Beginning in 1943; US Army leaders such as John M. Palmer; Walter L. Weible; George C. Marshall; and John J. McCloy mounted a sustained and vigorous campaign to establish a system of universal military training (UMT) in America. Fearful of repeating the rapid demobilization and severe budget cuts that had accompanied peace following World War I; these leaders saw UMT as the basis for their postwar plans. As a result; they promoted UMT extensively and aggressively. In Every Citizen a Soldier: The Campaign for Universal Military Training after World War II; William A. Taylor illustrates how army leaders failed to adapt their strategy to the political realities of the day and underscores the delicate balance in American democracy between civilian and military control of strategy. This story is vital because of the ultimate outcome of the failure of the UMT initiative: the birth of the Cold War draft.
#984274 in Books 2014-04-29 2014-04-29Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 .37 x 1.35 x 6.40l; 1.00 #File Name: 1620405687400 pages
Review
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. An unexpected gemBy Lance SterlingThis book was an unexpected but wholly delightful gem; which succeeds on every level. Do you want to know the origin of the archetypes of the spy novel; the anonymous spymaster (M for Ian Fleming; Control for Le Carre); the mad inventor (Q); cooking up devilish devices in his secret laboratory; and; of course; the dauntless spy performing acts of derring do in between trysts with beautiful blondes. I thought Bond's adventures to be gross exaggerations but; after reading Milton's book; I discover that if anything Bond was a pale imitation of his real counterparts both in his adventures and his women.; Next; Milton is an excellent writer with a full measure of the dry; sardonic Britrish sense of humor.The narrator (whisper synch) delivers his lines with the timing of a standup comedian. Be careful if you listen while driving as a number of lines might make you double over with laughter; Think there is nothing funny about invisible inks? Think again. Beyond these assets; the anecdotes are make for great reading.. What was it like to chat with Lenin; Trotsky or other Bolshevik leaders? What went on day to day in the tumultuous days and months after the Russian revolution? Milton is a great storyteller and his stories; presumably drawn from recently opened secret archives; are fascinating. You'll particularly enjoy the saga of the storming of a sultan's harem; an operation greeted with particular enthusiasm by the attacking soldiers; You might want to revise your opinion of Winston Churchill after reading about his tactics in his private war against the Bolsheviks.; I also had the sense that despite all the fighting; suffering and death; Milton is hearkening back to a more innocent age; an age inhabited by intrepid adventurers who thought nothing of planning the overthrow of the Bolsheviks or torpedoing a Russian battleship on their own initiative and; against orders.. This is an adventure story wherein the adventurers and their impossible adventures were real. Don't miss this book.; It is a delight.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. The Ace of Spies and others at work in revolutionary Russia.By Robert C. PierceThis book read like a thriller and made me long for the Riley Ace of Spies serial of years ago. Sidney Riley was not the only amazing agent of MI6 and the derring-do activities of the agents of the King make for exciting and enlightening reading. I thought I knew a lot about Churchill but did not know of his use of poison gas on the Bolsheviks; at a time when Britain was not at war with anyone (except the concept of communism; as practiced by Lenin and friends). This act of war gives a new starting date for the Cold War and reveals a ruthless nature of Churchill that would later be further shown in WWII. I won't spoil the fun of other readers by revealing any more details of the secret war that was carried on by the real fathers of James Bond; but suffice to say the reputation of the British MI6 is well earned. Five Stars for a great mixture of history and intrigue.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Worth the read - learned a lotBy Joseph WilliamsThis was an informative and easy read. I wouldn't say that Milton writes anywhere nearly as well as McCullough or Goodwin but the prose is clear and the the story unfolds cleanly and in engaging fashion. The book is misleadingly titled as it really focuses more on Lenin's plans for British India than on global dominance but I suppose if India fell it could be reasoned that there might have been a domino effect.The various storylines for the individual British spies were my favorite parts of the book.
