In an era where 'history' had supposedly ended, what was an Army for? This question confronted the US Army at the end of the Cold War. Although public support for the military remained high, fewer were sending their children to enlist and questions were raised about the uncertainty of future operations: How would Army leaders prepare soldiers for difficult peacekeeping operations that called for a more human-oriented approach in light of the promises of high-tech warfare? How best to navigate the broader debates about changing gender and sexual norms in American society? Pulled in different directions, the Army struggled to put forward a compelling vision of who and what the American solder should be. In Uncertain Warriors, David Fitzgerald reveals how, in response to this uncertainty, they eventually fell back on an older vision of martial masculinity, embracing a 'warrior ethos' that was meant to define the contemporary American soldier.

‘What’s an Army without an enemy? David Fitzgerald skilfully probes the predicament of the US military after the collapse of its Soviet nemesis and before an elusive new enemy-'terror’-took its place. Deeply researched and briskly paced, Uncertain Warriors uncovers a fraught decade of armed intervention overseas and culture war skirmishes at home. Essential reading for anyone looking to better understand the contradictions of contemporary America.’

Susan Carruthers - author of Dear John: Love and Loyalty in America

‘David Fitzgerald deftly situates the US Army of the 1990s within its tumultuous societal, political, technological, and bureaucratic context. He masterfully illustrates both the logic and contradictions within the army’s response to these buffeting influences. The tensions within this mixed record would soon become evident in Iraq and Afghanistan.’

J. P. Clark - author of Preparing for War: The Emergence of the Modern U.S. Army, 1815–1914

‘Uncertain Warriors is a pathbreaking historical study of the US Army between the triumph of Desert Storm and the interminable Iraq-Afghanistan conflicts. Impressively researched, well written, and cogently argued, it deserves to be read by historians, officers, and all those interested in how military institutions adapt to revolutionary changes.’

Brian McAllister Linn - author of Elvis's Army: Cold War GIs and the Atomic Battlefield

‘Uncertain Warriors beautifully weaves together political, institutional, military, and social history to convincingly argue that U.S. Army’s modern ‘warrior ethos,’ for better or worse, is as much a product of the Army’s post-Cold War uncertainty as it is of 9/11 and the wars that came after.’

Amy J. Rutenberg - author of Rough Draft: Cold War Military Manpower Policy and the Origins of Vietnam-Era Draft Resistance

‘Recommended.’

D. W. Bath Source: CHOICE