Few subjects have concerned the U.S. armed forces and government policy makers more in the past half century than the successful conclusion of military conflicts.Military strategists, planners, thinkers and policy enthusiasts cannot do better in finding a path toward solving this problem than to read Dominic J. Caracilo’s, "Beyond Guns and Steel: A War Termination Strategy," Praeger Security International.A life-long Army officer with brigade command and multi-national experience in Iraq and Afghanistan, Caracilo lays bare a complex topic with skill and succinctness.His analysis is a primer for the complexity of battlefield draw-downs, as well as to providing a historical context for past actions.Caracilo argues successfully that in the four wars entered and concluded in the past 100 years, the United States failed to examine lessons and problems from previous events and went on to make avoidable mistakes.He examines the current conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, providing an insider’s knowledge both of events and the lessons to be drawn from our current experiences.As modern military operations demand a degree of political and cultural sophistication far beyond the norms learned in military schools, this book serves as a ready tool to explain the dimensions of the art of war as now being affected in America’s war against terror.This book is a must for every thinking officer in the Army. An AUSA book, the 2011 price is $49.95. The AUSA member price is $39.95.Call the publisher direct for AUSA discount by giving your AUSA member number. Call: (800) 368-6868.