National Security Dilemmas Challenges and Opportunities

"A contemporary primer on leading arguments about U.S. national security, National Security Dilemmas addresses major challenges and opportunities that are live-issue areas for American policymakers and strategists today. Colin S. Gray provides an in-depth analysis of a policy and strategy for deterrence; the long-term U.S. bid to transform its armed forces' capabilities, with particular reference to strategic surprise, in the face of many great uncertainties; the difficulty of understanding and exploiting the challenge of revolutionary change in warfare; the problems posed by enemies who fight using irregular methods; and the dilemmas for U.S. policy over options to wage preventive and preemptive warfare. Gray uses a problem-solving motif, suggesting solutions to the challenges he identifies. The book's narrative is that the United States must take a more considered strategic approach to its security dilemmas. Too often, the country's leaders decide on a policy and then move to take action, while neglecting to devise a plan that would connect its political purposes to military means. While many of Gray's judgments are critical of current ideas and behavior, he crafted them as helpful guides should planners adopt them when revising policies and approaches. Strategy is a practical matter. This text can be used as an expert guide to major national security challenges of today--Publisher's description."
"A primer on enduring issues of U.S. national security strategy"@en