"A timely collection … Net assessments offer critical insights to senior leaders on the relative military power of the United States over time.… Such analyses are critical at focusing attention and investment dollars into areas where sustained competitive advantage against specific adversaries can be directed by Department of Defense leadership.… Mahnken and his contributors should be congratulated for an informative product. The art and science of net assessment is critical to success in a new age of strategic competition. Such contests are ultimately about national systems and institutions, and keeping score is a challenge. Thus, Net Assessment and Military Strategy is exceedingly relevant to policymakers and military strategists as they seek to conceive of appropriate military strategies to preserve U.S. security. This is a timely topic and an important resource as the next defense and military strategy are developed." —Joint Force Quarterly
"The most useful available book about the analytical approach that is called net assessment as it was practiced by Andrew W. Marshall while he was director of the Office of Net Assessment (ONA) in the Office of the Secretary of Defense. This is true both for the reader who is new to the subject and for the expert reader who already has considerable exposure to net assessment and to ONA. ... Net assessment requires the relentless pursuit of data and a capacity for original thought, but it also requires courage, the courage to take seriously ideas that deviate from the ruling consensus, and the courage to pursue the important questions, often for decades, while others give answers to topics of today and receive the attention and rewards for being 'relevant.'" —Journal of Strategic Studies
“Net Assessment and Military Strategy is a thoughtful recounting of how net assessments became an important part of the national security strategy process. A compelling read for all aspiring and practicing strategists, this volume describes the discipline of net assessment from the perspective of practioners, including an opening chapter by Andrew Marshall. Great power competition demands a clear-headed understanding of how national security strategy is shaped ... Net Assessment and Military Strategy is an important tool in developing that understanding.” —General Paul J. Selva, USAF (ret.), 10th Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
“This volume is a fitting tribute to the memory of Andy Marshall, one of the most innovative and influential strategic thinkers of the post-war era. The authors, all of whom worked closely with Marshall during his long career, explain the origins, application, impact, and continuing relevance of his key insights and analytic concepts. Essential reading for anyone interested in the history of the Cold War and, even more important, for the next generation of American strategists.” —Aaron L. Friedberg, Professor of Politics and International Affairs, Princeton University
“I do not know of any existing books that provide such depth or detail on net assessment as a field of inquiry. The book makes a strong case for the relevance of net assessment as a practice/methodology and convincingly argues that net assessment has been a critical tool of US defense strategy when used well. It is a thoughtful blend of historical chapters, reflections on the meaning and process of net assessments, and methodological chapters, bookended by insightful essays by Andrew Marshall and Andrew May. Students in PME institutions and strategic studies/war studies programs will get a great deal out of this book.” —Hal Brands, Henry A. Kissinger Distinguished Professor of Global Affairs, Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, and scholar, American Enterprise Institute
“This is the best overview on net assessment, and there would be lasting value—and I believe, a lasting market—for this book.” —Eliot A. Cohen, Dean, SAIS, Johns Hopkins University
"The contributors dissect key characteristics of net assessments and also cover the history and impact of a little-known, secretive organization within the Pentagon: the Office of Net Assessment (ONA). Though small, the ONA has had significant strategic impact since its inception in the 1970s. A strength of this book is that it serves newcomers to net assessment and old hats. ... I would highly recommend this book for anyone interested in developing better competitive strategies. This compilation will greatly benefit businessmen, strategists, or senior decision makers looking to ensure their decisions are based on thoughtful, well-rounded assessments." —Strategic Studies Quarterly
