Description

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For over twenty years, the South African Border War was fought to counter the influence of Marxism-Leninism and to maintain control of Namibia. The South African people relied on cultural tools and adaptive strategies to protect their own interests. John S. McCain IV isn't interested in taking sides on this issue; instead, he analyzes the military's tactics, operational effectiveness, and strategy.

Angola, Clausewitz, and the American Way of War explores the concept of strategy making in war within the context of the South African Border War. It describes the danger of leaning on middle-range theories over general theories and of starting the decision-making process in the middle rather than at the top.

Wars should not be forced into a type as one thing or another-and then assumed to be all the same, based on that type. Each individual war should be seen for what it is, unique, and those in charge should be prepared to make changes and reevaluate every step of the way to account for all the moving pieces and the realities on the ground.

In the same vein as The Direction of War by Hew Strachan, McCain recognizes that US wars since 9/11 have been poorly strategized. This heavily researched volume challenges traditional approaches to conflict and suggests ways they could be improved.

About the Author

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John S. McCain IV received his bachelor's degree in political science through the US Naval Academy. He went on to earn his master's degree in security studies from the Georgetown Edmund Walsh School of Foreign Service. As a helicopter pilot for the US Navy, McCain has been deployed all across the globe, including to the western Pacific, the Persian Gulf, and Guam, where he was stationed for over three years. He has been an instructor at the US Naval Academy, teaching leadership skills, and he currently volunteers as a political networking advisor for Global Eye, an organization that fights the trafficking of humans and wildlife in Africa and Asia.