Review
“…thought-provoking…The authors, a Naval Postgraduate School professor and a pair of Special Forces officers know very well what they have written about. The ideas they propound are good. They are well worth taking on board.” ―AUSMarine “This book is recommended, particularly for those who are respon¬sible for making policy decisions at the highest levels of govern¬ment, and especially those decisions governing the use of force. Given current global focus on events in Syria and Iran, and with calls for military intervention coming from some quarters, one wonders if this book will become, or already is, required reading within what Americans call, ‘The Administration.’” ― Starshell “The Sovereignty Solution is an excellent pick for community and library reference collections discussing important international issues.” ― The Midwest Book Review A Select Title on the AIR FORCE CHIEF OF STAFF READING LIST 2013 “I highly recommend this book as an invaluable resource for service members, who, more than perhaps any other group of people, are directly affected by foreign policy decisions.” ― Air Force Chief of Staff Reading List review “The book thoughtfully articulates an alternate future US foreign policy supporting a new US grand strategy. This book is suitable for higher Defence College consideration, as it tests and stretches important international norms, while proposing policy choices impacting not only the US but also most nations of the world. In addition, it includes more than 65 pages of comprehensive notes from research, which add significant value and are usefully read alongside each of the book’s nine chapters.” ― Australian Defence Force Journal "...the book challenges U.S. citizens and policymakers to formulate a clear strategy before demanding sacrifices from a fraction of the population. In this, it is a worthwhile contribution to what should be a pressing matter of public debate, especially in an election year.” ― H-Net “It is without reservations that I state that The Sovereignty Solution was the most important book of 2011 that most of you never read.” ― Rethinking Security “The book is highly recommended, because it describes a perfectly sound alternative to the current US military conduct.” ― Naval Forces “Counterinsurgency by nation building is concurrently official U.S. doctrine, an evident case of military malpractice, and the imperialism of fools…This book is a valuable contribution because it describes a perfectly sound alternative to the current U.S. military conduct.” ― EDWARD N. LUTTWAK, military strategist and historian; author of Strategy: The Logic of War and Peace “The argument is distinct and explicit, the writing lucid and cogent, the authors passionate and experienced. This is a book that will start many much-needed discussions.” ― Jakub Grygiel, George H. W. Bush Senior Associate Professor of International Relations, Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies “Years ahead of the Washington policy cognoscenti, Simons, McGraw, and Lauchengco blaze a new intellectual path between the frustrations of nation building and the temptations of drone counterterrorism.” ― Robert Andrews, former deputy under-secretary of defense and special assistant to the Secretary of the Army; author of The Village War “While one can disagree with them, the authors make a strong case for a U.S. strategy that leaves other countries alone to live as they wish unless they attack our sovereignty. The beauty of the strategy is its stark simplicity. As important, the three authors work daily with U.S. military officers, and they cannot mask their frustration and anguish over national leadership that sends young Americans into combat without even having the guts to seek formal declarations of war, and without operationally clear criteria for success. The authors care, and so should we all.” ― The Honorable James G. Roche, 20th Secretary of the U.S. Air Force “Like an unexpected wet mop in the face of tired complacency, The Sovereignty Solution works on the receptive mind as a pry bar works on a tightly sealed box. Written with courage and passion, this is a book whose often counterintuitive clarity shakes entombed assumptions like an earthquake. Whether you end up convinced or not, you will never think about American national security the same way ever again.” ― Adam Garfinkle, editor of The American Interest
About the Author
Anna Simons is a Professor of Defense Analysis at the Naval Postgraduate School. She previously taught anthropology at UCLA. She graduated from Harvard College and earned her PhD in social anthropology from Harvard University. She is the author of Networks of Dissolution: Somalia Undone and The Company They Keep: Life Inside the U.S. Army Special Forces. Joe McGraw is an active-duty Special Forces Officer with over 16 years in the US Army. He is married to LTC Leigh McGraw and father of three small children. He has served in combat with his Special Forces A-Team and his Special Forces Company and has spent over 10 years with US Army Special Forces. Duane Lauchengco: The busy life of a Special Forces Officer in today’s Army parallels the equally busy life of a father with a bristling brood of four children and a very understanding wife. At home in a Cub Scout meeting, watching kids’ soccer, or treading water, Duane contentedly enjoys North Carolina living
