Brian McAllister Linn

The cover of this book is a little misleading, as it implies that one is going to get a study of the impact of nuclear testing on U.S. military personnel during the Cold War; that's not what this book is about. What one really has here is a study of personnel policy in the U.S. Army between Korea and Vietnam, as that service tried to respond to one institutional trauma after another while trying to muster a viable field force. It's not a pretty picture but it is a reminder that the more things change the more things stay the same; you get the army you're willing to pay for. It's also a case study in how while the current military may have its own personnel stresses there are good reasons why any modern career soldier is going to give you a hard look if you suggest bringing back the draft.… (mer)