Full Description
In the wake of the troubled campaigns in Afghanistan and Iraq, military decision-making appears to be in crisis and generals have been subjected to intense and sustained public criticism. Taking these interventions as a starting point, Anthony King examines the transformation of military command in the twenty-first century. Focusing on the army division, King argues that a phenomenon of collective command is developing. In the twentieth century, generals typically directed and led operations personally, monopolising decision-making. They commanded individualistically, even heroically. As operations have expanded in range and scope, decision-making has multiplied and diversified. As a result command is becoming increasingly professionalised and collaborative. Through interviews with many leading generals and vivid ethnographic analysis of divisional headquarters, this book provides a unique insight into the transformation of command in western armies.
Contents
1. Command in the twenty-first century; 2. The division; 3. Defining command; 4. Twentieth-century operations; 5. Twentieth-century command; 6. Leadership; 7. The counter-insurgents; 8. Kandahar; 9. The march up; 10. The new headquarters; 11. Distributing command; 12. The decision point; 13. The crisis; 14. The command collective.
