mk: I recommend this book whenever I get the chance; if you are interested in the history of war, read Barbara Tuchman's The Guns of August. It is a sweeping but clear account of the events that lead Europe into WWI. One impression it made upon me, was to look for the causes of war decades before the start. It seems to be a rhyme that history has.Interestingly, I've heard that JFK required that everyone in his cabinet read it.
I have to wonder if Obama or Bush had required reading.