ONE OF THE REASONS I bought Robert Kaplan's new book (at left) is because it chronicles the reach of some American firepower in the years since the destruction of the World Trade Center. US military might oozes from Hog Pilots, Blue Water Grunts but there's an important back story to the military reach of any empire and it's a back story I once researched while earning a BSc in International Affairs. I will spend an evening finishing Kaplan's extraordinary documentation of the American military worldwide in the air, at sea and on the ground. It will take me several more hours than I expected because Kaplan evokes a lot of memories I have in many of the spaces he has walked to craft the 388 pages of stories in his book--number 12 in a long line of publishing that extends from the pages of The Atlantic magazine. I would be surprised if most of those visiting here appreciate stories written from the point of view of armed personnel standing watch in foreign countries. But should you enjoy those themes, you should check out Kaplan's most recent work, or look at his other titles (Imperial Grunts, Balkan Ghosts, Warrior Politics, and The Coming Anarchy).
Robert Kaplan -- "Hog Pilots, Blue Water Grunts" ISBN 978-1-4000-6133-4
