Military Review English Edition July-August 2015 | Page 118

that notion. The title’s origin is not apparent until
the entrance of the Marquis de Lafayette. This very
informative coverage highlights how the critical French
support factored in this America-versus-Britain drama.
Without divulging too much, it is enough to point out
this is where the author derives, aptly, the book’s title.
The “Giants” were in some cases inept and befuddled, bu t, overall, they were determined.
Col. John R. Culclasure, U.S. Air Force, Retired,
Fort Belvoir, Virginia

KRAV MAGA: Real World Solutions to Real
World Violence
Gershon Ben Keren, Tuttle Publishing, North
Clarendon, Vermont, 2014, 192 pages

I

n Krav Maga, Gershon Ben Keren, who has
more than twenty years of martial arts experience, black belts in various forms of judo, and
a psychology background, delivers a hard-punching
book (pun intended), hoping to “improve [one’s]
survival chances in violent situations.” Initially
designed as a military self-defense system and used
by the Israeli Defense Forces, Krav Maga, founded
by Imi Lichtenfeld, has evolved into a full-fledged
martial art and is an umbrella term for various
fighting systems.
In his book, Ben Keren discusses Krav Maga
Yashir, his technique, expanding on Lichtenfeld’s
principles. Want to defend against a gun attack?
How about against a knife attack from behind while
at the ATM? Want to pinpoint someone monitoring
your movements in a crowded mall? It’s all here—
and more.
First, the author dispels notions that Krav Maga
is a collection of moves used to thwart an attack.
He’s adamant: “It’s a systematic approach to self-defense, not an encyclopedia of techniques.” While
reading, I thought: “Would I be able to do execute
these moves? Should I know this already?” Ben
Keren attempts to alleviate the stress of unpreparedness; however, a feeling of unease still settled
over me.
The book is clear and coherent, spanning three
sections: basic skills, self-defense scenarios, and
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unarmed assaults and dynamic components of
assaults. Each section delivers step-by-step, picture-perfect depictions of form and execution of
various techniques, allowing the reader to build on
the foundational techniques and then move to more
complex scenarios, demonstrating and emphasizing
Krav Maga’s reliance on natural responses to attacks
and its concept of replication. Because the system
capitalizes on the body’s natural reaction to stress
and assault, it’s one a novice can implement–with
practice. To be clear, Krav Maga’s not solely about
violence; it discusses steps to avoid or defuse potential assaults. Frankly, one’s goal should be avoiding
physical confrontation anyway.
Krav Maga, like any other self-defense system,
requires dutiful practice. Read it; then revisit it as
often as necessary when a refresher is warranted.
By no means will you be an expert after reading this
book. What you will be is knowledgeable of natural
body movement self-defense techniques, more aware
of your surroundings, and capable—if you remember to practice—of protecting yourself in a range of
scenarios. From time to time, I put the book down to
process what I learned. I would review a move and
attempt to re-create it; that was helpful.
I recommend this book for combatant instructors, martial arts enthusiasts, and laypeople with an
interest in learning self-defense techniques.
Maj. John L. Hewitt III, U.S. Army, Shaw Air
Force Base, South Carolina

THE ORDEAL OF THE REUNION: A New
History of Reconstruction
Mark Wahlgren Summers, University of North
Carolina Press, Chapel Hill, North Carolina,
2014, 528 pages

S

tability operations will remain, albeit reluctantly, a central mission of the U.S. military
for the foreseeable future, and officers should
study the history of such operations as earnestly
as they study conventional battles and campaigns.
Soldiers can start with no better example than the
Civil War and Reconstruction–and with no better
book than Mark W. Summers’ The Ordeal of the
July-August 2015  MILITARY REVIEW