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The Sheriff: America's Defense of the New World Order
Since the end of the Cold War, and especially since September 11, few issues have been more hotly debated than the United States' role in the world. In this hard-nosed but sophisticated examination, Colin S. Gray argues that America is the indispensable guardian of world order. Gray's constructive critique of recent trends in national security is holistic, rooting defense issues and prospective answers both in U.S. national security policy, broadly defined, and in the emerging international security environment. Colin S. Gray is professor of international politics and strategic studies at the University of Reading, England, and senior fellow at the National Institute for Public Policy in Fairfax, Virginia. He is the author of seventeen books, including Modern Strategy and Strategy for Revolutions in Military Affairs and the Evidence of History.
232 pages, Hardcover
First published April 16, 2004
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About the author
Colin S. Gray
96 books73 followersColin S. Gray was a British-American strategic thinker and professor of International Relations and Strategic Studies at the University of Reading, where he was the director of the Centre for Strategic Studies. In addition, he was a Senior Associate to the National Institute for Public Policy.
Gray was educated at the University of Manchester and the University of Oxford. He worked at the International Institute for Strategic Studies and the Hudson Institute, before founding the National Institute for Public Policy in Washington, D.C. He also served as a defense adviser both to the British and U.S. governments. Gray served from 1982 until 1987 in the Reagan Administration's General Advisory Committee on Arms Control and Disarmament. Furthermore, he taught at the University of Hull, the University of Lancaster, York University, Toronto and University of British Columbia. Gray published 23 books on military history and strategic studies, as well as numerous articles.
Gray was educated at the University of Manchester and the University of Oxford. He worked at the International Institute for Strategic Studies and the Hudson Institute, before founding the National Institute for Public Policy in Washington, D.C. He also served as a defense adviser both to the British and U.S. governments. Gray served from 1982 until 1987 in the Reagan Administration's General Advisory Committee on Arms Control and Disarmament. Furthermore, he taught at the University of Hull, the University of Lancaster, York University, Toronto and University of British Columbia. Gray published 23 books on military history and strategic studies, as well as numerous articles.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
July 11, 2017
This was the second volume of Colin Gray's that I have read this year, the first being a publication of the Army War College,, where Gray is a contributing editor and lecturer, 'Thucydides Was right; defining the future threat". Gray is a well known thinker, writer and lecturer on strategic issues, arms control and deterrence. This volume, 'the Sheriff" was written in 2004, just as the Iraq war was beginning to spin out of control. Now, 13 years later, the book does not seem dated, which given how much has happened in the intervening period is quite remarkable. It remains useful, on point and insightful because Gray's thesis focuses on a bigger picture, which the Wars on terror and in Iraq represent just a slice.
Gray takes the position, which in 2004 had not been tarnished with the debacle in Iraq that the US needed to be, not the world's policeman but rather its sheriff, or the guardian of the world order that has brought so much good to the entire world community. Thirteen years and a couple elections later, that thesis seems out of touch with the views of many Americans and a certain American President. That reality makes the book an even more essential and valuable read for anyone who has the remotest interest in America's role in the world, the future safety of the world order that has benefited America and its allies for so long and which represents the best chance for success and prosperity for so many emerging nation states.
He describes in great detail the fateful inability of American policy makers, military leaders and others to think strategically about America's role in the world. He dissects and destroys the American naive belief in military power and technological supremacy alone to deliver success, and focuses on the need to understand history alone provides answers to the most important questions about our role in the world and the risks and opportunities to be evaluated and planned for.
He makes so many critical observations about American security assumptions and planning that it is hard to create a summary narrative that does justice to his work. That said, he argues that ..."the American sheriff serves itself by serving the world selectively...and that this requires the clearest foreign policy explanations lest it descend into strategic opportunism..."The reader only has to review the incoherent, empty and vapid statements of American strategy and policy mouthed by all Presidents since 1992 to understand what he is talking about. He goes on to say that ..."strategy is difficult, military effectiveness need not mean strategic effectiveness while strategic effectiveness may not translate into enduring political advantage." And isn't political advantage the point of the whole exercise of military power and strategy.? He argues that American military and political leaders then and now(my emphasis) mistake military power and preponderance for effective strategy, when the history books and recent military experience shows that not to be the case at all.
Gray goes on to look deeply at the deep lessons of history to the development of strategy, the causes and effects of America's taking the eye of the ball in the 1990's and the impact, perhaps short-lived in his view of the post 9/11 environment on policy makers. He understands the potential pitfalls of America's taking on the sheriff role, both externally and internally due political pressures and the unwillingness of the American public to bear that burden and responsibility. This before the election of 2016 in which a large percentage of the American public vocally questioned and argued against the continued American led world order.
It's difficult to find a book on foreign policy and politics to be timely and still valuable 13 years after publication. This volume, and the its author remain relevant, important and essential reading for anyone thinking about our place in the world and where we should be heading.
I look forward to my next Colin Gray read. !
Gray takes the position, which in 2004 had not been tarnished with the debacle in Iraq that the US needed to be, not the world's policeman but rather its sheriff, or the guardian of the world order that has brought so much good to the entire world community. Thirteen years and a couple elections later, that thesis seems out of touch with the views of many Americans and a certain American President. That reality makes the book an even more essential and valuable read for anyone who has the remotest interest in America's role in the world, the future safety of the world order that has benefited America and its allies for so long and which represents the best chance for success and prosperity for so many emerging nation states.
He describes in great detail the fateful inability of American policy makers, military leaders and others to think strategically about America's role in the world. He dissects and destroys the American naive belief in military power and technological supremacy alone to deliver success, and focuses on the need to understand history alone provides answers to the most important questions about our role in the world and the risks and opportunities to be evaluated and planned for.
He makes so many critical observations about American security assumptions and planning that it is hard to create a summary narrative that does justice to his work. That said, he argues that ..."the American sheriff serves itself by serving the world selectively...and that this requires the clearest foreign policy explanations lest it descend into strategic opportunism..."The reader only has to review the incoherent, empty and vapid statements of American strategy and policy mouthed by all Presidents since 1992 to understand what he is talking about. He goes on to say that ..."strategy is difficult, military effectiveness need not mean strategic effectiveness while strategic effectiveness may not translate into enduring political advantage." And isn't political advantage the point of the whole exercise of military power and strategy.? He argues that American military and political leaders then and now(my emphasis) mistake military power and preponderance for effective strategy, when the history books and recent military experience shows that not to be the case at all.
Gray goes on to look deeply at the deep lessons of history to the development of strategy, the causes and effects of America's taking the eye of the ball in the 1990's and the impact, perhaps short-lived in his view of the post 9/11 environment on policy makers. He understands the potential pitfalls of America's taking on the sheriff role, both externally and internally due political pressures and the unwillingness of the American public to bear that burden and responsibility. This before the election of 2016 in which a large percentage of the American public vocally questioned and argued against the continued American led world order.
It's difficult to find a book on foreign policy and politics to be timely and still valuable 13 years after publication. This volume, and the its author remain relevant, important and essential reading for anyone thinking about our place in the world and where we should be heading.
I look forward to my next Colin Gray read. !
June 30, 2023
Strategic culture and political theorist Colin Gray makes a provocative argument about America’s role in a post 9/11 world. Writing is good not great, but the subject is certainly one to consider given recent developments. It’s also interesting that he wrote this in 2004 long before anyone was seriously considering the return to an era of great power conflict involving the likes of China, Russia, etc.
November 13, 2019
Political theory
February 11, 2016
A blistering defense of American interventionism. Gray describes the world as he sees it, one in which the United States must play the role of an old western sheriff, enforcing the law and international norms where nobody else will. Published in 2003 it is slightly dated, but Gray proves himself to be quite perceptive in anticipation of the the domestic challenges that may limit American leader's abilities to fulfill the role of international sheriff.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews