When presidents fight the last war : the Oval Office, sunk costs, and wartime decision-making since Vietnam / Bryan N. Groves.

Author/creator Groves, Bryan N. author.
Format Book
PublicationLexington : The University Press of Kentucky, [2025]
Copyright Date©2025
Description243 pages : illustrations, charts (chiefly black and white) ; 24 cm
Subjects

Contents Wartime sunk cost dilemmas in Vietnam's shadow -- Historical lessons drive fear : Vietnam and 9/11's impact on future war policy -- Reagan in Lebanon : Vietnam ghosts and fear of the future -- Black hawk down : Vietnam (and Lebanon) ghosts remain -- The Iraq surge : governmental lesson learning and adaptation -- Afghanistan : lessons from 9/11, the Iraq War, and Vietnam coalesce -- Gulf War endgame : a sunk cost opportunity and fear of another Vietnam -- Winning the next (versus the last) war
Abstract "Many still see the Vietnam War catastrophe as the ultimate cautionary tale for US presidents faced with wartime decisions. A singular focus on Vietnam, however, overlooks the seismic shift in strategy following attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon on September 11, 2001. When Presidents Fight the Last War: The Oval Office, Sunk Costs, and Wartime Decision-Making since Vietnam is a groundbreaking work that draws on high-level interviews and archival materials to show how recent presidential decisions to cut losses or double down on military conflicts abroad have been made with the goal of avoiding either another Vietnam or another 9/11."-Amazon.com
Bibliography noteContains bibliographical references and index ([191]-243)
ISBN9781985902770
ISBN9781985902787 hardback
ISBN1985902788
ISBN198590277X

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