Events Books

Despite the naysayers, Bennett has been proven right by the recent behaviour of the Anglosphere in two major events. First in the Iraq war most of the Anglosphere banded together to get rid of a vicious genocidal tyrant, while more recent events showed how the Anglosphere could band together to help a region in dire need of aide. Much like Clash of Civilisations, Bennett has written a book that will be refered in positive terms for many years to come.

For more than two decades, Jim Bennett has been one of the country's most acute thinkers on the frontiers of technology and cultural/political trends. The Anglosphere Challenge shows the strengths of civil society responses to growing state incapacities and failures. Emerging "networked commonwealths", he foresees, will advance universal values of freedom while accelerating innovation across new realms of human endeavor. This book is a storehouse of wisdom and hope for not only for those in the Anglosphere, but for people of all heritages and backgrounds seeking to live in an open world.

James Bennett popularized the term "Anglosphere", which refers to those communities which speak English and share in the cultural practices and institutions inherited from England, e.g. common law, parliamentary democracy, highly developed civil society, private rather than communal notions of property, entrepreneurial rather than state-led economic development, relative openness to innovation and to immigration. These characteristics have been developing in the English-speaking world for at least a millennium, and represent a distinct sub-civilization within the larger West. Bennett draws on the work of Alan MacFarlane and David Hackett Fischer to demonstrate the uniqueness of the civilization which developed in England and which it in turn passed on to its daughter polities, most importantly the United States. This Anglosphere civilization has been the path-breaker for modernity, initiating modern democratic institutions and the industrial and subsequent economic revolutions. Note that Bennett does not offer this analysis in any spirit of triumphalism. This is not the old "Whig theory" of history, since Bennett correctly sees that these developments were the result of fortunate historical contingency. Bluntly, those of us who live in the Anglosphere are not better than anybody else, just lucky to be here. Bennett predicts that the Anglosphere will continue to be the cutting edge civilization in terms of economic and political developments into the future. In particular, the existence of the Web and cheap air and sea transport has already created a unitary Anglophone economic and cultural space, which will develop further as the highest value-added products become increasingly information-intensive, placing a premium on linguistic and cultural commonalities. Bennett offers predictions concerning the institutional form that this new economic reality will call forth, which he labels a "network commonwealth". Bennett believes that this future political form, and a dense and robust underlying civil society, present the best hope for coping with the hazards presented by emerging technology, and obtaining the maximum benefits of that technology. Moreover, Bennett offers numerous, concrete policy proposals to further the development of this emerging Anglosphere network commonwealth, in the areas of trade, immigration, defense procurement and military cooperation. Bennett's book is the result of years of reflection on these historical and contemporary issues. This short paragraph does not even scratch the surface of a book that has many novel insights and profound ideas, and which opens up numerous lines for further inquiry. Five stars is really not a sufficient rating. This is one of the three or four most important books I have read in recent years to understand the world we are living in, why it is the way it is, where we are going, and how we can create a future worth living in.

Any serious discussion of the central role of English traditions in Canada is fraught with twin perils: mindless claims of racism/imperialism and founding-nation chauvinism. The Anglosphere Challenge is something very different. It's an exciting exploration of a new way to look a modern global culture and its Canadian flavour, keeping both perils at bay. Leading off with a chapter on the dynamic and converging nature of modern technology (cf. Vernor Vinge's The Singularity), the author makes the case that cultural dynamism and flexibility will be at a premium in the 21st century. His claim for the future pre-eminence of the common law countries (irrespective of their citizens' personal origins) is based on the Anglosphere's history of adapting successfully (and first) to technological and political change.

Bennett shows how respect for the individual, and the effective separation of religious, political and economic powers have a very deep roots in the English-speaking world. Before the creation of Canada and the United States. Before the English Civil War. Before the Protestant Reformation. Perhaps even before the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. In the roots of the English common law, we can find the fundamental principle of equal treatment before the law: male or female, lord or commoner. A virtuous circle ensued, freeing individuals from the constraints and predation of the powerful ... in ways impossible in continental Europe let alone other parts of the globe.The history (as opposed to the myths) of this era are eye-opening. And the great strength of the Anglosphere Challenge is the firm grounding in modern scholarship. The book's annotated bibliography is a gem.

Using the metaphor of concentric rings, Bennett sees the Anglosphere as an inner ring (the industrialized common law countries), an outer ring of countries strongly influenced by English language and law, and finally, a periphery of countries exposed to the language and law indirectly, through the international institutions (in trade and politics). A second major contribution is Bennett's outline of the "cultural nations" of the Anglosphere. These "cultural nations," often identified in the turmoil of 17th and 18th century England, cross modern national borders. They provide a more effective tool for understanding the politics and behaviour of modern Anglosphere countries. Finally, Bennett offers the term "network commonwealth" to describe the economic, social, and intellectual connections between Anglosphere nations that will largely overtake (but not replace) the current sovereign nations. Anglosphere nations like Canada, especially in the Internet era, will find themselves quickly and easily co-operating to handle the innovations and challenges of the 21st century.

Canadians will find their past, present and future discussed in the chapters of this book. Our lives have been profoundly affected by the two titans of the English-speaking world, the UK and US. Bennett provides a cultural context for this influence that readers from this country will find fascinating. A book that will make you think. A companion website offers sneak peek at the book plus updates on concepts and sources: anglospherechallenge.com.

James C. Bennett explores some reasons for why English speaking names with an English heritage have done so well over the last couple centuries, and why they will continue to do well. The author points out that history is a pretty good indicator of the future. If we can understand why certain cultures have been successful, we may be able to understand which cultures will do well in the future.

This book is full of interesting ideas and observations. One of them is there are two types of problems, bounded and unbounded. Bounded problems have clear answers. A simple bounded problem is what is "2 + 2" with a clear answer of four. There are more complex bounded problems, like how much fuel with a 747 use carrying 187 people from Chicago to Atlanta. The problem is well defined, and the issues are all pretty much all known. Unbounded problems do not have clear definitions, let alone clear answers, at least in the beginning. Which video format is going to dominate, VHS or Beta? Who is going to win the next presidential election? What recent technological developments will become important in the future? This reminded me of "The Wisdom of Crowds" by James Surowiecki. James Surowiecki says that under certain situations a large group of people can make better decisions than a few experts. James Bennett points out that often the private sector does a much better job of dealing with unbounded problems, and that the culture of the Anglosphere tends to promote private sector solutions.

Another interesting idea builds on the economic principle that specialization with trade allows greater economic development. If an individual had to depend on everything he produced he would have to be a subsistence farmer and/or hunter. But as families, communities, cities, and nations develop, along with the ability to trade with others, people can increase their productiveness by focusing on specific areas of interest or expertise. Adam Smith used showed the value of this when talking about a group of manufactures who each focused on a single step in the production of sewing needles. James Bennett says that by increasing the level of trade and trust to include other nations, there can be greater economic growth. Those nations in the Anglosphere have an easier time trading with each other, which allows even more specialization. It is hard to trade with those who you don't trust, or those who have different cultural expectations. So the Anglosphere has a great advantage in having a large network to work with.

The book explores the idea of separating physical space, from transportation space, and from communication space. We measure the physical space in miles. But transportation space is largely influenced by how easy it is to move from one place to another. Historically moving by ships over rivers and the ocean was much cheaper than traveling by land. Communication space really started to become its own space with the development of the telegraph, and exploded with the development of the internet. Now it is almost as easy to communicate with someone anywhere in the world, as it is to talk with your neighbor.

James Bennett says that in general those with an English Heritage, or who are largely influenced by Anglo ideas, are more flexible and will be able to react quicker than European Nations, Japan, China, India, and so on. They have a greater ability to trust each other, and take initiative on a personal level. His sees the development of organizations which support each other that transcend national boundaries. There are a number of libertarian ideas here.

If you are into books which explore the big picture and deal with new and fascinating ideas, this is a good book to read. I don't think everything James Bennett talks about here will happen, but he does provide some interesting insights into what may happen over the next fifty years. This is not a quick read. This book is meant to be read slowly and thoughtfully, and pondered over time. This book is well worth reading

I could not put this book down! Ann Arbor South '96 is wonderfully writen! I felt that I understood Eric and wanted to give him such a big hug! He truly was the hero of the story. He put up with years of abuse and never stopped going on. He contined walking with his head held up and got his diploma. Where I believe others would have dropped out. Not Eric he is a fighter.
I was very moved with this story. We all know how hard it is in High School. But imagine how hard it is when your different then most people. I'm hoping everyone reads this book. I feel it will open so many peoples minds about how to treat people.
Ignorace is not bliss.

This book opens your eyes to how it is in high school.....at every angle. The nerds, the jocks, the popular and everyone else. I totally enjoyed every minute of the book and will make my three girls(4yrs and twin 2 yr olds) read it before they start high school. Whether they think they will be a bully or a snob maybe after reading it will open their eyes on how to treat others in a very hard time in their lives. Hopefully it will teach them how to be open minded which is so important:) Hats off to the author!!

This book is a moving look into what [...] teenagers had to go through in order to be themselves. It truly pictured the hardships of what kids go through and the power of true friends. I was impressed that the author captured all the cliques of high school and just how mean teenagers of that age can be. This story really runs the gauntlet. I loved the book and it is definately one you should pick up and read.

What can I say about "Ann Arbor South '96?" Simply this, I was touched. The experiences the characters go through are truly realistic. The author does not try to snub the harsh realities of being gay in high school by glossing over hatred with romance. These experiences are so true to life, you are sure to be transported back to your own high school years. Heartfelt, moving, inspiring, and therapeutic all wrapped into one. An easy read that will create an abundance of emotions all at once.

The moment Eric Anderson lays eyes on the class jock, Andy McCain, at the beginning of their senior year his life is forever changed. Beefy, beautiful, and surprisingly sweet, Andy ignites a quick friendship with Eric. After a seductive cafeteria food fight, an amusing bathroom face-to-face, a chilling swimming pool kiss, and heartfelt library confession, the boys cannot resist their overblown teenage hormones and fall into an intense love that will test the loyalty of true friendships.

Eric is dangerously low on the high school popularity hierarchy while Andy rides it high as the school's sports superstar. Just talking to each other would be social suicide, so their romantic involvement remains strictly confidential. Although both boys are strangers to gay romance, Eric remains guarded with his heart since he is brutally harassed by his peers and has extreme trust issues. Andy is the opposite. He just cracks a bright, dimpled smile and everyone falls at his feet. His cockiness keeps him unprepared for what is about to happen.

Meanwhile, Eric's best friend, Kate Crawford, an overly self-assured spitfire, just can't seem to keep her manicured fists out of Justin Drake's eye sockets. She does not share Justin's proudly homophobic views or appreciate his ruthless torment of Eric. Justin is Andy's smug best friend but unaware Andy is gay and secretly dating Eric. Kate makes it her mission to awaken Justin's closed mind, by force if necessary. (She enjoys indulging in a good afternoon parking lot brawl!)

When Eric and Andy's affair is publicly exposed in the halls of school, Andy's furious friends, with Justin Drake front and center, attack Andy for the hidden homo lie. As most of the school officials turn blind eyes to the intensifying attacks, Andy's spirit is broken and he is unsure of himself or a definite future with Eric.

The supporting cast of characters include: a cruel, self-righteous gym teacher, who happily facilitates the attacks on Eric and later on his own star player, Andy; a careless, bored school principal, who is nothing more than annoyed by Eric's endless office visits, asking for help, and Kate's foul-mouth and fierce fists; Andy's only ex-girlfriend, who just may be a surprising supporter of her ex's new relationship; and a wise, candy bar-loving librarian, who smiles through the chocolate and gently relieves some of Andy's pain through her words.

Torn apart through a vicious fight but magnetically drawn back together, Eric and Andy decide their relationship is worth waging war on the masses. Their newfound confidence (along with Kate's unsubtle but still somehow sweet words of persuasion) helps open Justin's eyes and he slowly rekindles his friendship with Andy. Eventually, everyone's long, violent journeys see the end of the clashing, school-wide conflict and old friendships strengthen and renew and even the oddest of couples come together.

I enjoyed the authors' book on logistic regression analysis in 1989, and this book is just as good, or better, with many extremely practical suggestions on building regression models for survival data. Happily, the authors summarize, compare, and contrast several major texts on survival analysis which have appeared in the past 10 years. For example, they discuss different names used by different authors for score residuals. They present a helpful appendix on the counting process approach to survival analysis, which will make more advanced texts accessible to students; thus, anyone who wants to use survival analysis, at any level, should consult this book, even if he has already studied books by Miller, Lee, Collett, Fleming-Harington,Andersen, et al, etc. An unfortunate drawback to this book is that the first printing contains many careless errors, some of which may affect student learning: for example, the definition of a survival function is misstated. I recommend that you insist on the second or third printing when buying this book, and you will be quite satisfied.

The authors provide a really nice, non-technical survey of the landscape for Cox Proportional Hazards models. A nice aspect of their treatment is the care they take to reference all highly technical texts and journal articles. For example, if you'd like to find out more about goodness-of-fit tests for survival models, the authors provide ample references to the Counting Process Theory of Martingale Residuals.

The first chapter discusses the basic characteristics of survival data, including the notion of censoring (in all of its various forms). Examples of the principle types of censoring are included. The chapter also includes introductory material on the general survival model, including a nice description of the log likelihood function. Curiously, the rigorous definition of the hazard function has been omitted, probably to avoid intimidating readers who are not familiar with formal limits.

Chapter 2 continues to build up the general survival model and introduces the relationship between the survivor function and the cumulative hazard. Pointwise estimators for the survivor function are discussed, including the Kaplan-Meier estimator along with the various variance estimators. Test statistics for comparing two survival populations are introduced, including the Log-Rank and General Wilcoxon statistics. The reader is encouraged to read the counting process treatments of these statistics to see why they produced defensible hypothesis tests.

Chapter 3 is devoted to the Cox Model and Cox's partial likelihood function. Tests for significance of the coefficients are introduced, included the Wald test, log likelihood ratio test and the score test. These are used heavily in the later chapters as the basis of a model-building methodology.

Chapter 4 is a very short, but nicely written chapter explaining how to interpret the values of each regression coefficent. It also describes covariate-adjustment techniques for model diagnostics.

Chapter 5 is just a wonderful chapter which outlines classical model building techniques. This is a great chapter for anyone who has ever been thrown a ton of data (with a bushel of possible covariates) and asked to "fit a model to this stuff".
Readers who have done a lot of purposeful fitting of linear regression models won't find the basic techniques new, but use of survival specific residuals and selection criterion will probably be an eye-opener. The section on assessing the functional form for continuous covariates is also nicely written.
However, the section on Best Subsets Selection was a little too "cook-booky" for my taste.

Chapter 6 is another very nice chapter on goodness-of-fit. It discusses analysis of the various residuals and their use for analysis outliers, testing proportional hazards assumptions and overall Goodness-of-Fit.

Chapter 7 discusses the standard extensions of the Cox model, including stratification and time-varying covariates. Chapter 8 discusses parametric survival models, and is a good introduction to the SAS procedure LIFEREG. The generalization of the Cox model to recurring event data (also know as Aalen's multiplicative intensity model) can be found in Chapter 9.

My only complaint is that each chapter was designed to be read in one sitting. Individual ideas, topics and formulas can be buried in a seemingly unbroken chain of paragraphs. The lack of sub-sub section titles,etc, makes using the text as is somewhat cumbersome to use as a desk reference. I've gotten around this limitation by marking key concepts, etc., in the margin in order to give a "quick search" capability enhancement to the index.

Applied Survival Analysis is an excellent book for someone seeking a non-mathematicial explanation of survival analysis. The book covers the motivation behind the development of survival analysis, estimation of survival curves, the Cox proportionial hazards, and some parametric models. The book also covers the major methods used in variable selection, model building, and diagnostics. Someone with an undergraduate background in statistics and econometrics will understand the book. The book relies on text to discuss the methods and uses mathematical formulas only when absolutely necessary. Numerous examples are used to highlight what the text covers. The math that is used is easily understandable. This book is ideal for someone who needs to learn the tools of survival analysis but not how they were derived.

This book provides a good, clear, concise explanation of Cox's proportional hazards models. For someone seeking a non-mathematical description this is a great guide. The original datasets from the text examples can even be downloaded and you can go through the same process yourself. Because of some mistakes in the text, I would recomend looking at other sources as well.

Hosmer and Lemeshow have given us a clear, nontechnical introduction to using survival models. The book strikes a good balance between covering the basics and addressing the most recent, state-of-the-art techniques, including repeated events, frailty models, and others. They also do a good job of addressing practical issues, including estimation details and available software. While most of the examples are drawn from medicine and biostatistics, this book could also serve as a useful starting point for social and behavioral scientists interesting in learning the fundamentals of these models, as well as a useful reference for applied researchers.

Isaac Asimov normally writes science fiction or about science. So, why would he have written a whole book about the Bible? Especially when you factor in that Asimov was an avowed atheist. The short answer has to do with two things, 1. He wrote about whatever caught his interest, and 2. the Bible is read by a lot of people who think that it gives them then answers to all questions, including questions having to do with science.

Basically, Asimov was trying to show that the bible was written with certain ideas in mind. It does not answer all the questions of the world, like some right wing ideologs like to think it does.

His commentary on the bible also goes to show what a lot of things really meant. Like Shakespeare, the bible can be a little difficult to grasp in the beginning. Certain words have different meanings than they do in general use. Place names are sometimes different today, then when the various books of the bible were written. Asimov goes a long to explaining a lot of those things.

Asimov opens by stating that what most of us know of world history comes from the Bible and then in a tour-de-Asimov introduces the reader to thousands of details concerning the little we know. Very thorough, very informative and above all, very readable. As a coincidence, I had just finished reading Mark Twain's "Innocents Abroad," which includes Twain's visit to the Holy Land, when I began "Asimov's Guide to the Bible." The two books form a pleasant symetry of knowledge and perception concerning those ancient times and peoples.

Asimov presents the Bible in a manner not often done; with historical insight.

Think about it, to enjoy any great work, from the Divine Comedy to Less than Zero one has to understand the social / political environment the author was exposed to at the time of writing.

The book is written from a secular perspective, so if you are looking for someone to beat the drum for your believe system, look elsewhere. That isn't to say that this book is not written for the faithful. Asimov does a good job of presenting the historical facts, and when delving into speculation, either his own of that of biblical scholars, he is sure to mention it.

Reading this book will only enhance your biblical knowledge by giving you a better understanding of the Bible. Use it as a reference to formulate your own beliefs.

I will say that I have fended off quite a few born again Christians who felt the need to align me with their belief system by using some of the facts and insight this book has given me.

I love Asimov's writings. His Science Fiction has helped create the genre. His History works are always insightful.

I also love the Bible, and knowing old Issac is an Athiest I bought this book with a degree of trepidation.

My trepidation was unfounded. Asimov treats the Bible with respect and understanding. He recognises many of the Old Testament Prophecies about Jesus (another point that concerned me, knowing of Asimov's Jewish heritage).

He puts the Bible into its wider historical perspective.

This isn't the first book I will refer to to understand a part of the Bible, but it is one to which I will often refer.

The Christian bible is a fascinating document, and the contents are open to a vast array of interpretations. In this book, Isaac Asimov examines it from a historical perspective. Despite the enormous attention that it has received from scholars of all types, the authorship of many of the sections has not been established, and Asimov makes that very clear. What is the most fascinating aspect is the interpretation of some of the passages based on the social and political conditions of the time. Whatever you may think about the early leaders of the Christian church, one fact remains very clear. They managed to take a small movement and turn it into an international one that survived fierce persecution by the Roman Empire, the greatest and most long-lived political power the world has ever seen. This is most impressive, and those who accept the Christian religion will find Asimov's descriptions supportive of their beliefs, even though he was a secular humanist.
A book that describes the beginnings and growth of a powerful institution that outlived and outgrew all others that tried to destroy it, as a popular record of the history of the movement it has no equal.

This book is a great read for action officers and DoD staffers! I found it very helpful upon my recent assignment to the Pentagon. Must read for military and civilians working at operational and strategic levels of national defense! Many thanks to the author for their insights!

A great book, highly recommended for anyone working in the Pentagon! I'm in my first Pentagon tour, and found this book immensely useful. My initial impression of Pentagon life was professional bewilderment: totally new vocabulary, totally new set of concerns, different rules for doing business. Much more so than with most of my 'new' jobs along the way, this one totally threw me off with with respect to the norms and expectations.

There are many courses for navigating these strange waters (most of which I've attended), but there's so much to learn that these courses are primarily focused on the "What Is It, and How Does It Work?" level. The "What's normal?" level is usually left off the end (due to time constraints), for the student to work out on his/her own. I've been blessed with very patient bosses, and have been allowed to work out 'normal' for myself, but I frequently had so many questions that I'd hesistate asking them all at once. And then came Assignment Pentagon - a life saver.

I stumbled across Assignment Pentagon about three months into the job - 2-1/2 months too late! Once I started reading it, I couldn't put it down - it spoke to my nagging questions and left me a MUCH better informed Action/Requirements Officer. The turn-around in professional understanding was so profound for me that I've been recommending it to anyone else that checks in here, and think it's absolutely critical to understand the place you work in the depth that Assignment Pentagon delivers it.

Many thanks to the authors for putting this much-needed work together, and for keeping it updated. I only hope that they're still updating it when I've got my next set of orders to the Pentagon.

This book was first published in the 1980s, and has been apparently revised as recently as March 2007. The edition I read comes from 2002. The book is interesting. It fulfills its billing as a straight guide to what is important inside the big five-sided building along the Potomac River.

Maj Gen Smith's most interesting piece of insight comes about half way through in his discussion of the media and the Pentagon leadership. In discussing the role of the daily "Early Bird" news roundup, Gen Smith asserts that senior Pentagon leaders read the volume diligently, seeing the press not as an antagonist, but rather as a source of new and interesting takes on what they may or may not already know.

Unfortunately, Gen Smith has a bad habit of occasionally interjecting his personal opinion into his otherwise objective analysis. Also, even though the book says it was revised for 2002, it appears that many sections of the book have not been updated since its original publication 15 years earlier.

All in all, this is a solid, brief overview, of some of what goes through Pentagon employees heads on a daily basis. It is worth the read for that reason if for no other.

I am the author of this book. When the new administration took office, it was time to update this book about how the Pentagon works, how to work with the Pentagon and how to work within the Pentagon. There is an enormous amount of misinformation about the Pentagon and what I have tried to do is stick to the realities and to destroy some of the myths. I have received many comments about this book. The most surprising ones have come from people who work in corporations who have told me that this book has given them lots of ideas about how improve their performance in their present jobs.

I am the author of this book. When the new administration took office, it was time to update this book about how the Pentagon works, how to work with the Pentagon and how to work within the Pentagon. There is an enormous amount of misinformation about the Pentagon and what I have tried to do is stick to the realities and to destroy some of the myths. I have received many comments about this book. The most surprising ones have come from people who work in corporations who have told me that this book has given them lots of ideas about how improve their performance in their present jobs.

Ev's a wild man, he's crazy, ya gotta love that guy. Bada bing! Land grab, way to go, pow! What a loon! Sign me up!

An interesting book that covers a range of strategic issues involved with space. Lays out the basics of space operations. An insightful read.

The geopolitics of space will be a more timely topic in the years ahead with so many spacefaring nations seeding fleets to 'the Moon, Mars, and Beyond.' The serious treatment of geopolitics of space is of growing importance. The space regimes fashioned by diplomats of the past must evolve in the years ahead to foster commercial activity and private property ownership. Astropolitics is abound as most recently evidenced by the reaction to President George W. Bush and his space policy internationally. This book is essential reading for those seeking to grasp the multiple issues that must be addressed on the direction ahead.

The introduction of the beliefs and dictums of geopolitics, the school of thought bringing together geography and international relations, in space theory and practice was, admittedly, long overdue. This is masterfully accomplished in this book, which, while been accessible and democratic in its style, is highly informed and thought-provoking.
With the traditional struggles over terrestrial supremacy being far from over, the arena of space offers a new field for the realization of the power strategies of the contemporary "Great Powers". This is turn directly affects the power relations back home (Earth, that is), shaping thus the political landscape of the near future.
The author, drawing from a plethora of geopolitical, historical and space-related records, has produced a compelling and essential read, concretly laying the foundations for a new, inter-disciplinary and highly relevant ground.

Dolman's thoughts in Astropolitik should be essential reading for anyone interested in space power and its relationship to the security of freedom, democracy and the United States in the 21st century. This book will definitely be required reading for military space leaders in the future, and should be read by every space leader or enthusaist today be they from the military, civil, or commercial sectors. Realist politics and unilateral action may be disheartening to some, and many may be opposed to Dolman's 'advice' at the end, but the logic and arguments he presents are sound and must be addressed by any potential opposition.
In all, Astropolitik will become a classic of space power theory.

Wow - what a book! An absolute "must read" for EVERYONE - not just law enforcement officers (but should be compulsory reading for them!!). A rare blend of excitement, humour, action, honesty and humility. One of the best books I have ever read (and I read a lot of books!!). I can't recommend it highly enough.

Cops are People, Too!
By John De Haven

Happily, it's still possible to find your way to a good book now and then. And once in a while you can get lucky, and a good book will just sort of find its way to you. That's what just happened to me!

We've all heard the jaded expression "You can't put it down." You know what I mean. You sometimes get that feeling of connection with the author or with the story (or both!) and adjust your posture, reload your beverage and maybe sink a little deeper into the couch with the welcome and soothing thought: "This is good. This just feels good. He's talking to me here, and I can tell I'm gonna like this." With some good books, it can happen early on. Sometimes, if it is to happen at all, it can take a little longer.

In Jim Geeting's new one, "The Badge - Thoughts from a State Trooper," (McKenna Publishing Group) it happened to me in the first few seconds. No, I don't mean somewhere in the first chapter; it happened earlier than that. I didn't get any farther than the dedication where the author acknowledges his beautiful wife and young sons before I had a tear in my eye and solid confidence in my certainty that Jim's book was going to be a pleasure.

Here, in the dedication, Geeting speaks to his sons, saying in part:

You took a cop's blackened soul
And taught it the joy of wrestling, giggles and unconditional love
Of camp outs, good jokes and the wonder in a bug or a rock.
Of the hero I could be - simply by being a good dad
I dreamed of you both, long before God sent you.

Oh, yeah? Please pass the Kleenex!

Author Geeting is a veteran cop, a trooper with the Wyoming Highway Patrol. For some time he has written a column, "The Badge," which appears regularly in largest circulation newspapers in Wyoming. Bearing the same title, his book is a digest of some of Jim's (and his publisher's, no doubt) favorites from among a couple years' worth of these columns. Whether sorting out broken cars and bodies at the scene of a wreck, lecturing those who might choose to drink and drive or fail to buckle up, or basking in the pleasures of the school spelling bee or in any of the many places and experiences in between, each savory nugget in the banquet of a cop's and a family man's life can be consumed in barely a minute or two. But like the best of Thanksgiving feasts, the pleasure derived has a way of lasting.

Trust me. The reading is the easy part. It's the pondering of the practical simplicity of this cop's ways and wisdom that brings the reward. Indeed, the digesting and enjoying of the nearly 75 columns included in his book (yes, I counted!) represent a much more touching and longer-lasting experience.

Early on, I had the good luck to recognize Geeting's anthology was, for me anyway, really something of a confession... a generous slice of the "stuff" of law enforcement we on the outside always want to know - not what happens in the legislature or in meetings when the brass get together but, rather, the stuff that unfolds or (on a bad day) explodes out there in the street. Easily, modestly, credibly and with a refreshing clarity, Geeting conveys his genuine love and respect -- both for his chosen profession and for his colleagues and brethren within it. Most often citing examples from his lengthy experience behind the badge, he invites us to see it from his side.

And there, on the inside, we are offered this good cop's view of many of the familiar and not-so-familiar facts, routines, surprises, fears and follies that conspire to make the on-duty life of a law enforcement officer so exciting, interesting, satisfying, humorous, rewarding, dangerous, at times sickening, heart breaking, misunderstood, under-appreciated, frustrating, occasionally frightening, and yet always so absolutely essential to our safety and the quality of life most of us enjoy every day.

Still, that's only part of why I'm lucky "The Badge - Thoughts from a State Trooper" found its way to me. Jim Geeting is much more than the stereotypical policeman. He is also the perfect blend of hard-hearted cop, all business and always steeled against publicly showing feelings or emotion, and the kind of family man that you and I wish we could be, adoring and adored by his wife and children. In one particularly memorable vignette, Geeting describes how his wife and (now teenage) sons are both his motivation and his satisfaction, in the end acknowledging: "They and our home are not the reason for my armor, they are my armor."

In fact, I'm not certain whether this new book is more about a humble and devoted and decent citizen, a family man who happens to be a cop or about a cop who is still married to his first wife and who views his role as a father and husband as the most important and satisfying in his or anybody's life. That's not to suggest it matters; it doesn't. Time and again, the insights into each are presented with a persuasive and almost irresistible clarity and candor.

I promise you... Jim Geeting will grab hold of your heart, too! Many of his commentaries, brief though they may be individually, favor readers with a look at this "other" side where he reveals his gentle nature, his appealing yet hair trigger sensitivity, his vulnerability and his extraordinary love of and desire to protect children. His recognition of and determination to preserve as best he can the innocence and ultimate worthiness of every child, is a subject visited several times in "The Badge's" 130 pages.

So get comfortable, be sure the Kleenex is nearby and pick up "The Badge - Thoughts from a State Trooper." You'll catch Jim Geeting's message all right. Or it'll catch you!

And when you're finished reading this one, don't take it to the book barrel at church. Put it on the shelf by your easy chair or atop the magazine pile in the pearl room. Keep it nearby. You'll want to read it again.

I did.

This book is the first book in a long while that I picked up and never put down until I read it from cover to cover. Jim's words and stories make you feel at home with the book. This is "the real stories of the highway patrol." I can't wait to get the rest of Jim's books

This book is simply the most endeared book in my vast "law enforcement"
collection. Jim Geeting is instantly your best friend. Reading his words
is like having him at your kitchen table, coffee in hand, with a very
warm, comfortable atmosphere!

Thank you, Trooper Geeting - you made me realize why I got into this profession - and why I need to stay. You also showed many of our "customers" a side that is rarely seen. Keep up the good work!

There is little to add to the some of the excellent reviws previously listed. The documentation and bibliography is impressive as well as the author's willingness to discuss alternate interpretations of key historical events. The book is well written; but it is the numerous and well-drawn maps that I found particularly impressive.

My hobby is wargaming; and for those that share this hobby, this book is a gem. Think of it; 35 possible scenarios complete with maps ranging from Ancient Egyptian vs Ancient Syrian to Mondern Israelis vs Arabs...and even Armageddon itself. This can be considered either a "future" or a "fantasy" battle based upon your preferences. All of these battles could be gamed upon one large map or playing area stretching from Megiddo in the West to Mts Tabor, Gilboa, and Moreh in the East,\.

I had to do a presentation on megiddo for a class. This book was the most useful and interesting one that I had at my disposal.

Professor Eric Cline's book here is one of the best works on the bloody and conflict ridden history of the City of Megiddo and its accompanying region, the Valley of Jezreel. Cline demonstrates how easily the name Megiddo had already been corrupted into Har Megiddo(or Mount of Megiddo) by the Roman era. This explains how it was later transcribed as 'Armageddon' by John The Apostle, who wrote the Book of Revelations. Cline documents the more than 30 battles which have raged in or around the Megiddo and the Jezreel Valley and chronicles many of the most decisive wars in history that occured here such as Napoleon's defeat of the Ottoman Turks at Aboukhir(July 1799) in the vicinity of..you guessed it! Megiddo, Sheshonq I's(the Biblical Shishak) assault against, and capture of, the Ancient Israelite cities of Beth Shan, Taanach and Megiddo in 925 BC which are all located in the same general area, Pharaoh Tuthmose III's stunning victory over the Prince of Kadesh at Megiddo in 1458 BC, and how more than three thousand and three hundred years later, the First World War British General Edward Allenby proceeded to virtually copy Tuthmose III's battle plan at Megiddo, catching the Ottoman Turks completely off guard in September 1918. The happy result, for Allenby, was the complete destruction of the Turkish Army in Northern Palestine and Syria, just 2 months before the end of World War One.

Professor Cline's excellent prose helps to explain why this book won the Biblical Archaeology Society's Award for the best New Book on Archaeology in 2001. Cline's view of the main reason why John decided to locate the Final Battle between Good and Evil at Armageddon--the same site where the last 'good' king of Judah, Josiah, fell in battle against Pharaoh Necho II in 609 BC--is quite persuasive. Equally intriguing is Cline's observation that the battle at Armageddon between Good and Evil was actually the penultimate(second last) battle in this series since a thousand years after this aforementioned battle, the Forces of Good and Evil will arise once again to do battle for the last time. However, this time the location was Jerusalem itself, as John writes in Revelations.

Cline's book makes an invaluable contribution towards our understanding of the strategic location of Megiddo as the gateway into both Syria and into the heart of Israel/Palestine; hence, its troubled history. As an Aside, Cline also documents the desperate struggles between Modern day Israel and the Arab states for control of this same area during the Wars of 1948 and 1967 where a breakthrough by the latter would have spelled disaster for the Jewish state.

History is a slight of hands artist of sorts. It tends to focus ones attention on the flashy action center stage while more important events are often happening in the wings. Its spotlight brings out in high relief the massive endeavor of the pyramids, the power and grandeur of the Roman empire, the longevity of Chinese culture, or the blood rituals of the Aztecs. In doing so it tends to neglect the margins, places where cultural synthesis and mere survival of local polities brings the real issues of life during the time into sharper focus. Eric Cline is a master at redirecting ones attention to precisely these issues of history. In The Battles of Armageddon he chronicles the "life" history of a region that was for most of that history on the margins of the action in the Middle East and in the world.

The Jezreel Valley and ancient Megiddo, the Armageddon of Revelation, are brought to center stage in this well researched and thoroughly entertaining book. Here the armies of the world have fought battles deciding the course of human history, and here too it is suggested that the final battle between good and evil will be fought in the future. All tolled, some 34 major battles have been fought in this valley, often if not usually between combatants who are foreign to the area.

In documenting the drama of conflict that has played itself out on this valley floor, Professor Cline has examined a wide variety of data recording human events in the area. He discusses the records of ancient Egypt, the Biblical texts, the cuneiform documents of Anatolia, Assyria, Babylonia, and Persia, the written material of both the Moslem and the Christian participants of the Crusades, French documentation of the Napoleonic wars in the Middle East, the Allenby diaries, letters, etc. for the World War I conflict with the Ottoman Empire, and the more recent evidence for the Arab-Israeli conflicts in the area. In short, he addresses an impressive collection of data and with it constructs an absorbing "biography" of the region, and in doing so brings the history of the world itself into sharper focus.

I found Cline's willingness to entertain alternative proposals for events of the Israelite conquest of the Levant particularly impressive. He does not seem wedded to any particular theme or version of early Biblical history, a fact which gives one confidence in his critical judgment with respect to early documents, both Biblical and extra-Biblical. Where he is uncertain of the order of or veracity of events or their documentation, he is willing to say as much. There is no effort to make the evidence appear more concrete than it is. He also seems to have no preferred "side" in the Arab-Israeli conflict at least as a historian and archaeologist--whether he has one as an individual is his own business. The author also sticks to historical information and its interpretation and only introduces archaeological data where it is pertinent to the discussion. He doesn't burden the amateur enthusiast with more detail than they are willing or able to imbibe. In short he doesn't slow down the "story" of the Jezreel which makes the volume more readable.

Although I certainly found the earlier history of the Valley of interest--my degree is in ancient history--I actually found Professor Cline's treatment of the era of the Crusades more engaging because I learned more. I also enjoyed the discussion of General Allenby's possible foreknowledge of the war between Thutmose III and the Canaanites at Megiddo an excellent demonstration of good historic detective work. (It was definitely a good illustration of the value of a thorough knowledge of history.) The bibliography of The Battles of Armageddon is a veritable who's who of historical and archaeological research since the 19th century, including authors of topical works, of edited collections and encyclopedias, and of journal articles. For anyone with a specific interest this would definitely be a good starting point for the pursuit of information on tangential topics. I will probably use it to help fill in my knowledge of the Crusades. Without doubt this book would appeal to anyone with an interest in history, particularly that of the Levant or of peripheral areas in general, or in political and military history. One might even use it to teach world history, as so many of the main "players" in the events of human activity have passed through this valley and left their mark on it. Definitely a work worth reading.

For anyone interested in battles, ancient and contemporary, this book is for you. Cline invites those interested in the site of Armageddon as well as military history buffs into the world and circumstances of the Jezreel Valley. Destined to be a classic on ancient battles.

The Weekly Standard May 7, 200l Scrapbook, page 3 Book Notes

The Scrapbook is pleased to report the publication of a fine new book by Weekly Standard contributor and weapons-technology expert Henry Sokolski. Best of Intentions is a significant work of scholarship: the first comprehensive history of American efforts to stop the global spread of strategic weapons capabilities since World War II. Any self-respecting grown-up will want to buy a copy immediately.

Best of Intentions: America's Campaign Against Strategic Weapons Proliferation -- A Practical Primer

As reviewed in ORBIS Summer 2001, By Mark T. Clark,Ph.D., Director of National Security Studies, California State University at San Bernardino.

Henry Sokolski, in his Best of Intentions, expressly eschews the search for the causes of proliferation and instead prefers to evaluate efforts to prevent proliferation in the first place. A former military legislative analyst in the Senate and an official in the Department of Defense during the first Bush administration, he currently heads the nonprofit Nonproliferation Policy Education Center in Washington, D.C. His interests, therefore, lie in the search for practical answers to policy questions, not in the development of theory per se. He proposes to determine how effective U.S. and international efforts have been in curbing proliferation, and specifically intends to "identify and weigh the premises of U.S. nonproliferation policies (p. xii).

His book is divided into seven chapters, the first and last of which deal with the history and future of nonproliferation. The five central chapters are analytic histories of the major nonproliferation policies: the Baruch Plan, the Atoms for Peace Program, the NPT, proliferation technology control regimes, and the U.S. Counterproliferation Initiative. According to Sokolski, each of the initiatives had distinct assumptions that were built upon an assessment of the strategic dangers that needed to be avoided at the time, and each was designed to correct the failures of its precursors. He further argues that "[t]o the extent each characterized the strategic threat properly, they produced nonproliferation measures that were sound. To the extent that they did not, they encouraged measures that were impractical or that actually compounded the proliferation threats they were supposed to reduce" (p. xii).

How U.S. leaders characterized the strategic threat makes for an interesting approach to the periods under examination. It also reminds the reader that there is always a strategic context to policy, and favored solution to perceived problems. In other words, policymakers' assumptions about the world tend to influence their responses to it. For example, after World War II, American policy makers worried that the spread of nuclear weapons would inevitably generate undeterrable wars against which no defense was possible. Since the United States would not be able to deflect potential offensive nuclear wars, it sought to retain sole ownership of nuclear weapons. The Baruch Plan that was offered to the United Nations in 1946 provided, among other things, that anything critical to nuclear bomb making be turned over to the control of an international atomic energy authority, a meritorious proposal in itself. However, the United States' exaggerated fears of undeterrable offensive nuclear wars made it crucial for the country to maintain it sole nuclear monopoly until thorough safeguards were in place - and that condition alone provided the Soviets with the reason to reject it.

The drafters of the Nonproliferation Treaty of l968 had their own strategic assumptions, which continue to fuel debate over nonproliferation policies today. At the heart of the first three articles of the NPT are concerns about the horizontal proliferation of nuclear weapons, that is, the spread of nuclear weapons to nonnuclear states. The original Irish proposal in l958 reflected the early fears that the addition of new nuclear powers would lead to international instability, making nuclear war more likely. Before the NPT was finished, however, negotiators began fearing the effects of vertical proliferation, that is, the accumulation of nuclear weapons by the superpowers targets against one another, which could lead to accidental or unauthorized nuclear war. Today some states refuse to sign the NPT unless and until the major powers move more drastically toward disarmament. In the meantime, the dangers of horizontal proliferation continue to grow.

Sokolski's history and analysis would seem to be premised on political realism. In the concluding chapter, however, his prescriptions for new nonproliferation policies reflect a different theoretical bent. Since there are limits and weakness to all the previous policies, he argues, new initiatives must focus on issues more lasting than technological or military contingencies. The next counterproliferation campaign must be anchored in larger policies that distinguish between liberal and hostile illiberal regimes in an effort to broaden, over the long run, the "zones of peace" and shrink "zones of conflict." In other words, Sokolski relies on a form of the "democratic peace theory," which suggests that democracies do not wage war against other democracies. This idea has broad acceptance among American political leaders, from Ronald Reagan to Bill Clinton to George W. Bush.

Sokolski and Best of Intentions deserve credit for accomplishing the politically impossible: Clarifying the last half century of U.S. strategic arms control and nonproliferation in a manner that both the Right and Left can support. This is no mean trick. How many books on this subject get featured not only in The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, but the Weekly Standard; get endorsed by Conservatives including Bill Kristol and former CIA Director Jim Woolsey and liberals such as Democratic Congressman Ed Markey; and have receptions thrown for them by both the liberal Carnegie and the Conservative Heritage Foundations? Other than this book, none that I know of. How could this happen? No mystery here: The book is unusually well written and to the point. More important, it makes a very critical, nonpartisan point: Every U.S. effort to control the spread of strategic arms has presumed some vision of the next war that has either been wrong or overtaken by events. As such, the U.S. needs to focus its next arms restraint campaign less on dubious military predictions and more on the political and economic trends toward markets and liberal democracy that are both sounder and more positive. Indeed, Best of Intentions' effort to detail the past assumptions of U.S. policy makers is first rate reading for anyone smug enough to assume that the U.S. has done the best that it can to prevent armageddon. Clearly, it has meant well but there is room for improvement. For any student or official interested in clarifying this point or who is anxious to get on with this project, Best of Intentions is the best (and a most bipartisan) place to begin.

"...Best of Intentions provides a timely and well-reasoned history of U.S. attempts to prevent the spread of nuclear materials. Henry Sokolski has succeeded in setting forth the current dilemmas facing present-day decision makers and making a compelling analysis of where past policies have gone right or wrong."
Representative Edward J. Markey, (D-Massachusetts), Co-Chairman of the House Bipartisan Task Force on Nonproliferation

"...informed and trenchant...offers valuable insights and presents important challenges - not only to those who have advocated prior non-proliferation initiatives, but to those who contend that there are better options..."
Alton Frye, Vice President, Council on Foreign Relations

"Henry Sokolski has done us all a great service by parsing, briefly and succinctly, the tangled history of nonproliferation, and relating it to the problems we face today."
James Woolsey, former director of the Central Intelligence Agency

"This is an outstanding survey, analysis and critique ...a vitally important addition to the reading lists and libraries of scholars, policymakers, and others having an interest in U.S. national security strategy, technology transfer, arms control and proliferation."
Robert L. Pfaltzgraff, Jr., The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University

"For any Democrat or Republican wishing to rethink what our nonproliferation policies should be, Best of Intentions is the place to begin."
William Kristol, Editor, The Weekly Standard

"...an indispensable primer on a long and crucial battle we may now be losing."
Peter W. Rodman, Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs

"A fascinating history and penetrating critique of U.S. nuclear nonproliferation policy."
Frank Von Hippel, Princeton University, former arms control advisor to the Clinton Administration

"...raises fundamental strategic questions that must be addressed...a thoughtful, welcome provocation."
George Perkovich, author, India's Nuclear Bomb, director of the Alton Jones Foundation

"The Scrapbook is pleased to report the publication of a fine new book by Weekly Standard contributor and weapons-technology expert Henry Sokolski. Best of Intentions is a significant work of scholarship: the first comprehensive history of American efforts to stop the global spread of strategic weapons capabilities since World War II. Any self respecting grown-up will want to buy a copy immediately."
The Weekly Standard

"...This sobering analysis is must reading for scholars and policy makers alike."
Henry Rowen, Stanford University, former Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs

"...a reference work no serious student of these matters should be without."
Gordon C. Oehler, former Director of the Central Intelligence Agency's Nonproliferation Center

A history of U.S. efforts to stop the expansion of nuclear arms "ownership" is not novel. One that treats both vertical proliferation, for old owners' stockpiles, and horizontal proliferation, to new owners, is unusual. So too is a work that is conceptual yet succinct. Henry Sokolski, the Pentagon chief of non-proliferation policy in the first Bush presidency and executive director of the Nonproliferation Policy Education Center, delivers on both counts. Best of Intentions looks at the results of arms control policies, which often involved unintended consequences-but consequences that Sokolski shows nonetheless follow from their authors' thinking. Ultimately, however, the character and designs of regimes owning weapons of mass destruction is Sokolski's most portentous theme.

Best of Intentions is intended, it appears, for undergraduate and early graduate-level students, though policy analysts would do well to read its treatment of arms control doc-trines and instruments-both carrots and sticks. Sokolski has a certain under statement manifest both in succinctness and, occasionally, in subtlety, which may leave the not so nimble behind.

Sokolski draws lessons from five cases: the Baruch Plan rejected by the Soviet Union; Eisenhower's "Atoms for Peace" initiative, which paved the way for the inadequate" safeguards" regime of the International Atomic Energy Agency; the1968 Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) based on bargaining with nuclear have-nots; proliferation technology control regimes such as the Missile Technology Control Regime, the Nuclear Suppliers Group, and the Australia Group on Chemical and biological weapons; and counterproliferation policy in the1990s, which prepared military means to eliminate emerging weapons of mass destruction (WMD) arsenals.

Sokolski draws three lessons from these cases. First, strategic assumptions shape initiatives. For instance, he attributes the NPT's effort to reward nations promising to desist from acquiring nuclear arms with access to ostensibly civilian nuclear technology to 1960s ideas on "finite deterrence" and an attendant right to acquire civilian nuclear technology. He offers a unique critique of the 1994 Agreed Framework with North Korea, which he demonstrates shares the premises of the NPT, hatched a quarter-century earlier. Second, Sokolski highlights the risks of basing nonproliferation initiatives on wrongheaded assumptions about the sources and nature of future wars. Finally, he suggests that horizontal proliferation can only be reduced when the nuclear "haves" reduce their vertical proliferation-but only "without increasing the world's access to ever larger and more uncertain amounts of strategic materials and capabilities."

Sokolski offers corrective prescriptions for the future. He insists that quid pro quo for nonproliferation promises must be banished because they encourage efforts to acquire WMDs to get a reward. Also, he calls for a centrist position on export controls between existing voluntary consultation regimes and a new version of the Cold War COCOM, whereby nations "could deny any export (listed or not) to Any destination and expect this denial to be upheld (i.e., not undercut) By other members until they met to learn why the denial was made . . . [so that] incremental agreement might be reached on a substantial number of items and destinations."

The book has several particular strengths. It offers rich portraits of doctrines, such as the Mutual Assured Destruction balance of terror and the early Clinton Administration paradigm of "cooperative security," as alternatives to either export controls or missile defense. Sokolski brilliantly shows how the premises of initiatives like Atoms for Peace led to perverse results. Also, his critique of "carrots" is quite convincing. For instance, he asks about one incentives-based policy of the 1990s:"Wouldn't including both proliferation suppliers and consumers into organizations that had relatively free trade in sensitive technology simply turn existing proliferation technology denial regimes into proliferation breeding grounds?"

Indeed, in style, the book's objective and balanced tone is welcome, despite strong normative implications. For instance, Sokolski writes, "Atoms for Peace may have gotten the relationship between vertical and horizontal proliferation wrong but at least it recognized that there was a connection." And once again, conciseness is a strength of this veritable primer -- including informative documentary appendices on the cases.

The best insight the book offers, though, is emphasized in the last Chapter of the text. The "intentions" highlighted in the title are important when it comes to countries the United States is seeking to constrain from acquiring WMDs. What really matters is not so much the deadly capability of other nations, but their intent in acquiring that capability. As such, regime-type is all-important. Authoritarian states that take the lives of their own citizens lightly typically take the use of supremely deadly force against other countries lightly as well. Therefore, the United States should seek a world filled with more benign neighbors, because "a world of Canadas is a world not at war." Democratic states either forego WMD arsenals, or pose no danger if they do acquire them.

By implication, non-proliferation policy must focus on the demand side, not just the supply side. Sokolski observes that "in the 1980sand very early 1990s, Taiwan, South Korea, Ukraine, Argentina, South Africa, and Brazil all foreswore or dismantled their nuclear weapons or long-range missile programs." Why? He believes that it is because they became more democratic-typically with a little push from the United States. Going beyond reliance on globalized trade to inevitably yield political liberalization, the author asserts that active democracy-promotion is the best nonproliferation policy.

Hence, Best of Intentions contributes to multiple sets of literature. It belongs to the rich literature on nuclear doctrines, but breaks new ground in dissecting U.S. nonproliferation policy initiatives. In particular, the work belongs to an under developed literature critiquing prevailing deterrence and arms control theory by emphasizing how intent, rather than capability, matters most to nuclear peace.

More generally, Best of Intentions contributes to the literature on ideas, and not just books dealing exclusively with nuclear doctrines. It adds to the literature on U.S. foreign policy doctrines. Finally, the work links nonproliferation to the literature on the democratic peace and the importance of democracy-promotion. This final contribution may be even more crucial than Sokolski intended.

Outstanding book. As a narrative, I recommend this book to anyone with little to no knowledge of post-World War II Algerian history as it's both extremely short yet packed with information, a benchmark for the topic. Yet, as an analysis of Algerian politics, Quandt's book is so remarkably perceptive, that it deserves a permanent spot in the library of the serious scholar, the history buff, the political science classroom, and for anyone interested in Islamic or North African culture.

William Quandt has produced a brief look at the Algerian crisis that will give the reader with a time deficit a chance bone up quickly and accurately.

Between Ballots & Bullets by William Quandt is an excellent and exhaustive study of Algeria's transition from authoritarianism. The book is split into two parts: political history and political analysis. In Part I, the reader gets an excellent political history of the country, beginning with the struggle for independence from France all the way to aftermath of the 1997 elections (the book was published in 1998). In Part II, Quandt offers contending "perspectives" for analyzing Algeria's plight. He details cultural, socioeconomic and political explanations for the situation, while taking care never to dismiss the power of human agency and contextualized choice. In this book review, I will briefly summarize the book, review Quandt's style, and propose future implications for Algeria based on the knowledge I have gained.
It almost seems repetitive to give a summary of this book, because Quandt is extremely concise. He begins with a political account of the Algerian struggle for independence. He observes,

...the revolution that was launched November 1, 1954 was not only against the French, but also against the existing political institutions that Algerians had forged over the previous generation. In its origins, the Algerian revolution was antipolitics and antiparty. (18)

This observation is important because it helps the reader understand the importance of nationalism in the revolution. The Algerians did not fight with a detailed governance plan in their back pocket. Rather, they fought for a chance to establish themselves as independent people.
After discussing the Revolution and its rhetorical emphasis on unity, Quandt moves into the Boumedience Era. He notes that Algeria's first president, Ben Bella, lacked an institutional base of support and spent much of his time in office manipulating factions against each other. Ben Bella quietly faded into the background and Boumediene arose as the stable and rather "faceless" leader. He downgraded the FLN (the party credited with winning independence) in importance and suppressed any emerging opposition to his regime. Indeed, after 1968, there was very little internal opposition. During the 1970s, his regime had an Islamic cultural orientation but functioned in a secular socialist manner. There was definitely not much emphasis on a transition to democracy, but "Boumedience, at least, had brought stability to a country that had known far too much political violence" (29).
In the next chapter, Quandt explains that there was inevitable pressure to change, and Boumediene, as an authoritarian ruler, was unable to enact it. Chadli Benjedid became president in 1979, and long-suppressed demands for change came with the Berber spring of 1980. This initial movement for the rights of Berber-speaking people gave rise to other political movements, the most significant being the Algerian Islamic Movement. Beginning in 1982, the Islamic Movement took up arms and gained momentum, though for the most part the stability of the existing order kept protestors at bay. This all changed in 1988, when "the bottom fell out of the oil market." The rentier state was in trouble.
Quandt writes, "the mass protests of October 1988 proved to be one of those turning points that define a country's political trajectory for years to come. It was a nationwide youth revolt, but Islamic activists soon took charge. The military was called in and violence ensued. Hundreds of young Algerians were killed in the first use of the Algerian military against its own people.
As disturbing as this scene was, Quandt notes that it could have been a dramatic turn toward political expression and eventually democracy. Indeed, in 1989 reform-minded allies of Chadli drafted a new constitution. At least on paper, it created three distinct branches of government and guaranteed individual liberties--including what was to soon become a very significant free press. The army was supposed to now be above politics, and a significant new political party, the Islamic Salvation Front (FIS) challenged the government on a plethora of issues. Many young unemployed and disillusioned men joined this group. Through political mediums such as strikes and the 1991 elections (in which the FIS received about twice the number of votes as the FLN in the first round), the FIS established itself as the new power in Algeria. In June of 1991, however, the army stepped in yet again (it had stepped in during the strike and arrested FIS leaders) and showed itself to be right in the middle of politics-certainly not above it.
In 1991 the army cancelled the constitutionally mandated second round of elections and forcefully removed both Chadli and the FIS from power. Quandt explains the army's motives well:

Many in the military had fought for Algeria's independence and genuinely felt that they had a legitimate role to play in the political life of the country. The FIS was a threat to all that they had fought for and, like the Turkish military, they would not stand by and watch the principles of the state be trampled. (60-61).

Thus, the military took over the state and political violence and terrorism was the norm for most of the nineties. Within months, the FIS was declared illegal. The leader appointed by the military, Boudiaf, was assassinated, and thousands of ordinary Algerians lost their lives in the chaos. Quandt writes, "The inability-or unwillingess-of the state to provide basic security was shocking" (75). Many Algerians emigrated to other nations.
Thus, the political history of Algeria is a complex and sometimes sad one. Quandt's book covers it so well because he understands that there is hope for the country. It has experimented with liberalization and might just be able to make it work. After all, nobody really expected Algeria to rebel against France in the first place, much less win a war of independence. Quandt's book is good because it presents this history in a very detailed fashion (Part I), and then it presents various perspectives to clarify the events and give insight to the future (Part II). An alternate format, like an interwoven mixture of history and analysis, might be very confusing to the average reader.

Quandt explains, very thouroughly, just how Algeria transformed from authoritarianism. He writes so clearly and beautifully about the subject that you get the feeling that he is the only one who knows anything about this subject, which i am sure he is.

Ballots and Bullets is only one of several books I have read dealing with Algerian Politics recently, and it amazed me how Quandt was able to grasp the fundamental themes of the transition Algeria has made in the past years. Quandt has a perspective on the subject that had never entered my mind before, and he explains it in the most comprehensive manner possible.