Peters spent nearly 20 years in U.S. Army intelligence, focusing much of his career on Soviet Central Asia. Many of you might be familiar with his fine military fiction. He is also something of an army iconoclast.

Peters's view of a world polarized between the rich and impoverished is bleak, and his perspicacity is sobering. He pretty much lays out the roots of the present conflict with his first essay, "The Culture of Future Conflict," warning that America has seriously underestimated "the power of collective hatred."

Turns out he was right. I recommend this book highly. We should have read it sooner.

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