CSAF Reading List

Introduction:
General Ronald Fogleman created the CSAF Professional Reading Program in 1996 to develop a common frame of reference among Air Force members -- officers, enlisted, and civilians -- to help each of us become better, more effective advocates of air and space power. Each CSAF since then has enhanced and continued the Professional Reading Program.

The 2010 Chief of Staff, General Schwartz, reading list will provide Airmen of all ranks a guide to further their education and expertise. The professional reading list enhances warrior ethos, and is divided into three areas: "Mission, Doctrine and Profession" focusing on leadership and the Air Force mission; "Our Nation and World" highlighting current events that have a lasting effect on military strategy; and "Military History," recalling lessons that could be applied today.

Mission Doctrine and Profession:
The Accidental Guerrilla: Fighting Small Wars in the Midst of a Big One - by David Kilcullen.  Case studies for a new kind of war that relies on an ability to provoke Western powers into protracted, exhausting, expensive interventions. Kilcullen presents two possible responses.

Wired for War The Robotics Revolution and Conflict in the 21st Century - by P.W. Singer.  Discusses its military applications during WWII, the arming and autonomy of robots at the turn of the century, and the broad influence of robotics on near-future battlefields.

Cyberdeterrence and Cyberwar - by Martin C. Libicki. Addresses the differences between cyberwar and war in other mediums, and describes ways that the United States could protect itself in the face of attack.

On Nuclear Terrorism - by Michael Levi.  Nuclear terrorism and the possibilities of dealing with it. For anyone with a serious interest in the possibilities of nuclear terrorism and how to prevent it.

Our Nation and World:
In the Graveyard of Empires: America's War in Afghanistan - by Seth Jones. Provides an historical review of Soviet and U.S. experiences in Afghanistan, but also assesses Pakistan's role and potential in securing Afghanistan.

Seven Deadly Scenarios: A Military Futurist Explores War in the 21st Century - by Andrew Krepinevich. A military strategist looks at the very real dangers confronting America in the twenty-first century, drawing on extensive research, interviews, and intelligence to analyze seven potentially disastrous scenarios that America is ill-prepared to handle

Guardians of the Revolution: Iran and the World in the Age of the Ayatollahs - by Ray Takeyh. Analysis of the Iranian regime since the founding of the Islamic Republic.

Rivals: How the Power Struggle between China, India, and Japan will Shape our Next Decade - by Bill Emmott.  Detailed portraits of China, India and Japan, examining the global implications of their growing rivalry while remaining attentive to issues that extend beyond the region, such as the environment and nuclear weapons proliferation

Military History:
A History of Air Warfare - by John A. Olsen. Is a comprehensive analysis, through a compilation of 16 essays from leading military writers, of the role that air power has played in military conflicts during the last century.


MacArthur's Airman General George C. Kenney and the War in the Southwest Pacific - by Thomas E. Griffith.  Biographical details on the Canadian-born Kenney, but mostly concentrates on the command-level experience of airborne warfare, from actual operations to planning missions, gathering intelligence, and maintaining morale

A Fiery Peace in a Cold War: Bernard Schriever and the Ultimate Weapon - by Neil Sheehan.  Fascinating run-down of the engineering challenges posed by nuclear missiles, but the main action consists of bureaucratic intrigues, procurement innovations and epic briefings that catch the president's ear and open the funding spigots.

Daring Young Men: The Heroism and Triumph of The Berlin Airlift June 1948 - May 1949 - by Richard Reeves.  Re-evaluating what has been called the first battle of the cold war this book takes a closer look at the courageous who, in order to bring food, fuel, and medicine to a Berlin blockaded by Russia, flew aging cargo planes into Soviet airspace in the fragile post-WWII years.

Lemay: The Life and Wars of General Curtis Lemay - by Warren Kozak.  Traces the life of General Lemay, from his firebombing of Tokyo and guardianship of the U.S. nuclear arsenal in the Cold War to his frustrated career in government and short lived political run.