Anonymous. “Imperial Hubris: Why the West is Losing the War on Terror.”Washington D.C.: Brassey’s, 2004.

Arkin, William M.  Code Names: Deciphering U.S. Military Plans, Programs, and Operations in the 9/11 World.” New Hampshire: Steerforth Press, 2005.

This book is exactly what the title describes- a thorough list of code names given to U.S. military operations and a brief description of what the operation entails.  It also lists the locations of all U.S. military bases. If you encounter code names frequently in your reading, this is a very useful book to own.

Byrd, Robert C. “Losing America: Confronting a Reckless and Arrogant Presidency.” New York; W.W. Norton and Company, 2004.

Clark, Richard A. “Against All Enemies: Inside America's War on Terror.” New York; Free Press, 2004.

Hersh, Seymour M. “Chain Of Command The Road form 9/11 to Abu Ghraib.” New York; Harper Collins, 2004.

Ivans, Molly and Lou Dubose. “Bush-Wacked: Life in George W. Bush's America.” New York; Random House, 2003.

Gives information on just how much Bush's policies are harming America. In addition to topics like the environment and jobs, this book discusses topics normally not included in the debate over the Bush presidency such as food safety.

Johnson, Chalmers. “The Sorrows of Empire: Militarism, Secrecy, and the End of the Republic.” New York; Metropolitan Books, 2004.

Phillips, Kevin. “American Dynasty: Aristocracy, Fortune, and the Politics of Deceit in the House of Bush.” New York; Viking, 2004.

Schulzinger , Robert D. “U.S. Diplomacy Since 1900.” New York; Oxford University Press, 2002.

A great book about U.S. diplomatic history. It's useful as a reference for looking up specific events, but also it's good reading for anyone who would like refresher course on this period of U.S. history.

Schwartz, Stephen I. “Atomic Audit: The Costs and Consequences of U.S. Nuclear Weapons Since 1940.” Washington, D.C.; The Brookings Institute, 1998.

The most comprehensive description of all U.S. defense programs related to nuclear weapons; including delivery systems and social costs.  It can become a bit long at times, but I was consistently amazed at the sheer size of the program and the money spent over the decades.  The footnotes go above and beyond listing sources; consistently providing interesting or surprising supplemental information.

Suskind, Ron. “The Price of Loyalty: George W. Bush, the White House, and the Education of Paul O'Neil.” New York; Simon and Schuster, 2004.

Waldman, Paul. “Fraud: The Strategy Behind the Bush lies and Why the Media Didn't Tell You.” Illinois; Sourcebooks, 2004.

Walker, Stephen. “Shockwave: Countdown to Hiroshima.” New York; Harper Collins, 2005.

Wirtz, James J and Jeffrey A. Larsen. “Nuclear Transformation: The New U.S. Nuclear Doctrine.” U.S.A.: Macmillan, 2005.

In the most recent Nuclear Posture Review, the Bush administration has seriously changed the concept of deterrence and how nuclear weapons fit into American security policy.  This book describes and analyses the key changes.

Cirincione, Joseph. “Deadly Arsenals: Tracking Weapons of Mass Destruction.” Washington D.C.; Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, 2002.

Larson, Jeffrey A. “Arms Control: Cooperative Security in a Changing Environment.” Colorado, Lynne Rienner Publishers, 2002.

Lavoy, Peter, Scott D. Sagan, and James J. Wirtz. “Planning the Unthinkable: How New Powers Will Use Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical Weapons.” New York, Cornell University Press, 2000.

Lennon, Alexander T. J. “Contemporary Nuclear Debates: Missile Defense, Arms Control, and Arms Races in the Twenty-First Century.”  Massachusetts; MIT Press, 2002.

Mauroni, Al. “Chemical and Biological Warfare.” California; ABC-CLIO, 2003.

Sagan, Scott D. and Kenneth N. Waltz. “The Spread of Nuclear Weapons: A Debate Renewed.” U.S.A.; W.W. Norton and Company, 2003.

Taylor, Eric R. “Lethal mists: An Introduction to the Natural and Military Sciences of Chemical, Biological Warfare and Terrorism.” New York; Nova Science Publishers, 2001.

Cleveland, William L. “A History of the Modern Middle East.” Colorado; Westview Press, 2000.

Unless you take a college history class focusing on the Middle East, chances are you graduated from high school and college without studying the complex history of the Middle East. With U.S. forces in Iraq and many questions about the future of U.S. influence in the region, a basic knowledge of major events pertaining to the countries in question will help clarify the situation and help explain how we arrived at this position.

Coll, Steve. “Ghost Wars: The Secret History of the CIA, Afghanistan and Bin Laden, From the Soviet Invasion to September 10th, 2001.” New York: The Penguin Press, 2004.

A comprehensive history of the Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan and U.S. involvement with the Afghan rebels defending their country.  Just as in Iraq, U.S. forces are currently battling an insurgency and there is debate as to the extent of future U.S. involvement.  When deciding which course we should take, an understanding of recent history is helpful.

Crile, George.  “Charlie Wilson’s War.” New York: Atlantic Monthly Press, 2003.

Another account of U.S. involvement in Afghanistan, told from a different perspective than “Ghost Wars”.

Francona, Rick. “Ally to Adversary: An Eyewitness Account of Iraq’s Fall from Grace.” Maryland: Naval Institute Press, 1999.

Just how did Saddam Hussein become an enemy instead of an ally? Rick Francona's book is an interesting first person account of this change in America's perspective.

Karsh, Efraim and Inari. “Empires of the Sand: The Struggle for Mastery in the Middle East 1789-1923.” Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 1999.

A good very readable book providing details on the Middle East during the end of the Ottoman Empire.

Keegan, John. “The Iraq War.” New York: Alfred A. Knope, 2004.

Maguire, Peter.  “Law and War: An American Story.” New York; Columbia University Press, 2001.

Mahajan, Raul. “Full Spectrum Dominance: U.S. Power in Iraq and Beyond.” New York: Seven Stories Press, 2003.

A must read!!! This book discusses the war on terrorism, the Iraq War, and the National Security Strategy among other topics in a highly engaging informative manner. He draws information together in a very concise manner with unique incisive analysis.  Even if you have read several books or articles on these topics, chances are there will be information you haven’t heard before.

O’Balance, Edgar. “Afghan Wars: Battles in a Hostile Land 1839 - Present.” U.K.: Brassey’s, 2002.

This book describes some of the earlier wars fought by Afghans against foreign invaders.

Allison, Graham. “Nuclear Terrorism: The Ultimate Preventable Catastrophe.” New York: Times Books, 2004.

This book provides a good overview of how non-state actors could acquire nuclear materials, potential motivations for the use of nuclear weapons or radiological dispersal devices as well as a plan for ensuring these individuals do not acquire this capability.

Gurr, Nadine and Benjamin Cole. “The New Face of Terrorism: Threats From Weapons of Mass Destruction.” New York; St. Martins Press, 2000.

Hoffman, Bruce. “Inside Terrorism.” New York; Columbia University Press, 1998.

This book provedes a good overview of the phenomenon of terrorism, including the debate about just what should be considered terrorism.

Pillar, Paur R. “Terrorism and U.S. Foreign Policy.”  Washington D.C.: Brookings Institute Press, 2001.

Reich, Walter. “Origins of Terrorism: Psychologies, Ideologies, Theologies, States of Mind.” Washington D.C.; Woodrow Wilson Center Press, 1998.

Tucker, Jonathan B. “Toxic Terror: Assessing Terrorist Use of Chemical and Biological Weapons.” Massachusetts; MIT, 2001.

A very readable book looking at some of the most well know cases where it is though individuals or groups have used or attempted to use chemical or biological weapons.

Ellings, Richard J. et al. “Strategic Asia 2003-2004: Fragility and Crisis.” Seattle; The National Bureau of Asian Research, 2003.

O’Hanlon, Michael and Mike Mochizuki. “Crisis on the Korean Peninsula: How to Deal with a Nuclear North Korea.” New York; McGraw-Hill, 2003.

Tellis, Ashley J. “India’s Emerging Nuclear Posture.” U.S.A.: RAND, 2001.

Demko, George J and William B. Wood.  “Reordering the World: Geopolitical Perspectives on the 21st Century.”  Colorado: Westview Press, 1999.

Epstein, Lita et al. “The Complete Idiot's Guide to The Politics of Oil.” Indianapolis; Alpha, 2003.

Some international relations scholars postulate future wars will be fought over resources vital to a state's survival. One such resource is oil. This book provides a quick history of the politics surrounding oil and its relevance to U.S. policy.

Friedman, Thomas L.  “The World Is Flat: A Brief History of the 21st Century.” New York: Farrar Strauss and Giroux, 2005.

                                     “Longitudes and Attitude: Exploring the World After September 11.” New York: Farrar Strauss and Giroux, 2002.

Nye, Joseph S Jr. “Soft Power: The Means to Success in World Politics.” New York: Public Affairs, 2004.

This book discusses 'soft power' as an alternative tool to advancing American interests without the use of military force.

Paul, T.V., James J. Wirtz, and Michel Fortmann.  “Balance of Power: Theory and Practice in the 21st Century.” California; Stanford University Press, 2004.

Balance of power is an important concept in Dr. Waltz’s realist theory for international relations.  This is the theory that most Republicans and Neoconservatives believe is an accurate representation of the world.  This book examines whether or not this theory is still applicable since the end of the Cold War.  Of special note: the introduction provides the best definition of realism and balance of power that I’ve come across.

Strauss, Steven D. “The Complete Idiot's Guide to World Conflicts.” Indianapolis; Alpha, 2002.

This is a good introduction to some of the current conflicts around the world and provides would provide a quick reference about topics that come up in the newspaper

Alexander, John B. “Future War: Non-Lethal Weapons in Twenty-First Century Warfare.” New York: Thomas Dunne Books, 2000.

Collins, John M. “Military Geography for Professionals and the Public.” Virginia; National Defense University Press, 1998.

                           “Military Strategy: Principles, Practices and Historical Perspectives.” U.S.A: Brassey’s, 2002.

Keegan, John. “The Face of Battle.” New York; Penguin Books, 1978.

Knox, MacGregor and Williamson Murray. “ The Dynamics of Military Revolution 1300-2050.” U.S.A.: Cambridge University Press, 2003.

Lawrence, T.E. “The Seven Pillars of Wisdom.” Connecticut; The Easton Press, 2003.

Mahan, Alfred Thayer. “The Influence of Sea Power Upon History 1660-1783.” Ontario; Dover Publications, 1987.

Mahan, Alfred Thayer.  “Mahan on Naval Warfare.” Ontario; Dover Publications, 1999.

Tzu, Sun. “The Art of War.” Boston; Shambhala Publications, 2001.

Van Creveld, Martin. “Supplying War: Logistics from Wallerstein to Patton.” U.S.A.: Cambridge University Press, 1977

                                    “Technology and War: From 2000B.C. to the Present.” New York: The Free Press, 1989.

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