Best Defense

Thomas E. Ricks' daily take on national security.

Wanna see what the fuss about my book is about? Check out C-Span tomorrow AM

Here is your big chance: Skip the Saturday morning cartoons and instead watch a discussion of the book on Dec. 15 at 8 am. Or, if you can’t wait, they very nicely give you the option to watch it on your computer right now. Armed Forces Journal also ran a thoughtful review by Joseph Collins. ...

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571842_6ae2635eb47c3.png

Here is your big chance: Skip the Saturday morning cartoons and instead watch a discussion of the book on Dec. 15 at 8 am. Or, if you can't wait, they very nicely give you the option to watch it on your computer right now.

Here is your big chance: Skip the Saturday morning cartoons and instead watch a discussion of the book on Dec. 15 at 8 am. Or, if you can’t wait, they very nicely give you the option to watch it on your computer right now.

Armed Forces Journal also ran a thoughtful review by Joseph Collins. The heart of the matter:

Ricks’ book is an important study on command and accountability in wartime. It is also a précis of much of American military history over the past 70 years. It will make many officers uncomfortable and some generals squirm. Its arguments can be disputed; they cannot be ignored.

Accountability is critical; we must do better. . . . As senior officers go to school to study military history and modern generalship, they would be well advised to read this important book. Ricks will make them uncomfortable. They will curse his excellent pen, his often irreverent tone and his biting commentary. But Ricks has something to teach the next generation of general officers, if they will let him.

Tom again: The New Yorker also had an article by Dexter Filkins that was kind of an obituary for the military career of General Petreaus and also got into discussing my book a bit.

Still can’t get enough? OK. Here’s the transcript of my recent discussion with Neal Conan on Talk of the Nation.

Meanwhile, let me know if the comments system is still messing you around. I will forward to the powers that be. Apparently it is in their contracts to screw up the comments system every few months.

Thomas E. Ricks covered the U.S. military from 1991 to 2008 for the Wall Street Journal and then the Washington Post. He can be reached at ricksblogcomment@gmail.com. Twitter: @tomricks1

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