Drift: The Unmooring of American Military Power

Anyone interested in American political history, the military, or current events must read Rachel Maddow's fascinating new book, Drift:  The Unmooring of American Military Power. 

Maddow may be most well-known for her hosting of MSNBC's Rachel Maddow Show, than she is for her academic prowess (she has a PhD in politics from Oxford).  But that last fact makes this work all the more intriguing:  the work extends well past her usual political commentary to a more in-depth, well-researched and well-written thesis on the current state of the American military that people on all sides of the political spectrum should appreciate.  In Drift, Maddow provides a detailed history explaining how far current military policy, beginning with the Vietnam War and continuing through present day, has strayed from the ideals of our Founding Fathers.  From granting the President the power to go to war without calling on Reserves and the National Guard, to outsourcing and contracting for military services, rather than using our own men to carry out the same work, Maddow argues that such policies have escalated our national debt, undermined our national security, and altered our perception of war.  Smart, thought-provoking work.  Highly recommended.