"With well over 2,000 years of military history to draw from, it would seem that the current age of military power and strategy is the most advanced it has ever been. Yet, as with any field, confidence often leads to complacency. It is easy for any organization, including the military, to codify old principles, unquestioningly exalt respected heroes, and focus on the differences among military branches. Doing so, however, keeps them from reaching their full potential. Author Phillip S. Meilinger argues that this is exactly what has happened to the US military today, resulting in a distorted view of war. Thoughts on War is a collection of essays that seeks to address the issues Meilinger identifies in the current view of war and, more specifically, the state of the US military. Divided into three parts, each section of the manuscript examines the misguided "group think mentalities," misconceptions, and unsupported opinions on topics such as Carl von Clausewitz's theories, military operations, and the American military experience. In the last two chapters of the manuscript, Meilinger also applies many of his themes and conclusions to current airpower strategies. Thoughts on War questions the long-held traditions and heroes to encourage the US military to reexamine whether its current beliefs and practices are the best for its future. The result is often controversial, with many chapters offering unpopular suggestions to change time-honored principles."--

Col. Phillip S. Meilinger, USAF (Ret.), served as an air force command pilot, Pentagon staff officer, Naval War College professor, Air Force Academy professor, and as dean of the School of Advanced Airpower Studies. He has been a senior analyst at Northrop Grumman as well as deputy director of the AEROSPACENTER at Science Applications International Corporation. He has published twelve books and more than one hundred articles on military history, airpower theory, and military operations, including Limiting Risk in America's Wars: Airpower, Asymmetrics, and a New Strategic Paradigm.