Review by Choice Review
The title says it all. Prolific author Snow (emer., University of Alabama), who has penned dozens of books and dubs himself a "traditional realist," offers a historical and policy critique of US military interventions since Vietnam. In short: the supposed threats to American interests are not critical; they are essentially domestic conflicts in which the interests of local actors and the US are misaligned. US armed forces are not constituted to deal effectively with asymmetrical warfare; foreign intruders do not win such conflicts; and, most worrisome, such conflicts will likely predominate in the global security landscape. At the end, drawing on his previous works, Snow poses a set of five sequential questions to guide decision makers who may contemplate future interventions. The literature on armed interventions, especially involving the US, is extensive, and this book does not offer notable novelty. What it does offer is a thoughtful, extended essay that seeks to explain US interventionist behavior and its negative outcomes and coherent arguments for greater prudence going forward. Scholars, students, and policy makers should read and take heed. Recommended for college and larger public library systems and collections specializing in international studies. Summing Up: Recommended. All readership levels. --Joseph P. Smaldone, Georgetown University
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Choice Review
