A new look at an old institution.
These five volumes concern one of the most important institutions in human history, the military, and the interactions of that institution with the greater society. Military systems "serve: nations; they may also "reflect: them. Soldiers are "enlisted" they may also be said to "self-select." Military units have "missions"; they also have "interests." In each of these pairs of statements, the first expression is the stock in trade of an older more traditional military history, while the second reflects a newer approach. Although each statement in the pairs may be said to be true, the former speak from the framework of the military sciences; the latter, from the framework of the social and behavioral sciences.
In each of these volumes approximately half of the essays selected deal with the experience in the United States; the other half, with the experiences of other states and times, enabling the user to engage in comparative analysis.