The Uncertain Trumpet Author:General Maxwell D. Taylor, USA (Ret.) We have the ability to wage total war. We can trigger near-total destruction. — But can we defend Berlin - South Korea - Vietnam - Iran - Thailand - America? — One of the brilliant combat commanders in our military history, General Taylor has devoted his life to a realistic study of defense without national suicide, victory without total destructi... more »on. Since 1955, when he was appointed Chief of Staff of the US Army, he has devoted every waking moment to an effort to develop the fighting forces, and particularly the Army, into an effective instrument of national policy without complete reliance on massive retaliation (i.e., total war).
Here is the inside story of history in the making as the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the National Security Council, the Pentagon, and the White House faced crisis after crisis - Hungary, Suez, Quemoy, Lebanon, Berlin - for the most part "local" situations which called for on-the-spot readiness in the form of mobile land, sea and air forces. But as the months passed the "economists" seemed unaware of the progressive deterioration of our military posture. Now the United States must live with the consequences of the missile gap and the insufficiency of our conventional forces.« less