When the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy emerged as a political compromise under Bill Clinton in 1993, it only ended up worsening the destructive gay ban that had been on the books since World War II. Drawing on more than a decade of research and hundreds of interviews, Nathaniel Frank exposes the military’s policy toward gays and lesbians as damaging and demonstrates that “don’t ask, don’t tell” must be replaced with an outright reversal of the gay ban.
Frank is one of the nation’s leading experts on gays in the military, and in his evenhanded and always scrupulously documented chronicle, he reveals how the ban on open gays and lesbians in the U.S. military has greatly increased discharges, hampered recruitment, and—contrary to the rationale offered by proponents of the ban—led to lower morale and cohesion within military ranks.
Frank does not shy away from tackling controversial issues, and he presents indisputable evidence showing that gays already serve openly without causing problems, and that the policy itself is weakening the military it was supposed to protect. In addition to the moral pitfalls of the gay ban, Frank shows the practical damage it has wrought. Most recently, the discharge of valuable Arabic translators (who happen to be gay) under the current policy has left U.S. forces ill-equipped in the fight against terrorism.
Part history, part exposé, and fully revealing, Unfriendly Fire is poised to become the definitive story of “don’t ask, don’t tell.” This lively and compelling narrative is sure to make the blood boil of any American who cares about national security, the right to speak the truth, or just plain common sense and fairness.
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Editorial Reviews
Review
"Mr. Frank has also been offering succinct five-minute synopses of his argument as he makes the rounds of the talk show circuit. So why does his book, “Unfriendly Fire,” need nearly 300 pages of text to make the same relatively simple points? Because he makes them so discerningly, so substantively and so well....“Unfriendly Fire” offers a sharp, vigorously framed analysis of this state of affairs....
The main attraction in “Unfriendly Fire” is the agility and tough-mindedness with which Mr. Frank presents his arguments."--The New York Times
“In 1993, when I was Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, I felt that the policy was right for the times. Frank makes a compelling case not only that there has been a shift within our society, but that the time has come to look beyond our preconceptions and focus on capabilities. This book should be mandatory reading for anyone with an interest in the state of our society or the readiness of our military.” —General John Shalikashvili, former Chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, U.S. Armed Forces
“This book lays out clearly, fairly, dispassionately, and accurately the terrible cost to our national security of this insane policy.” —Andrew Sullivan, author of The Daily Dish blog and of The Conservative Soul: How We Lost It, How to Get It Back
“Frank’s lucid and timely book should put to rest any lingering doubt about whether ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ is working—it’s been a failure from day one and should finally be put behind us.” —Congressman Patrick J. Murphy, member of the House Armed Services Committee and Select Committee on Intelligence, and former captain in the U.S. Army’s 82nd Airborne Division
“Here is a book from a leading scholar that cuts through the ignorance, the denial, and the prejudice to explain how we got stuck with a policy that was doomed to fail. Our military and our nation owe Frank a debt of gratitude.” —Dr. Lawrence J. Korb, former Assistant Secretary of Defense under Ronald Reagan
“Frank puts a human face on the flaws in this policy.” —Marty Meehan, Chancellor of University of Massachusetts Lowell, and former congressman
“This is a valuable contribution and worthwhile reading for all who care about justice and equality. On behalf of the clients we serve and all service members who wear the uniform and must serve in silence, I salute Dr. Frank and his distinguished colleagues at the Palm Center.” —Aubrey Sarvis, Esq., Executive Director of the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network
“In 1993, when I was Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, I felt that the policy was right for the times. Frank makes a compelling case not only that there has been a shift within our society, but that the time has come to look beyond our preconceptions and focus on capabilities. This book should be mandatory reading for anyone with an interest in the state of our society or the readiness of our military.” —General John Shalikashvili, former Chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, U.S. Armed Forces
“This book lays out clearly, fairly, dispassionately, and accurately the terrible cost to our national security of this insane policy.” —Andrew Sullivan, author of The Daily Dish blog and of The Conservative Soul: How We Lost It, How to Get It Back
“Frank’s lucid and timely book should put to rest any lingering doubt about whether ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ is working—it’s been a failure from day one and should finally be put behind us.” —Congressman Patrick J. Murphy, member of the House Armed Services Committee and Select Committee on Intelligence, and former captain in the U.S. Army’s 82nd Airborne Division
“Here is a book from a leading scholar that cuts through the ignorance, the denial, and the prejudice to explain how we got stuck with a policy that was doomed to fail. Our military and our nation owe Frank a debt of gratitude.” —Dr. Lawrence J. Korb, former Assistant Secretary of Defense under Ronald Reagan
“Frank puts a human face on the flaws in this policy.” —Marty Meehan, Chancellor of University of Massachusetts Lowell, and former congressman
“This is a valuable contribution and worthwhile reading for all who care about justice and equality. On behalf of the clients we serve and all service members who wear the uniform and must serve in silence, I salute Dr. Frank and his distinguished colleagues at the Palm Center.” —Aubrey Sarvis, Esq., Executive Director of the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network
About the Author
Nathaniel Frank is a senior research fellow at the Palm Center at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and teaches history on the adjunct faculty at New York University’s Gallatin School of Individualized Study. His publications on gays in the military and other topics have appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The New Republic, Slate, Los Angeles Times, The Huffington Post, Newsday, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Lingua Franca, and others, and his research and opinions have been cited on the Congressional floor, in syndicated columns, in the blogosphere, the New York Post, The Advocate, National Review Online, the AP, and other venues, including university syllabi and media roundups. Frank earned his M.A. and Ph.D. in History at Brown University. He lives in Brooklyn, New York.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
self-inflicted wounds,
By
This review is from: Unfriendly Fire: How the Gay Ban Undermines the Military and Weakens America (Hardcover)
As someone who was involved in the 1993 battle over gays in the military, albeit in a minor way, and who was in the military, I was curious how the story would read, now, 15 years on. This book rings true. Mr. Frank tells the story of how the U.S. got to that point, how Congress skewed its hearings on the issue, and how Bill Clinton ultimately, under duress, signed on to Don't Ask, Don't Tell.
He doesn't neglect the corollary issues: the mindset of both sides, the experience of gays in the military prior to 1993, and the experience of other militaries who lifted the ban. He helpfully lists the evidence for and against the ban, so far. (He may be one of the few to have actually _read_ the 1993 RAND study on the issue). And, he shows the anti-gay policy's contribution to pervasive male-on-female sexual harassment in the military. He follows DADT in subsequent years, and it's a complicated story: I knew how "Don't Ask" became "Search and Destroy" in some commands, but hadn't heard, till now, of how many gay soldiers stayed on and continued serving well. Mr. Frank could have, I suppose, made more of the impact this had on Bill Clinton's ability to act as Commander in Chief. This spat may have had something to do with his weak initial response to the Balkan wars from 1993 on. Certainly, the RAND study said that the gay ban would have fallen if the military thought Bill Clinton meant it. But, this a minor quibble. Indeed, Mr. Frank does show how, with the military wearing out its active and Reserve forces with second, third, and fourth tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. He not only shows how personnel needs got so dire that the military was recruiting poor-quality, even ex-felon, soldiers, but shows the mayhem that would cause. (He does allude to the shortage being a factor in hiring the "contractors," Blackwater et al). All this while the military got rid of thousands of personnel under DADT, including Arabic-language specialists who might've been useful after 9/11. This is the definitive study, and brings us up to early 2009, and the start of a new administration. Whether anybody in the White House or Congress reads it is another matter. Whatever their position on the issue, they should indeed read this, and ponder.
12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fascinating and smart,
By
This review is from: Unfriendly Fire: How the Gay Ban Undermines the Military and Weakens America (Hardcover)
He lays out the case for repealing Don't Ask, Don't Tell in a very compelling way. Some of the "reasons" that the military has used in the past to justify discrimination have to be read to be believed. And the behind the scenes political maneuvering that went on is fascinating. It's a great read.
12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Authoritative in its argument,
By wrappedupinbooks (new york) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Unfriendly Fire: How the Gay Ban Undermines the Military and Weakens America (Hardcover)
Nathaniel Frank has written THE book on this issue. No one can read it and still think the gay ban in the military is anything but foolish - and counterproductive. One need not be gay to see the wisdom in this definitive history and expose.
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Inside This Book
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First Sentence:
EVER SINCE THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR, men have been drummed out of the U.S. military for homosexual acts. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
military working group, gay exclusion rule, letting gays serve, straight service members, lesbian troops, gay service, homosexual exclusion policy, gay ban, ban defenders, gay discharges, lesbian service members, gay troops, straight troops, risk rationale, gay soldiers, homoerotic tendencies, task cohesion, gay sailors, open gays, other service members, discharge proceedings, unit cohesion, homosexual conduct Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
United States, White House, World War, Defense Department, The Morality of Being Gay, Christian Soldiers, Bill Clinton, Don't Work, Middle East, Marine Corps, Colin Powell, Rainbow Warriors, The Powell-Nunn Alliance, Charles Moskos, Sam Nunn, The Congressional Hearings, Joint Chiefs of Staff, Coast Guard, Brain Drain, Arabic Linguists, Gays Out, Les Aspin, Its Core, Flawed Policy, Palm Center Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Surprise Me!
EVER SINCE THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR, men have been drummed out of the U.S. military for homosexual acts. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
military working group, gay exclusion rule, letting gays serve, straight service members, lesbian troops, gay service, homosexual exclusion policy, gay ban, ban defenders, gay discharges, lesbian service members, gay troops, straight troops, risk rationale, gay soldiers, homoerotic tendencies, task cohesion, gay sailors, open gays, other service members, discharge proceedings, unit cohesion, homosexual conduct Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
United States, White House, World War, Defense Department, The Morality of Being Gay, Christian Soldiers, Bill Clinton, Don't Work, Middle East, Marine Corps, Colin Powell, Rainbow Warriors, The Powell-Nunn Alliance, Charles Moskos, Sam Nunn, The Congressional Hearings, Joint Chiefs of Staff, Coast Guard, Brain Drain, Arabic Linguists, Gays Out, Les Aspin, Its Core, Flawed Policy, Palm Center Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Surprise Me!
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