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James G, Burton, The Pentagon Wars: Reformers Challenge the Old Guard. Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press, 1993, Pp. 306. $23.95, cloth.
Pentagon Wars is a dramatic departure from traditional dispassionate academic discourse. In it, James Burton, a retired Air Force Colonel and well publicized whistle-blower, presents a lively, personal and often bitter account of life inside the Pentagon during the Carter and Reagan administrations. He names names and gives a blunt portrayal of bureaucratic politics at its worst. This is a fascinating description of a small group of reformers who set out to change the way the military procures weapons and fights wars. It has heroes, villains, triumphs, and trials.
Pentagon Wars is divided into two parts. The first details the reformers' battle with elements of the leadership who advocated high-tech, expensive weapons regardless of their effectiveness. Burton focuses on John Boyd and the "lightweight fighter mafia" as they conceived and championed the F-16. He also details how Boyd's ideas and tireless effort contributed to the army's decision to change its doctrine from firepower and attrition to maneuver and deception. Unfortunately, this section is often disjointed and confusing.
The well-organized second half depicts the author's effort to ensure that the Bradley Fighting Vehicle was...