The Savage Wars of Peace: Small Wars and the Rise of American Power

While the major conflicts in American history have become all too familiar, America's small wars" have played an essential but little-appreciated role in the country's growth as a world power. First published in 2002, The Savage Wars of Peace quickly became a key volume in the case for a new policy of interventionism. Max Boot shows how America's smaller actions,such as the recent conflicts in Bosnia, Somalia, Haiti, Kosovo, and Afghanistan,have made up the vast majority of our military engagements, and yet our armed forces do little to prepare for these low intensity conflicts."A compellingly readable history of the forgotten wars that helped promote America's rise in the last two centuries, The Savage Wars of Peace is now updated with new material on the repercussions of America's far-flung imperial actions and the impact of these ventures in American international affairs.

“A Washington Post , Christian Science Monitor , and Los Angeles Times Best Book of the Year”

Los Angeles Times "Anyone who wants to understand why America has permanently entered a new era in international relations must read [this book]... Vividly written and thoroughly researched." The Washington Post Book World "A fascinating set of case studies worth reading for the stories alone." National Review "This book is not only an eminently readable and entertaining narrative history of America's small wars, but also is a serious analysis of current strategic challenges... Boot is an exceptional writer and his engaging style is tailor-made for this type of narrative." The Washington Times "An outstanding addition to this body of literature." New York Review of Books "In its high-spirited early chapters, Max Boot's The Savage Wars of Peace recalls Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey and Maturin saga... In his concluding comments, Boot sets out a thoughtful list of lessons that should have been learned." The Economist "[Boot] tells the story with clarity and verve, rediscovering on the way some lesser-known American heroes... Clear narrative plus such tales of daring-do are enough on their own to make this book enjoyable. But Mr. Boot is also trying to make a point about the present... Enjoyable...Informative." Foreign Affairs "Max Boot's The Savage Wars of Peace makes it possible to revisit that past 'imperial' tradition and mine it for lessons that might improve the management of today's global order...by reviewing the nation's past, he shows its future... Thanks to Boot's journalistic sense-he is editorial features editor at the Wall Street Journal-those lessons make for a great story and a compelling read. Boot combines a wide-angle perspective with an eye for detail." Business Times "A book that has become-very much like [Paul] Kennedy's, [Francis] Fukuyama's and [Samuel] Huntington's-'must' reading in Congress, the Pentagon and among Washington's columnists and think-tankers." Slate "By collecting the best exploits from some of the most significant small wars between two covers, [Boot has] done a real public and strategic service." The Weekly Standard "Boot's well-written narrative is not only fascinating reading, but didactic as well... The events of September 11 give The Savage Wars of Peace an uncanny timeliness and sadly confirm almost all of Boot's dispassionate warnings."

Max Boot is the author of "The Savage Wars of Peace: Small Wars and the Rise of American Power," A senior fellow in national security studies at the Council on Foreign Relations and a columnist for the "Los Angeles Times," he lectures at numerous military schools and advises the Department of Defense on transformation issues.

"Anyone who wants to understand why America has permanently entered a new era in international relations must read [this book].... Vividly written and thoroughly researched."-Los Angeles Times

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