Product Review

Beer, Bacon and Bullets: Culture in Coalition Warfare from Gallipoli to Iraq by Gal Luft examines how culture can impact the relations between Western militaries and their non-Western allies. Military forces of dissimilar cultures working together are committed to a similar end goal, but their cooperation could be marred by tension related to their different cultural backgrounds. Luft investigates five case studies of military cooperation, describing the squabbles between German advisors and their Ottoman counterparts in WWI, the difficult relations between American and Chinese generals during WWII, how American generals in Saudi Arabia bent over backwards to curry favor with their hosts, and how the Israelis' misunderstanding of their Lebanese allies shaped today's Middle East. Provocative and original, Luft's book suggests that by understanding other military cultures, the performance of military coalitions can be improved. "Although scholars have long written on aspects of culture and warfare, this book is unique in both the cases selected and the author's insight derived from having served in a coalition environment. [...]this book is a valuable resource for soldiers, scholars, policymakers, and civilians who want to better understand the significance of culture in planning and executing coalition operations. The lessons offered will become increasingly important as coalition operations become the norm." Joint Forces Quarterly