Military Review English Edition November-December 2015 | Page 149

BOOK REVIEWS

danger of falling to the Germans. It was no “near-run
thing.” Despite the persistent myth, no German units
came in sight of the Kremlin. Instead, Stalin kept five
armies in reserve as he waited for the German attacks
to wear themselves out. Meanwhile, with their fixation
on the final prize, the German generals missed the evidence of growing Soviet strength and preparations for
the Zhukov’s crushing counterattack.
Like the previous three books in the series, The Battle
for Moscow is very highly recommended for buffs and
scholars alike. Stahel’s research, writing, and analysis give
us a new and gripping account of one of the greatest and
most momentous campaigns in history.
Scott Stephenson, PhD,
Fort Leavenworth, Kansas

A HANDFUL OF BULLETS: How the Murder of
Archduke Franz Ferdinand Still Menaces the Peace
Harlan K. Ullman, Naval Institute Press, Annapolis,
Maryland, 2014, 256 pages

A

Handful of Bullets: How the Murder of
Archduke Franz Ferdinand Still Menaces
the Peace has virtually nothing to with
Franz Ferdinand. Instead, Ullman offers an insightful
and daunting strategic analysis of today’s globalized
world. One of the Navy’s foremost strategic thinkers,
Ullman argues that rapidly increasing interconnectivity has fundamentally changed the potential reach
of individuals across the globe—no longer does someone have to assassinate an Archduke to have a global
impact. Ullman argues that the traditional state is
failing, but American strategic planners remain locked
into state-centric and outdated modes of thought. He
sprinkles his book with potential solutions to many
of America’s ills. Although many of his solutions are
unlikely to be implemented—such as reintroducing the
draft to reduce the insularity of our professional military—they are certainly worthy of discussion.
At the heart of A Handful of Bullets is Ullman’s
“New Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.” The new
horsemen are “Failed and Failing Governments;”
“Economic Despair, Disparity, and Disruption;”
“Ideological Extremism and Religious Fanaticism;” and
“Environmental Calamity and Climate