Thomas Young’s final, uncompromising assessment of the current situation is in marked contrast to the general uninformed and unjustified complacency within NATO member governments and academia. It explains a great deal about the inability of those governments to respond adequately to the recent and drastic changes in Europe’s security environment. This book is written with great academic rigour which gives it total credibility and reliability. It is also remarkably timely given current Western policy dilemmas. It is a wake-up call which needs to be widely read in Western capitals by policy makers, opinion formers and educators. It fills an important gap in our understanding.

Chris N. Donnelly, CMG, TD, former Head of the Soviet Studies Research Centre at the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, UK, Adviser to PM Margaret Thatcher and former Special Adviser to the Secretary General of NATO

This is a must read book for anyone concerned about the defence of Europe or the democratization of military institutions.

Stephen J. Blank, Senior Fellow, The U.S. Army War College, USA