"The end of the Cold War created a near-euphoria that nations might resort less to military force and that the Doomsday nuclear clock might stop short of midnight. Events soon dashed the higher of these hopes, but the nature of military force and the uses to which it might be put did appear to be changing.".

"In this volume, eleven leading scholars apply their expertise to understanding what (if anything) has changed and what has not, why the patterns are as they are, and just what the future might bring. Together, the authors address political, moral, and military factors in the decision to use or avoid military force.

Case studies of the Gulf War and Bosnia, analyses of the role of women in the armed forces and the role of intelligence agencies, and studies of inter-branch and inter-agency tensions and cooperation inform the various chapters." "The volume will help scholars, policy makers, and concerned citizens contemplate national alternatives when force threatens."--BOOK JACKET.