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Book Review: Betting Against America: The Axis Powers’ Views of the United States
Thomas Bruscino
Author: Harry Yeide
Reviewed by: Thomas Bruscino, professor, operational art and theater planning, Department of Military Strategy, Planning, and Operations, US Army War College
What if the Axis powers had seen America clearly before launching into war? Betting Against America dives into the flawed intelligence, cultural biases, and strategic miscalculations that led Germany, Japan, and Italy to underestimate the United States. Through intercepted communications and insider reports, Harry Yeide reveals how these fatal errors shaped the course of World War II.
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Book Review: Cassino ’44: The Brutal Battle for Rome
Wylie W. Johnson
Author: James Holland
Reviewed by: Wylie W. Johnson, chaplain, US Army War College class of 2010
In this masterful retelling of the Italian Campaign’s final months, James Holland captures the harrowing struggle to break through the German Gustav Line and liberate Rome. Drawing from 20 years of research and firsthand accounts, he brings to life the chaos of Monte Cassino and Anzio through the eyes of soldiers, nurses, and civilians caught in the maelstrom. Cassino ’44 redefines our understanding of World War II’s most grueling campaign, revealing its strategic importance and human cost just days before the D-Day landings.
Copyright: ©2026 Wylie W. Johnson
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Book Review: The Russian-Ukrainian War, 2023: A Second Year of Hell and the Dawn of Drone Warfare
Paul Andrew Lushenko
Author: John S. Harrel
Reviewed by: Paul Andrew Lushenko, professorial lecturer, Elliott School of International Affairs, The George Washington University
In the brutal second year of Russia’s invasion, Ukraine faced relentless assaults while pioneering the battlefield use of drones in a desperate bid for survival. Retired General John S. Harrel delivers a gripping account of mechanized warfare’s evolution, where unmanned aerial vehicles reshaped tactics from the trenches to the Black Sea. This vivid chronicle captures the chaos, innovation, and global reverberations of a war that redefined modern combat.
©2026 Paul Andrew Lushenko
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Book Review: Rhino Tanks and Sticky Bombs: GI Ingenuity in World War II
William Phillips
Author: Robert P. Wettemann Jr.
Reviewed by: Colonel William Phillips, US Army (retired), assistant professor, Department of Joint, Interagency, and Multinational Operations, US Army Command and General Staff College
Improvised weapons and battlefield creativity take center stage in Rhino Tanks and Sticky Bombs, Robert P. Wettemann Jr.’s tribute to the ingenuity of American GIs during World War II. From modifying tanks to crafting makeshift explosives, soldiers turned innovation into survival and success. This compelling account reveals how necessity and resourcefulness shaped the outcome of history’s most devastating conflict.
Copyright: ©2026 William Phillips
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