Military Review English Edition July-August 2014 | Page 95

BOOK REVIEWS

Blowtorch is broken into three distinct parts. The
first part examines Komer’s early life, from growing up in Missouri to becoming a trusted assistant
of President Kennedy. He attended Harvard and
was a U.S. Army intelligence officer and historian
during World War II. After his wartime service and
completion of a master’s degree, Komer climbed the
corporate ladder within the new Central Intelligence
Agency and then within Kennedy’s White House
staff, exerting great influence on U.S. foreign policy in
the Middle East and South Asia. More importantly,
he earned Kennedy’s trust, along with recognition
from the broader foreign policy community.
The second part focuses on Komer’s efforts during
the Vietnam War. Working alongside Vice President
Johnson during a goodwill tour of the Middle East
and later as an interim national security advisor,
Komer earned Johnson’s respect. Komer’s reward
proved a challenge, as he served as the head of pacification in Vietnam. Jones describes Komer’s pacification efforts, which included starting the Civil
Operations and Revolutionary Development Support
organization (CORDS).
Finally, Jones examines Komer’s post-Vietnam
efforts, which hold some of the best insights for readers
interested in strategy and Cold War history. Komer’s
career took on new life during the Carter administration. Rising again to a key advisor position, this time he
focused on NATO and U.S.-Middle Eastern strategy.
Komer’s criticisms of early Reagan maritime strategy
helped shape Navy strategic thought and stoked debate
on the 600-ship Navy.
While Jones clearly admires Komer, the author treats
him with fairness. On one hand, Jones demonstrated
that Komer was a perceptive pragmatist who creatively
integrated action and reflection. On the other, Jones
reminds us that Komer was an ambitious and difficult
man, often disliked as only bureaucratic iconoclasts can
be. While one may view these as negative traits, they also
embody hallmarks of other great strategists.
Blowtorch is valuable for those interested in counterinsurgency, aspiring strategists, and Cold War historians. Given recent counterinsurgency operations and
the prevalence of insurgencies today, Komer’s work in
Vietnam, especially starting CORDS, is worth studying and debating. Jones’ book also provides an insider’s
view into Komer’s efforts to make and implement
MILITARY REVIEW  July-August 2014

strategy throughout the Cold War. Finally, Blowtorch
contributes to the historical record of the Cold War by
discussing Komer’s formative years and, more importantly, his efforts after Vietnam.
Lt. Col. Jon