Preventing World War III: A Realistic Grand Strategy

This readable memoir by an experienced Washingtonian, most recently U.S. ambassador to NATO, is a defense of NATO with side glances at issues elsewhere. The book is neither venturesome nor long on specifics-it calls for more-of-the-same-only-better, stronger conventional defense plus a more coherent arms control strategy-but it is distinguished by Abshire's career-long preoccupation with the public politics of defense. He is optimistic and charitable to almost everyone, even Europeans: "Aggressive Americans like myself typically want to fix things. Europeans often prefer to live with them."