Digital Soldiers: The Gizmos, Gadgets, and Paper Bullets Behind Military High Technology [Hardcover]

James F. Dunnigan (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1996

Digital Soldiers is destined to become the bible of weaponry for armchair generals and military professionals. Dunnigan, the State Department's and CIA's expert adviser on military affairs, analyzes the evolution of combat from the bow and arrow to the computer-driven arsenals being sold to the Pentagon on smiles and handshakes. In their tireless search for sound-bite tragedy and heroism, the media have brought military strategic planning into every home. The fielding of the latest high-tech gizmos in Bosnia and the video game-like warfare that captured the public's imagination during the Gulf War have generated billions of dollars in contracts for the military-industrial complex. But will civilians and soldiers on the front lines be well served by the investments? With a comprehensive knowledge of the history of warfare, Dunnigan looks at the high-tech explosion from the points of view of the combat soldier and the taxpayer. Digital Soldiers points the finger at the Pentagon paper pushers and debunks the new high-tech military philosophy by showing exactly how and why these strategic planners are dismantling the foundation of the free world's offensive and defensive military might.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

This wide-ranging book looks at everything from the modern infantry's camping gear to defense industry marketing schemes, but never strays far from its central focus on cutting-edge warfare. Despite all the impressive advantages these gadgets offer, the fight still comes down to the level of the individual soldier, according to James Dunnigan (a Gulf War analyst for NBC). Nothing can replace training and discipline. On the battlefields of the next century, only high-quality troops will be able to keep their high-tech weapons in a proper state of repair, let alone know how to use them.

From Publishers Weekly

Author of the much-referenced How to Make War, Dunnigan has long had the ear of the CIA, the State Department, the Army War College and other key institutions. In recent years, moreover, he has become a familiar figure on TV, analyzing military developments around the world for the three major networks and CNN. So this engaging new work, in which Dunnigan explores "the new revolution in warfare," featuring computers and robots, will be received with utmost seriousness?and is likely to spark significant controversy within hallowed halls. Few will argue with Dunnigan's contention that the defense budget has been greatly abused by politicians, or that the face of future warfare will "seem almost like a parody of a science fiction movie." But the author's prescription for the U.S. military, based on the realities and potentials of new means of war, is enough to make the top brass blanch: cutting troop strength by 300,000 and getting rid of major weapon systems, including the B-1 bomber, are just two of his many radical suggestions. For perspective, Dunnigan offers a marvelously entertaining view of the history of weaponry. His engaging and daring analytic prospectus should fascinate armchair warriors as well as their professional counterparts.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 309 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Press; 1st edition (October 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312145888
• ISBN-13: 978-0312145880
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.6 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,767,102 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A subject from today's headlines, April 3, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Digital Soldiers: The Gizmos, Gadgets, and Paper Bullets Behind Military High Technology (Hardcover)

I found this book to be an excellent and informal look at changing military technology. Always remember- military tech will cost more than you think. I have enjoyed every Dunnigan book I have read; he presents information clearly and concisely, with a generous leavening of humor. Highly recommended

2 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Empty commentary on a nebulous subject., January 11, 1998

By 

[e-mail] (Alex Garvin Alsace, France) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Digital Soldiers: The Gizmos, Gadgets, and Paper Bullets Behind Military High Technology (Hardcover)

This book insulted my intelligence. Dunnigan's style is very informal, which is fine if there is some critical thought mixed in, but there isn't. Proof that Dunnigan's intellect lacks rigor can be found throughout the book, but let me quote from page 30 to make my point. "We should also remember that 'digital soldiers' is a concept that includes all sorts of new technology. It doesn't have to use electrons to qualify, it just has to make the soldier more effective." He includes Meals Ready to Eat (MREs) in this highly refined concept of digital soldiers. His informal style is more a necessity than an aid, for how else could he fill 309 pages with so little original thought if he didn't constantly use sentences like "But thats not all.", "Well you get the picture.","Far from it.", "Yup, progress.", and "But more are in the works."? These 5 sentences were all taken from page 259. Imagine reading an entire book filled with this drivel. My copy is already in the trash.