"The United States has created the most powerful Armed Forces the world has ever known. The military has reached a size and has an influence on American society far beyond anything anyone dreamed of before 1938. It has a direct and deep impact on all Americans and it is apparently here to stay, but it is neither a Leviathan nor an alien force in the land. The military reflects the society from which it comes. The really remarkable thing is that America has managed to create an institution of such staggering size without being swallowed up by it. For important as the military is, it does not dominate our lives, establish values, or dictate our foreign and domestic policies." —The editors

This book traces the rise of the modern American military establishment, the so-called "military-industrial complex," and the conditions within the society that allowed its growth. Coverage is fixed largely between the beginning of United States involvement in World War II, with the rise of Hitler and Stalin, and its present role as world policeman. An impressive list of contributors, many with military experience, enters into such heatedly debated topics as the military's roles in foreign policy, race relations, the draft, domestic order, and ecology.