The Challenge of Change - (Studies in War, Society, and the Military) by David R Mets & Harold R Winton (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

The Challenge of Change examines how military institutions attempted to meet the demands of the new strategic, political, and technological realities of the turbulent era between the First and Second World Wars. The contributors chose France, Germany, Great Britain, the Soviet Union, and the United States as focus countries because their military institutions endeavored to develop both the material capacity and the conceptual framework for the conduct of modern industrialized warfare on a continental scale.

Review Quotes

""The Challenge of Change" should be mandatory reading for senior military officers and defense analysts as the United States redesigns its military forces and doctrine to face the challenges of the 21st century."-"Parameters,"

""The Challenge of Change" will prove useful to military historians, but is also relevant to a wide range of scholars, policy makers, and those in the private sector interested in discovering what allows complex organizations to successfully adapt to their environment."-"National Security Studies Quarterly,"

"An excellent book which demonstrates the importance of constant innovation and thought about the business of warfare."--Lieutenant Commander Youssef H. Aboul-Enein, "Infantry"

"Examining with a critical eye the notion that innovation is an obvious and easily judged phenomenon, the book is well worth reading for any student or advocate of organizational and doctrinal change."-"Foreign Affairs,"

"The arguments this volume makes about the importance of institutional culture in promoting a climate that can encourage and refine new ideas, as well as ensure that money is spent on the right things, should draw the attention of all professionals interested in the health of the Army."--Stephen J. Lofgren, "Army History"

."This is an informative and entertaining book that brings the reader up to date on critical period of military history. Certainly, both the military historian and the general reader will learn from this book, which is highly recommended."-"The American Historical Review"

"Examining with a critical eye the notion that innovation is an obvious and easily judged phenomenon, the book is well worth reading for any student or advocate of organizational and doctrinal change."

"The Challenge of Change should be mandatory reading for senior military officers and defense analysts as the United States redesigns its military forces and doctrine to face the challenges of the 21st Century."

"The Challenge of Change] will prove useful to military historians, but is also relevant to a wide range of scholars, policy makers, and those in the private sector interested in discovering what allows complex organizations to successfully adapt to their environment."

About the Author

Both editors are on the faculty of the School of Advanced Airpower Studies, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama. Harold R. Winton is professor of military history and theory. He is the author of To Change an Army: General Sir John Burnett-Stuart and British Armored Doctrine, 1927-1938. David R. Mets is professor of technology and innovation. He is the author of several books, including The Air Campaign: John Warden and the Classical Airpower Theorists.