A rigorous treatment of a formidably difficult and deeply important subject.
Szymanski and Drew present a comprehensive analysis of the conceptual and symbolic frameworks necessary for formulating tactical plans for war in space.
The authors observe that the promise of outer space as a “warfighting domain” is considerable—it offers a “nuanced menu of alternatives” to “more disruptive options” for Earthly conflicts, and it could ultimately offer avenues of aggression that minimize the loss of life. However, since space warfare is such a new concept, it is challenging to strategically and tactically prepare for the eventuality, a point persuasively made by Szymanski and Drew in this remarkably thorough study. To meet this challenge, the authors formulate various conceptual schema to clarify the various levels of war. This “common language” accommodating the dizzying potentialities of space war can be tediously and intricately complex—there are pages and pages devoted to the proper “symbology,” with extended discussions of what kinds of arrows should be used to represent various actions. While such scrupulous attention to detail is likely essential, it means this book is only appropriate for those who think about such matters as a professional obligation. This is an astonishingly meticulous text, not surprising given the depth of expertise of the authors: Szymanski has nearly a half century of experience in space control, and Drew (currently the chief of joint space training at Department of Joint, Interagency and Multinational Operations at US Army Command and General Staff College) is one of the founding members of the nation’s space force. They carve out a permanent place for statesmanship: “No matter how sophisticated their military equipment, war is still about the knowledge, culture, traditions, education, intelligence, fear, and fatigue of the participants combined with the terrain, weather, political considerations, and the operational situation.” This is an important contribution, sure to be widely read as space becomes a more prominent theater of war.
A rigorous treatment of a formidably difficult and deeply important subject.Pub Date: today
ISBN: 9781637550717
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Amplify Publishing
Review Posted Online: Dec. 20, 2023
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Alternately admiring and critical, unvarnished, and a closely detailed account of a troubled innovator.
A warts-and-all portrait of the famed techno-entrepreneur—and the warts are nearly beyond counting.
To call Elon Musk (b. 1971) “mercurial” is to undervalue the term; to call him a genius is incorrect. Instead, Musk has a gift for leveraging the genius of others in order to make things work. When they don’t, writes eminent biographer Isaacson, it’s because the notoriously headstrong Musk is so sure of himself that he charges ahead against the advice of others: “He does not like to share power.” In this sharp-edged biography, the author likens Musk to an earlier biographical subject, Steve Jobs. Given Musk’s recent political turn, born of the me-first libertarianism of the very rich, however, Henry Ford also comes to mind. What emerges clearly is that Musk, who may or may not have Asperger’s syndrome (“Empathy did not come naturally”), has nurtured several obsessions for years, apart from a passion for the letter X as both a brand and personal name. He firmly believes that “all requirements should be treated as recommendations”; that it is his destiny to make humankind a multi-planetary civilization through innovations in space travel; that government is generally an impediment and that “the thought police are gaining power”; and that “a maniacal sense of urgency” should guide his businesses. That need for speed has led to undeniable successes in beating schedules and competitors, but it has also wrought disaster: One of the most telling anecdotes in the book concerns Musk’s “demon mode” order to relocate thousands of Twitter servers from Sacramento to Portland at breakneck speed, which trashed big parts of the system for months. To judge by Isaacson’s account, that may have been by design, for Musk’s idea of creative destruction seems to mean mostly chaos.
Alternately admiring and critical, unvarnished, and a closely detailed account of a troubled innovator.Pub Date: Sept. 12, 2023
ISBN: 9781982181284
Page Count: 688
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Sept. 12, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK TO SCREEN
A mostly compelling account of one woman’s struggles within Trumpworld.
An insider’s account of the rampant misconduct within the Trump administration, including the tumult surrounding the insurrection of Jan. 6, 2021.
Hutchinson, who served as an assistant to Mark Meadows, Trump’s former White House chief of staff, gained national prominence when she testified to the House Select Committee, providing possibly the most damaging portrait of Trump’s erratic behavior to date. In her hotly anticipated memoir, the author traces the challenges and triumphs of her upbringing in New Jersey and the work (including a stint as an intern with Sen. Ted Cruz) that led her to coveted White House internships and eventual positions in the Office of Legislative Affairs and with Meadows. While the book offers few big reveals beyond her testimony (many details leaked before publication), her behind-the-scenes account of the chaotic Trump administration is intermittently insightful. Her initial portrait of Trump is less critical than those written by other former staffers, as the author gauges how his actions were seemingly stirred more by vanity and fear of appearing weak, rather than pure malevolency. For example, she recalls how he attended an event without a mask because he didn’t want to smear his face bronzer. Hutchinson also provides fairly nuanced portraits of Meadows and Rep. Kevin McCarthy, who, along with Trump, eventually turned against her. She shares far more negative assessments about others in Trump’s orbit, including Rep. Matt Gaetz, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, and adviser Rudy Giuliani, recounting how Giuliani groped her backstage during Trump’s Jan. 6 speech. The narrative lags after the author leaves the White House, but the story intensifies as she’s faced with subpoenas to testify and is forced to undergo deep soul-searching before choosing to sever ties with Trump and provide the incriminating information that could help take him down.
A mostly compelling account of one woman’s struggles within Trumpworld.Pub Date: Sept. 26, 2023
ISBN: 9781668028285
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Sept. 28, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2023
SEEN & HEARD
SEEN & HEARD
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