brigadier General Benjamin O. Davis Jr. speak in chapel at his evangelical college.
Copyright: ©2025 Wylie W. Johnson
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Book review: Airpower Pioneers: From Billy Mitchell to Dave Deptula
Robert E. Underwood III
Editor: John Andreas Olson
Reviewed by: Colonel Robert E. Underwood III, DPhil, armor officer and US Army Goodpaster Fellow, US Army Advanced Strategic Plans and Policy Program
In this review, Robert E. Underwood III bills Airpower Pioneers as a refreshing read that highlights the tension between bureaucracy and innovation against a backdrop of the lives of 12 aviation pioneers. The importance of relationships and their relevance adds a layer of depth to the book.
Copyright: ©2025 Robert E. Underwood III
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Book Review: Great Power Clashes Along the Maritime Silk Road: Lessons from History to Shape Current Strategy
Patrick C. Bratton
Author: Grant F. Rhode
Reviewed by Dr. Patrick C. Bratton, professor of national security and strategy studies and director of South Asian studies, US Army War College
Dr. Patrick C. Bratton, US Army War College director of South Asian Studies, reviews Grant F. Rhode’s “valuable contribution to [the] literature” that “[brings] attention to many of Eurasia’s often-forgotten maritime powers and conflicts.” Bratton highlights the particular value of Rhode’s “excellent” case studies “that deserve attention” and explains the book’s utility for policymakers while also providing a thoughtful critique of the book’s framing devices.
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Book Review: Judgment at Tokyo: World War II on Trial and the Making of Modern Asia
Peter M. Erickson
Author: Gary J. Bass
Reviewed by Lieutenant Colonel Peter M. Erickson (US Army), PhD, Deputy G35, US Army Europe and Africa
Lieutenant Colonel Peter M. Erickson, PhD, provides a valuable overview of Gary J. Bass’s explanation of why the post–World War II Tokyo trials “were a relative failure.” He highlights how a lack of impartiality, the “legacy of empire,” and the judges’ backgrounds and motivations affected the trials. Erickson calls the book “a must-read for Defense community leaders who often wrestle with the strict legality of America’s tactical actions and the broader and deeper moral impacts of its strategic endeavors.”
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