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Book Review: The New Calculus of Escalation: Avoiding Armageddon in Great Power Conflict
Darren W. Buss
Author: Martin C. Libicki
Reviewed by: Colonel Darren W. Buss, faculty instructor, Department of Military Strategy, Planning, and Operations, US Army War College
In The New Calculus of Escalation, Martin C. Libicki redefines how we understand the thresholds between peace, conventional war, and nuclear conflict in an era shaped by cyber warfare and emerging technologies. Drawing lessons from the Russia-Ukraine war and Cold War doctrines, he offers a fresh framework for managing escalation to prevent catastrophic outcomes. This timely and thought-provoking book is essential reading for strategists, policymakers, and anyone concerned with the future of great power conflict.
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Book Review: Obama and the Bomb: New START, Russia and the Politics of Post-Cold War Arms Control
Brennan Deveraux
Author: Frank Leith Jones
Reviewed by: Brennan Deveraux, US Army Strategist
A close examination of how nuclear arms control shaped military planning, diplomacy, and domestic politics during a pivotal moment in post–Cold War relations. This review explores how treaty negotiations became a test of trust, strategy, and civil-military engagement at the highest levels of US national security decision making.
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Book Review: Occupation: Russian Rule in South-Eastern Ukraine
Christopher J. Hickey
Author: David Lewis
Reviewed by: Colonel Christopher J. Hickey, PhD, associate professor, Department of Military Strategy, Planning, and Operations, US Army War College
In this timely and penetrating study, David Lewis examines the mechanisms and consequences of Russian governance in occupied southeastern Ukraine. Through on-the-ground analysis and geopolitical insight, the book reveals how local institutions, identity, and resistance are reshaped under foreign rule. It’s an essential read for understanding the evolving dynamics of power, control, and legitimacy in one of Europe’s most contested regions.
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Book Review: Lessons Learned and Unlearned: The Drivers of US Indirect-Fire Innovation
Michael E. Lynch
Author: Brennan S. Deveraux
Reviewed by: Dr. Michael E. Lynch
How does military innovation really happen—and what causes it to stall? In Lessons Learned and Unlearned, Brennan S. Deveraux traces the evolution of U.S. indirect-fire systems, revealing how institutional memory, battlefield experience, and strategic priorities shape technological progress. This sharp analysis offers vital insights for defense planners, historians, and anyone interested in the mechanics of military adaptation.
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