Before The First Shots Are Fired

New York: Palgrave Macmillan, ( 2014 ). First printing. Hardcover. Near Fine/near fine. 8vo, 246 pages, blue boards; autographed sticker on top panel of dj ( not clipped, but unpriced, but apparently no book club copies were issued).

Signed by Zinni on the half-title. Drawing on his vast experience, from combat in Vietnam to peacekeeping in Somalia, to war games in Washington, DC and negotiations with former rebels in the Philippines, retired four-star General Tony Zinni argues that we have a lot of work to do to make the process of going to waror notmore clear-eyed and ultimately successful. He examines the relationship between the executive and the military (including the difference between passive and engaged presidents); the failures of the Joint Chief of Staff; the challenges of working with the UN, coalition forces, and NATO; the difference between young, on the ground officers and less savvy senior leaders; the role of special forces and drone warfare; and the difficult choices that need to be made to create tomorrows military.