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multinational organization. There is also created, ex nihilo as it were, a fleet capable

litde evaluation ofthe bank's impact on the of defeating those of two second-rank
world economy or even on loan recipients. powers—China and then Russia. Within
the space of a second generation it had a
fleet that in terms of quality and, in
Military, Scientific, ^°"^^ respects, quantity matched that of
J ry^ U 1 • 1 ^^^ United States or Great Britain. As
ana ICCnnOlOglCal indicated by the title, this scholarly work
E L I O T A. C O H E N ^^^^^ with the interrelationships of strategy,
tactics, and technology. It is not merely a
fine historical account but one of more
Made to Measure: New Materialsfor the general importance, discussing how
2ist Century, BY P H I L I P BALL. \> choices about weapons reflect martial
Princeton: Princeton University Press, culture and operational styles. The
1997, 458 pp. $29.95. Japanese bid for qualitative superiority
Our preoccupation with information tech- and decisive victory at the frrst stroke,
nology's forward bounds has obscured no coupled with ill-understood weaknesses
less radical changes in other branches of in systems engineering and mass pro-
technology. The cloning of sheep and other duction, created a navy that could inflict
marvels of biotechnology have, to be sure, severe setbacks upon its American
attracted attention to that fleld, but far less counterpart, but not, ultimately, defeat
attention has been paid to improvements in it. It is rare to flnd an important work so
material sciences. Here is a book that can well illustrated: sketches, tables, charts,
serve as a primer. Not written for the tech- diagrams, and pictures serve the authors'
nicaliy faint of heart, this book by an asso- purposes brilliantly. Subtle, illuminating,
ciate editor at Nature is a dense but accessi- and profound, it is difficult to do justice
ble introduction to such subjects as to a book that will almost certainly hold
photonics, "smart" materials, and nan- thefleldfor some decades to come,
otechnology. The author does not spell out
the consequences for intemational politics, '" Inventing Grand Strategy and Teaching
but with some effort they may be imagined. Command: The Classic Works of Alfred
The replacement of many ofthe fiinctions ThayerMahan Reconsidered, BY JON
of oil as a lubricant and fiiel, for example, is TETSURO SUMIDA. Washington:
far from inconceivable, with consequences Woodrow Wilson Center Press, 1997,
for Middle Eastem economics and politics 164 pp. $24.95.
that bear reflection. The connections between the riddles of
the Zen masters, the art of concert pianists,
\Kaigun: Strategy, Tactics, and Technology and the ruminations of a nineteenth-
in the ImperialJapanese Navy, i88y- century American naval captain are not
1^41. BY DAVID c. EVANS AND MARK immediately obvious. In this slender, wetl-
R. PEATTIE. Annapolis: Naval wrought volume, however, a prominent
Institute Press, 1997, 661 pp. $49.95. student of naval affairs makes them clear.
In the space of one generation Japan The author has produced a close but
[136] FOREIGN A¥¥A\RS Volume 7J No. 3

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concise study of the thought of the great hKorolev: How One Man Masterminded the
historian, publicist, and (Sumida would Soviet Drive to Beat America to the
argue) theorist ofthe late nineteenth and Moon, BY JAMES HARFORD. New
early twentieth centuries, who remains York: John Wiley, 1997,392 pp. $30.00.
more revered than read in naval circles. A brisk, readable biography ofthe man
Particularly intriguing are the connections behind the Soviet space program by a
drawn here between artistic activity and veteran ofthe American Institute of
the nature of command: Mahan criticized Aeronautics and Astronautics. Harford has
the U.S. Navy's emerging preoccupation drawn extensively on interviews and, to a
with engineering and administration. lesser extent, secondary sources, as well as
The executive flinction in naval affairs Cold War^-era translations of Soviet mate-
had, to his mind, far higher tasks and rials. Sergei Korolev, kept in the shadows
problems. Whether, as Sumida claims, by his political masters throughout his life,
Mahan invented "historically based and began his work as a victim of Stalin's
broadly focused international security purges in a Soviet sharashka, or prison
studies" may be debated, but he makes an camp for scientists. His internment did
interesting case. A fine bibliography and not prevent him, however, from throw-
analytical index to Mahan's writings flll ing the whole of his enormous energy
out a remarkably compact volume. and practical skill into the service of the
Soviet state. The space race between
\Churchill and the Secret Service. BY DAVID the United States and the Soviet Union
STAFFORD. New York: Overlook forms the core ofthe book, and Harford
Press, 1998,400 pp. $35.00. does a flne job of telling just enough
Most ofthe literature on intelligence about the American side to put Soviet
focuses on those who produce the material achievements and activities in perspective,
rather than those who use it, and the Energy, vast resources, and the creativity
exceptions usually deal wdth misunder- of Korolev and others like him did much
standing, misuse, and failure in all its forms, to compensate for the absurdities of Soviet
This book, however, examines, with an economics, but could only go so far. They
unillusioned but generally admiring eye, a beat the United States into space initially
statesman who knew how to read intelli- but lived to see their rivals beat them to
gence reports and exploit covert operations, the moon and beyond. A truly scholarly
Stafford's Churchill is not the ill-informed study wall, no doubt, emerge in time, but
and capricious romantic of contemporary this is a worthy book nonetheless,
debunkers: he is, rather, a calculating,
occasionally erring, but immensely shrewd \.Global Communications, International
and experienced politician. Nothing very Affairs, and the Media since 194^. BY
new in the stories recounted here, but they P H I L I P M. TAYLOR. New York:
are well told and solidly grounded in Roudedge, 1997, 248 pp. $75.00
archival and secondary sources, and the (paper, $22.99).
sum total is original and enlightening. Despite its title, this thoughtfiil study is
To order any book reviewed or advertised in Foreign Affairs, fax 203-966-4329.
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multinational organization. There is also created, ex nihilo as it were, a fleet capable

[136] FOREIGN A¥¥A\RS Volume 7J No. 3

To order any book reviewed or advertised in Foreign Affairs, fax 203-966-4329.

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