Larry Hancock - Shadow Warfare. The History of America's Undeclared Wars [2014][A]

Book Description
Contrary to its contemporary image, deniable covert operations are not something new. Such activities have been ordered by every president and every administration since the Second World War. In many instances covert operations have relied on surrogates, with American personnel involved only at a distance, insulated by layers of deniability.
Shadow Warfare traces the evolution of these covert operations, detailing the tactics and tools used from the Truman era through those of the contemporary Obama Administrations. It also explores the personalities and careers of many of the most noted shadow warriors of the past sixty years, tracing the decade-long relationship between the CIA and the military.
Shadow Warfare presents a balanced, non-polemic exploration of American secret warfare, detailing its patterns, consequences and collateral damage and presenting its successes as well as failures. Shadow Wars explores why every president from Franklin Roosevelt on, felt compelled to turn to secret, deniable military action. It also delves into the political dynamic of the president’s relationship with Congress and the fact that despite decades of combat, the U.S. Congress has chosen not to exercise its responsibility to declare a single state of war - even for extended and highly visible combat.

About the Author
Larry Hancock graduated from the University of New Mexico with a triple major in anthropology, history, and education. He has worked on a variety of historical research projects, including November Patriots and Someone Would Have Talked. He lives in Oklahoma. Stuart Wexler graduated from Tulane University with a degree in history. He now lives and teaches high school in New Jersey, where he won the prestigious James Madison Teachers' Fellowship in 2010. Together with Hancock, he co-write "The Awful Grace of God."

Most Helpful Customer Reviews
Don't Hesitate - Get The Book
By Jefferson E. Bushman on March 10, 2014
Format: Hardcover
The first thing you need to know is that this is an amazing and amazingly good book. It reads like fiction, both because of its page-turning pace, and because the history of our country's largely surreptitious activities, is almost unbelievable. Truth, however, is once again proven stranger than...you get the idea.
Yes, it's meticulously researched, and tells some really interesting stories (including some about our less-than-perfect management of our nuclear arsenal), but it's also just a damn good read. As citizens, it's a great idea to know what's been done in our name, and now you can.

Should Be Required Reading On Undeclared and Covert Warfare
By Jaschaheifetz on March 22, 2014
Format: Hardcover
In 1947, historian Charles A. Beard referred to the foreign policy of Presidents Roosevelt and Truman by coining the phrase "perpetual war for perpetual peace." Since that time, the Federation of American Scientists has cataloged nearly 200 military incursions in which the United States has been the aggressor. Shadow Warfare is a brilliantly constructed and meticulously documented history of deniable warfare and its extraordinary evolution since the era of "declared" war. Covert action assumes that the forces involved can't be associated with the sponsoring government. Cold War era covert warfare is not unique to the United States of America, but America's embrace of, and increasing reliance upon, these types of operations and the agencies which administer their facilitation, represents a fundamental shift in the manner by which the government conducts its foreign policy.
Congress has not passed a Declaration of War since 1941. Shadow Warfare by Larry Hancock and Stuart Wexler tells the story of when and how the United States moved to deniable action.

Highly recommended.
An Important Read - A True Slice of History
By Mark Shaw, Burlingame California on March 15, 2014
Format: Hardcover Verified Purchase
As the author of "The Poison Patriarch: How the Betrayals of Joseph P. Kennedy Caused the Assassination of JFK," I was most interested to read this book especially the sections dealing with John and Robert Kennedy. Clearly, Larry Hancock's superb research and gifted writing skills provide insight into the Kennedy thought process concerning how they approached what the author calls "secret, deniable military action" with focus on Cuba and the ill-founded and ultimately disastrous Bay of Pigs operation. And "deny" is the byword here since neither John nor Robert wanted to take any responsibility for the fiasco, one that took the lives of brave rebels determined to topple a tyrant.
But that is only part of the story Hancock superbly weaves in "Shadow Warfare." Most compelling is how he provides insight into the Vietnam War as never before. All in all, this book is a true slice of history and for those who want to know the truth, a must read