In 2022, a year of great turbulence and unpredictability, most Americans were shocked by a series of events which shattered illusions about America’s security. Suddenly, but with little or no understanding of either the underlying causes or the degree of the danger, they became aware of the real threats to the US which are posed by the authoritarian leaders of Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea, as well as by terrorists. Warning signs have been apparent for years, but America’s political leaders have ignored them.

Drawing on a lifetime of military experience and of writing and teaching about national security matters, Stephen M. Duncan has written a strikingly candid and fascinating narrative of the historic tension in the United States between political realists and idealists, between internationalists and isolationists, and of the complacency about the Nation’s security which has characterized our Presidents and Members of Congress over the last decade and a half.

He examines how they have continued business as usual while America’s adversaries have rapidly expanded and modernized their military power and declared war on very important American interests. He issues a powerful call for Americans to reject spectator status and to remember that our elected leaders work for us, and that it is up to all of us to become educated on these matters in order to protect and preserve the Republic.

This insightful, provocative book is essential reading for everyone who cares about our security in an increasingly dangerous world and it will appeal to all Americans who are open to facts and commonsense solutions to the rapidly growing threats.