The New Maginot Line

by Jon Connell

This work joins a group of books by journalists, soldiers, etc., who constitute loosely the "military reform" movement. Their central thesis is that deficiences in planning, procurement, training, and tactics make U.S. (and NATO) forces ineffective. Connell, London Sunday Times defense correspondent, argues that the unexamined faith in expensive state-of-the-art weaponry is as foolish as the French belief in the impregnability of the Maginot Line. The human dimension is neglected, says Connell, and "gold plated" weapons pour off production lines only to be dangerous, broken, or too sophisticated for the troops. Connell argues that "Star Wars" is the culmination of the sort of thinking that substitutes technology for substantive defense. This insightful, critical, and informative book is as good an introduction to the military reform movement as any available. Richard B. Finnegan, Political Science Dept., Stonehill Coll., North Easton, Mass.Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc.

224 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1986