American Heroes or Think Tanks Public Policy and the Politics of Expertise

American Heroes: In the Fight Against Radical Islam

Author: Oliver North

In American Heroes, New York Times bestselling author Oliver North offers an inspiring, first-hand account of the extraordinary young American volunteers defending us against radical Islamic terror. Since 9-11-01, North and his award-winning War Stories documentary team have made a dozen extended trips to Afghanistan, Iraq and the Philippines covering U.S. soldiers, sailors, airmen, Guardsmen and Marines for FOX News Channel. With extensive experience as a decorated military officer, a counter-terrorism expert and as a documentary filmmaker embedded with American combat units, he has a unique perspective on the enemy we face and the qualities of those who protect us.

American Heroes offers a close-up of this generation's "citizen-soldiers" who have chosen the path of the patriot and gone into harm's way for their countrymen. North's unprecedented access, his grasp of history and his lucid reports from the crucible of combat make this a stirring chronicle of courage, commitment, compassion and faith.

Thank God for American heroes.

"Real heroes are selfless. Those who serve America in harm's way in the war against radical Islam have that quality in abundance. And so do their families and loved ones at home. Yet, they rarely get the attention or coverage they deserve.

"Despite the way they are too often presented, the men and women in uniform today are overwhelmingly good. I never cease to be amazed at the self-discipline of these brave young Americans. They can endure the adrenaline-pumping violence of an enemy engagement - and then, just minutes later, help children get safely to school. No nation - ours included - has ever had a military force better thanthe one we have today." - Oliver North

Publishers Weekly

North is a retired Marine infantry veteran of Vietnam and was a key player in the Iran-Contra affair. This book is a mostly workmanlike presentation of his experiences as a war correspondent for FOX (which shares copyright on this book) as the U.S. invaded Iraq. Any political uproar it may cause is likely to stem largely from Pavlovian responses to the name of the author, a response that ignores that he has written both fiction and nonfiction as well as having been a Marine officer. So it is hardly surprising that he does excellent work covering a Marine aviation unit, one appointed to transport assault troops and evacuate wounded in aging helicopters-never without risk and sometimes with bloody incidents. These are vividly and knowledgeably described, as is the Marines' courage and professionalism. Nor is it surprising to witness the empathy between a retired Marine about to become a grandfather and younger Marines about to see combat. The briefer coverage of the armored units of the 4th Infantry Division is a little frustrating, and the polemics against antiwar journalists and politicians, while unlikely to offend readers who share the author's views, feel redundant. So does the capsule history of Iraq in the appendix, although well-written enough to give the author credibility as a popular historian. Even the larger issue of the linkage between a correspondent, a network and a publisher who are all politically simpatico can hardly be made into anything especially sinister without the same kind of political partisanship that the book exhibits in its less inspiring moments. DVD of Fox News North special not seen by PW. (Dec.) Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

Table of Contents:

	Preface
	Introduction: Reality Television	1
1	The Road to Hell	7
2	Sitzkrieg!	19
3	Good to Go	33
4	Helicopter Down!	51
5	Running the Gauntlet on Bloody Sunday	69
6	MOASS	87
7	What Quagmire?	103
8	Of Rivers and Rescues	125
9	Closing In	145
10	Fallen Idols	167
11	You Can Run but You Can't Hide	191
12	You're in the Army Now	213
13	Aftermath	235
14	Snatching Defeat from the Jaws of Victory	243
	The Land Between the Rivers	261
	Glossary	299
	Acknowledgments	309
	Index	313

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Think Tanks, Public Policy, and the Politics of Expertise

Author: Andrew Rich

Think tanks are nonprofit policy research organizations that provide analysis and expertise to influence policymakers. From the 1970s their number exploded in the U.S. and their proliferation represented a hope that lawmaking might become better informed and more effective as a result of these expert contributions. Instead, as this book documents, the known ideologies of many, especially the newer, think tanks currently contribute to an environment in which they differ little from advocacy organizations, promoting points of view and preordained policy prescriptions. As a result, they fail to achieve desired influence and undermine their credibility.