The authors examine the many influences determining officer selection and shaping the structure and content of education and training programs, as well as their adequacy in increasingly complex peacetime environments and during the ultimate test of war. The volume is organized in seven sections, each preceded by an introduction. It includes a select bibliography of the most recent English-language books on officer social origins, selection, education, and training since the eighteenth century. Forging the Sword is a landmark contribution to the military profession and should be mandatory reading for all those interested in preparing the next generation of leaders for the twenty-first century. It compares tradition and practice in many different societies and periods.
Few subjects are as important-or as little studied.
Forging the Sword answers this most significant question by combining historical research, comparative studies, and penetrating analyses.