Military Review English Edition March-April 2016 | Page 131

BOOK REVIEWS

planning, the United States may opt out of war beforehand after recognizing the prohibitive costs relative to
risks in achieving desired outcomes.
Through fascinating insight, the author has done a
superb job supporting his theoretical
argument. The exhaustive scholarship, relevant detail, and personality
nuances of political and military
figures provided in each case study
are beyond compare. The well-crafted book is easy to read and understand. It is a must-read for political
science, international security or
international affairs professionals
and scholars, those involved in state
building, government policy makers,
and senior military professionals.
Anyone else interested in learning
about the importance of integrated and comprehensive near- and
long-term war planning in achieving
strategic objectives through military
means will also find this book an enlightening read.
Lt. Col. David A. Anderson, PhD, U.S. Marine
Corps, Retired, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas

CRUCIBLE OF COMMAND: Ulysses S. Grant and
Robert E. Lee—
The War They Fought, the Peace They Forged
William C. Davis, Da Capo Press, Boston, 2015,
686 pages

H

istorian William C. Davis has written an
excellent dual biography of two men who
shaped the American Civil War. At first
glance, it may seem that the two could not be more
different. Ulysses S. Grant was the Northern son of
a tanner while Robert E. Lee was the Southern son
of a ne’er-do-well Revolutionary War officer. Yet, the
author succeeds in underlining key similarities. He
portrays them as real men of their times while still
explaining the origins of their traditional iconic images.
This is a valuable book for those who have already
studied tactical and operational levels of command yet
need to become students of strategic thinking. These
MILITARY REVIEW  March-April 2016

persons necessarily need to under