Author Description

"Dale Herspring's new book provides a reassessment of a key relationship in American government and foreign policy making." "From World War II to Operation Iraqi Freedom, Herspring clearly shows how the nature of civilian control has changed during the past half century. He also reveals how the military has become a powerful bureaucratic interest group very much like others in Washington - increasingly politicized, media-savvy, and as much accountable to Congress as to the commander-in-chief." "Ultimately, The Pentagon and the Presidency illuminates how our leaders devise strategies for dealing with threats to our national security - and how the success of that process depends so much upon who's in charge and how that person is perceived by our military commanders."--Jacket.