This is a very weighty tome, and definitely not for the faint of heart. I was interested in this book, as it tracks many of the developments in the military-industrial complex, and think-tanks which carried America through the Cold War and into modernity.
I will admit having never heard of Andrew Marshall before - and this seems to be due to the nature of the man himself, rather than any failing on my part - and to be honest I had him slightly confused with George C Marshall of WW2 fame when I first saw the book.
I was reminded in parts of the book Legacy of Ashes by Tim Weiner, about the horrendous mis-management and intelligence failures at the CIA. By comparison, the work of Marshall and his team, as portrayed in this book, smacks of something like competence.
The real problem with the book is that it just isn't that engaging. This is not the story of the front line, of the nitty gritty of intelligence or military work, this is about backroom machinations, and political manoeuvrings.
The Last Warrior is a moderately interesting book about the life and work of an otherwise-little known man, who has obviously had a huge influence on military policy at the highest levels for decades. One for students of political history, and true history buffs, but not for the casual observer.
2.5/5 stars
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