The National Security Act established a more unified defense entity in 1947, but the Marine Corps - deftly practicing the "politics of survival" - emerged with its organizational identity and integrity essentially intact. The author, Colonel Gordon Keiser, USMC, relates the history of how the Corps managed to survive amidst the political maneuvering of more than an account of one Service's struggle to endure. It contains interesting insights into the origins of the modern Department of Defense and the current defense policymaking process.
Although today's circumstances are vastly changed, the Nation remains concerned about issues such as defense organization, the proper role of military lobbying, and the relationship of the Services to one another and to the Congress.
