About:
The Wounded Giant: America’s Armed Forces in an Age of Austerity by Michael O’Hanlon is a non-fiction eBook in which the author lays out his ideas for military budget cuts. The book is available only in as an eBook by The Penguin Press.
My rating for The Wounded Giant – 4
Great price on this book in paper or electronic format
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Thoughts:
In The Wounded Giant: America’s Armed Forces in an Age of Austerity, Michael O’Hanlon argues the defense budget cuts outlined by Congress could be catastrophic. The author takes a deep breath and tries to analyze the cuts and bring forward his own solutions while still maintaining national security priorities.
From nuclear missile programs, to the U.S. Navy, offshore bases and more Mr. O’Hanlon takes a sober look, without political baggage at where we should, and could, cut. To my surprise, this is a very readable book which makes some good sense out of a very cumbersome subject.
The book opens up a discussion on reasoned proposals to plan for future conflicts based on hard intelligence data. Mr. O’Hanlon also makes his analysis in clear sentences which is easy to the non-number-crunching reader to follow.
While I’m sure many will disagree with Mr. O’Hanlon analysis (for example that of China as a “friendly rival”), the book opens up the debate and does not sink into populist declarations such as those we are used to from Washington these days.
Books in similar vein:
The Most Dangerous Place: Pakistan’s Lawless Frontier by Imtiaz Gul
On China by Henry Kissinger
So tell me, is it the level of debate that counts?
Synopsis:
Michael O’Hanlon asks the reader to think about national security and American’s role in the world. The question, the author argues, is not how much we want to give the military, but how much money we need to give it.
Giving the reader several credible scenarios (What if China turned militant?) he comes to some challenging conclusions which makes the reader think. There are no magic pills r solutions, but hard choices which we must make.
Great price on this book in paper or electronic format
through the Man of la Book Affiliate Account
TLC Book Tour for The Wounded Giant:
Sunday, February 5th: Man of La Book
Monday, February 6th: The Future American
Tuesday, February 7th: Whiskey Fire
Wednesday, February 8th: Padre Steve
Thursday, February 9th: Noisy Room
Friday, February 10th: Marathon Pundit
Monday, February 13th: Strategist’s Personal Library
Tuesday, February 14th: Left in Alabama
Wednesday, February 15th: In Homeland Security
Monday, February 20th: The Moderate Voice
Zohar – Man of la Book
Disclaimer: I got this book for free as part of the TLC Book Tour promotion.
BOOK BLOGGERS – Have you read The Wounded Giant? If so link up your review below:
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Oh--don't get me started. I'm so passionate about our military, and feel they've been short-changed for too long. These honorable men and women give their all for this country, and we owe them so much. We need to build them up, keep them strong. It takes money. More than our current leaders are willing to give. The military isn't an appendage of our country, they are the spine. Strengthen the core, and the rest will become more steady.
Okay, I'm stepping off my soap box. ;)
I am with you on the idea of China as being a friendly rival. I am a Navy veteran though and would be interested in reading what he thinks about the military cuts and what makes him an expert on it. No offense, but I don't think anyone who has never worn a uniform can really understand how the military operates.
I wore a uniform and I still have a difficult time to understand how the military works on a level about, let's say, a company.
The author is a senior fellow in Foreign Policy at the Brookings Institution, where he specializes in U.S. defense strategy, the use of military force, homeland security and American foreign policy. He is a visiting lecturer at Princeton University and adjunct professor at Johns Hopkins University, and a member of the International Institute for Strategic Studies
It sounds like this book opens up discussions in a conversational manner rather than a confrontational one, and that is something I think we need more of today.
Thanks for being a part of the tour.