The Sheriff: America's Defense of the New World Order [Hardcover]

Colin S. Gray (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0813123151 | ISBN-13: 978-0813123158 | Publication Date: April 16, 2004

Since the end of the Cold War, and especially since September 11, few issues have been more hotly debated than the United States' role in the world. In this hard-nosed but sophisticated examination, Colin S. Gray argues that America is the indispensable guardian of world order. Gray's constructive critique of recent trends in national security is holistic, rooting defense issues and prospective answers both in U.S. national security policy, broadly defined, and in the emerging international security environment. Colin S. Gray is professor of international politics and strategic studies at the University of Reading, England, and senior fellow at the National Institute for Public Policy in Fairfax, Virginia. He is the author of seventeen books, including Modern Strategy and Strategy for Chaos: Revolutions in Military Affairs and the Evidence of History.

Editorial Reviews

Review

""A very fine contribution in the field of national security." --Center for Research on Geopolitics" --

""Highly recommended. This seminal work should be required reading for security policy practitioners." --Choice" --

""For over 30 years, Colin Gray has been the most consistently brilliant strategic thinker in the English-speaking world.... Makes a persuasive case for America's role as sheriff of the new world order." --Claremont Review of Books" --

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""A significant contribution -- the metaphor of the U.S. as sheriff is just right. World order is not self-enforcing; but this proposition, which contradicts neorealism's view on the balance of power and is anathema to globalism, suggests to Gray truly sound ideas to help the U.S. understand its proper role in the world to maintain international order." --Mark T. Clark, California State University" --

""Gray makes a strong case for the U.S. role in regulating international politics." --Naval War Review" --

""Argues that the United States is, and should continue to be, the world's guardian in the post-11 September 2001 world." --Proceedings" --

""A must for anyone who wants a serious understanding of the difficult position America is in and why the challenges if faces is wider than Iraq and al-Qaeda.... Challenges the reader to think beyond current events." --Survival" --

""A stellar contribution to the continuing debate over America's security role in the world. Will definitely make required reading in my seminars. I do not believe it will ever become out of date as it deals with core and enduring principles of U.S. strategy and foreign policy as well as matters of current interest and debate." --William R. Van Cleave, Southwest Missouri State" --

""Thoughtful as well as prolific.... The Sheriff is a rather brief but persuasive argument... that the U.S. ought to become... a selectively responding 'sheriff' acting in its own best interest." --International Journal of Naval History" --

""The Sheriff effectively demonstrates why traditional realism, geopolitics, and the cyclical view of history, after 2,500 years, retain their relevance." --Parameters" --

From the Inside Flap

The demise of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s radically and permanently altered dominant twentieth-century notions of a "balance of power." With the competing policy options of international cooperation and unilateral military, political, and economic dominance, the United States continues to struggle with its new role as the world's only superpower in the new century. The events of September 11, 2001, served to further polarize political debates, with some policy makers emphasizing a multilateral diplomatic approach to fighting terrorism while others demand immediate and possibly unilateral military action to preserve American interests and the existing world order.

In this groundbreaking book, policy expert Colin S. Gray presents a clear and sophisticated argument that the United States is -- and should continue to be -- the world's guardian. The Sheriff: America's Defense of the New World Order sets forth a strategic analysis with nine basic themes as guides to where, when, and how America should be involved in international security affairs. Gray's constructive critique of recent trends in national security is comprehensive, rooting defense issues and prospective solutions in both U.S. national security policy and the emerging international security environment.

In an era marked by terrorism, political unrest, and the increased interdependence of the world community, Gray describes and prescribes America's continuing role as "sheriff." According to Gray, world order is not self-enforcing and nations do not always act reasonably or predictably. Therefore, Gray concludes, the U.S. serves itself by selectively serving the world. He argues that military, strategic, and political effectiveness are separate issues and that goals for each of these areas should be effectively articulated to the American public and the world community. Additionally, he maintains that technology alone does not dictate military success and that the current transformation of the U.S. military must be engineered in the context of a well-defined global strategy.

Essential reading for understanding the changing dynamics of a twenty-first century world, The Sheriff is a hard-nosed look at the fundamental workings of world politics and an explanation of the necessity and scope of America's guardian role of today and for decades to come.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 208 pages
• Publisher: The University Press of Kentucky (April 16, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0813123151
• ISBN-13: 978-0813123158
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,491,145 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Cogent Plea for America to Assume a Role - Not a Strategy Per Se, June 29, 2008

By 

Dianne Roberts (Los Angeles, California United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Sheriff: America's Defense of the New World Order (Hardcover)

This is the first Colin Gray book I have read, but I plan that it won't be the last. As one of the leading strategists of our age he takes a very fundamental and realist approach to America in the modern world. However this book is not so much a prescriptive strategy for America as it is a description of the role that America must assume for now and for the foreseeable future, that of the "Sheriff" to protect world order (a role less than a full on global policeman) and one from which any number of appropriate strategies can correctly flow based on temporal conditions.

In a short 150 pages of so or text he lays out that America is already fulfilling this role, is the only nation or institution that can fulfill this role, and depicts the need for the role. His argument is more centered on trying to make people, and particularly American statesman, explicitly recognize this fact and knowingly act within its confines, as opposed to pursue mere opportunistic action that is afforded by our military pre-eminence.

As the world's sole superpower it basically falls on America as the only nation that can protect some semblance of world order, which can maximize peace and prosperity beneficial for all (and particular the US, but should not be confused with an oppressive freezing of the world condition.) The UN, NATO, and G-8 are at best mere figureheads for none can practically act to take on threats such as terrorism or rogue states without the overwhelming influence (and thus overwhelming control) of American military might. This leaves the job to act, or not to act as the case may be, heavily on our shoulders and the author argues that it is one we should adopt with alacrity and dedication. Written largely in response to the RMA (Revolution in Military Affairs) in the harsh afterlight of the Iraq campaign of 2003 the author is urging for an increased appreciation of strategic thought to link and subordinate American military action and developments to foreign policies appropriate to our unique position and opportunity in history.

He provides far too much advice, and pointers, and warnings about how America should act as the world Sheriff to bear repeating here, but to make the book very worthwhile to read, especially for people involved in military or foreign policy matters.

Although overall highly recommended I have to take away a star for the fact that the author is highly repetitive to the point of being slightly annoying sometimes. On a positive note the book is heavily footnoted and the bibliography provides a huge reference library of excellent books to read to understand strategy and the full import of the author's argument.

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Latest chapter in a 2,500-year old book., May 12, 2006

By 

Allan Blackwell (Massachusetts) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Sheriff: America's Defense of the New World Order (Hardcover)

I feel monumentally ignorant not to have known of Gray, or,
at least, not to have registered his work more securely in the
thoughts. As an admirer of George Kennan and his several
tours d'horizon, as well as of Robert D Kaplan's fantastic
journalism, I kept trying to find an approach that would tie
such work together. I have always heard the word "strategic"
kicked about, but this uncluttered gem makes it clear what
it means, means for the United States, and means for world
stability, all the while admitting that strategy is not easy.
I suggest that you dip into this book, and when you emerge,
you shall need to own it.