About the Book

The existence of a national style of warfare, an American Way of War, has been used to characterize fundamental elements of American military strategy. During his tenure as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Colin Powell became the proponent for a strategic framework to guide the consideration of how military forces should be used to support national policy objectives. His framework was reflected in the Chairman's National Military Strategy published in early 1992 after Desert Storm under a concept titled Decisive Force. This book traces the development and evaluates the merits of a New American Way of War embodied in the Decisive Force concept. Military attitudes and lessons about the utility of force are drawn from four recent conflicts.

Book Synopsis

The existence of a national style of warfare, an American Way of War, has been used to characterize fundamental elements of American military strategy. During his tenure as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Colin Powell became the proponent for a strategic framework to guide the consideration of how military forces should be used to support national policy objectives. His framework was reflected in the Chairman's National Military Strategy published in early 1992 after Desert Storm under a concept titled Decisive Force. This book traces the development and evaluates the merits of a New American Way of War embodied in the Decisive Force concept. Military attitudes and lessons about the utility of force are drawn from four recent conflicts.

Review Quotes

?Hoffman asserts that there is a new "American strategic culture" promulgated in the National Military Strategy of 1992 and the "Powell doctrine" that replaces a traditional reliance on massive forces that grind down an opponent with a focused application of both mass and superior technology to win quickly.... Recommended for research libraries.?-Choice

?Hoffman's book skillfully blends history with rigorous strategic and policy analysis. His book is so tightly reasoned that a summary is even less able than usual to do more than scratch the surface of the analysis.?-A New Way of War

"Hoffman's book skillfully blends history with rigorous strategic and policy analysis. His book is so tightly reasoned that a summary is even less able than usual to do more than scratch the surface of the analysis."-A New Way of War

"Hoffman asserts that there is a new "American strategic culture" promulgated in the National Military Strategy of 1992 and the "Powell doctrine" that replaces a traditional reliance on massive forces that grind down an opponent with a focused application of both mass and superior technology to win quickly.... Recommended for research libraries."-Choice

About the Author

F. G. HOFFMAN is historian, Studies and Analysis Division, Marine Corps Development Command, U.S. Marine Corps.