Soldiers, Statesmen, and Cold War Crisis explores, in fascinating depth, the nature, direction, and impact of military and civilian influence on violence. Richard K. Betts discusses the postwar involvement of U.S. military and nonmilitary leaders in decisions on the use of force in foreign affairs, and the variety of advice from the different military services. Twenty intervention decisions and ten escalation desicions in crises are examined, including Korea, Berlin, Cuba, and Vietnam. To update this edition Betts has written a preface analyzing the significance of the issues in light of the evolution of events and information declassified since the book's original publication. He has also written an epilogue discussing several recent cases.

Soldiers, Statesmen, and Cold War Crises

History

Bėtts, Richard

Americas

Columbia University Press

The tragic events of September 11, 2001, and the false assessment of Saddam Hussein's weapons arsenal were terrible reminders that good information is essential to national security. These failures convinced the American public that their intelligence system was broken and prompted a radical reorganization of agencies and personnel, but as Richard K. Betts argues in this book, critics and politicians have severely underestimated the obstacles to true reform. One of the nation's foremost political scientists, Betts draws on three decades of work within the U.S. intelligence community to illuminate the paradoxes and problems that frustrate the intelligence process. Unlike America's efforts to improve its defenses against natural disasters, strengthening its strategic assessment capabilities means outwitting crafty enemies who operate beyond U.S. borders. It also requires looking within to the organizational and political dynamics of collecting information and determining its implications for policy. Combining academic research with personal experience, Betts outlines strategies for better intelligence gathering and assessment. He describes how fixing one malfunction can create another; in what ways expertise can be both a vital tool and a source of error and misjudgment; the pitfalls of always striving for accuracy in intelligence, which in some cases can render it worthless; the danger, though unavoidable, of "politicizing" intelligence; and the issue of secrecy—when it is excessive, when it is insufficient, and how limiting privacy can in fact protect civil liberties. Betts argues that when it comes to intelligence, citizens and politicians should focus less on consistent solutions and more on achieving a delicate balance between conflicting requirements. He also emphasizes the substantial success of the intelligence community, despite its well-publicized blunders, and highlights elements of the intelligence process that need preservation and protection. Many reformers are quick to respond to scandals and failures without detailed, historical knowledge of how the system works. Grounding his arguments in extensive theory and policy analysis, Betts takes a comprehensive and realistic look at how knowledge and power can work together to face the intelligence challenges of the twenty-first century.

Enemies of Intelligence: Knowledge and Power in American National Security

Politics & Social Sciences

Politics & Government

While American national security policy has grown more interventionist since the Cold War, Washington has also hoped to shape the world on the cheap. Misled by the stunning success against Iraq in 1991, administrations of both parties have pursued ambitious aims with limited force, committing the country's military frequently yet often hesitantly, with inconsistent justification. These ventures have produced strategic confusion, unplanned entanglements, and indecisive results. This collection of essays by Richard K. Betts, a leading international politics scholar, investigates the use of American force since the end of the Cold War, suggesting guidelines for making it more selective and successful. Betts brings his extensive knowledge of twentieth century American diplomatic and military history to bear on the full range of theory and practice in national security, surveying the Cold War roots of recent initiatives and arguing that U.S. policy has always been more unilateral than liberal theorists claim. He exposes mistakes made by humanitarian interventions and peace operations; reviews the issues raised by terrorism and the use of modern nuclear, biological, and cyber weapons; evaluates the case for preventive war, which almost always proves wrong; weighs the lessons learned from campaigns in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Vietnam; assesses the rise of China and the resurgence of Russia; quells concerns about civil-military relations; exposes anomalies within recent defense budgets; and confronts the practical barriers to effective strategy. Betts ultimately argues for greater caution and restraint, while encouraging more decisive action when force is required, and he recommends a more dispassionate assessment of national security interests, even in the face of global instability and unfamiliar threats.

American Force: Dangers, Delusions, and Dilemmas in National Security (A Council on Foreign Relations Book)

Military

American Force: Dangers, Delusions, and Dilemmas in National Security

Product Description 
From 
The New York Times best-selling author of 
The Essential Scratch & Sniff Guide to Becoming a Wine Expert, everything you need to know about America’s favorite recreational plant\nWho better to guide you through the distinctive scents of cannabis than Richard Betts, author of best-selling books, 
The Essential Scratch & Sniff Guide to Becoming a Wine Expert and 
The Essential Scratch & Sniff Guide to Becoming a Whiskey Know-It-All​? In his newest novelty book, Betts demystifies the differences between cannabis and hemp, indica and sativa, and describes how each strain will make you feel and more, aided by scents to truly allow readers to understand the distinction between Train Wreck and Sour Diesel. With a short history lesson on where Mary Jane came from and how it became humanity’s beloved pastime, plus a guide to the most popular strains, this handbook is a fact-filled and fun guide to all things cannabis. And if you don't live in a state that has legalized marijuana, this book is the closest thing you'll have to toking up! 
 About the Author 
RICHARD BETTS is the author of the 
New York Times bestseller 
The Essential Scratch & Sniff Guide to Becoming a Wine Expert. He has been featured in the 
New York Times, 
Wine Spectator, Food & Wine, Outside, GQ, and 
Details and speaks frequently on wine throughout the country. He is also the founder of two wine companies, Betts & Scholl and Scarpetta, which have won top praise from leading wine publications. He is also the founder and president of Sombra Mezcal and Astral Tequila, and his newest wine ventures include Saint Glinglin Bordeaux, My Essential Red, My Essential White, and My Essential Rosé.\nRotem Raffe is an art director, designer, and illustrator based in New York City, and is the co-founder and creator of Short Stack Editions.

The Indispensable Scratch & Sniff Guide To Cannabis

Health, Fitness & Dieting

Harvest

Richard Betts is one of fewer than two hundred master sommeliers in the world, but he’s no wine snob and he hates wine-speak. In the first book of its kind, he helps readers scratch and sniff their way to expertise by introducing the basic components of wine—the fruits, the wood, the earth—enabling anyone to discover the difference between a Syrah and a Sangiovese and get the glass they love every time. Humorously illustrated, with 16 scents, this irresistible gift puts the fun back in wine fundamentals.

The Essential Scratch & Sniff Guide to Becoming a Wine Expert: Take a Whiff of That

Reference

Mariner Books

A clever distillation of America’s favorite libation, by the New York Times best-selling authors of The Essential Scratch &amp; Sniff Guide to Becoming a Wine Expert Whiskey fever is sweeping the nation. Every day, craft distilleries are popping up in remote counties and urban centers, offering a wealth of great choices to consumers—and just as many puzzlements. Does the introduction of a simple “e” to go from whisky to whiskey mean anything? What’s the difference between Scotch and Rye? What’s Canadian whisky anyway? And what about the whiskeys of Scotland, Japan, and Ireland? Where's a humble Joe to start? In this witty kid-style book on an adult topic, Richard Betts boils down his know-how into twenty pages, cooling our “brown-sweat” anxieties and dividing whiskey into three simple categories: Grain, Wood, and Place. While most whiskey tomes are about as fun as a chemistry lesson, Betts makes the learning slide down easy, reassuring us that this exalted spirit is just distilled beer and, through a nasal romp, helping us figure out which kinds we love best. Humorous illustrations and scratch-and-sniff scents (vanilla, sandalwood, grass, and more) help would-be connoisseurs learn their personal preferences. Language label and Map to Your Desires included.

The Essential Scratch & Sniff Guide to Becoming a Whiskey Know-It-All: Know Your Booze Before You Choose

Cookbooks, Food & Wine

English Sacca, Crystal

MacNaughton, Wendy

Beverages & Wine

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