Foreword. -- Contributors. -- Acknowledgments. -- Introduction. -- 1.M1 Garand rifle. -- 2. Radar. -- 3. The Benning revolution. -- 4. Air observation posts. -- 5. Armored force organization. -- 6. The tank destroyer. -- 7. The bazooka. -- 8. Upgunning the amphibian tank. -- 9. Conquering the hedgerows. -- 10. Special patrol groups. -- 11. Airmobility. -- 12. Airborne radio direction finding. -- 13. Artillery speed shifter. -- 14. National Training Center. -- Conclusion. -- Suggested readings. -- Index.
Summary
"The U.S. Army has a long record of fielding innovations that not only have enhanced its effectiveness on the battlefield but also sometimes had an impact far beyond warfare. General Editor Jon T. Hoffman has brought together eleven authors who cover the gamut from the invention of the M1 Garand rifle between the world wars through the development of the National Training Center in the 1980s ... This work is neither a historical account of how the Army has adapted over time nor a theoretical look at models that purport to show how innovation is best achieved. Instead, it captures a representative slice of stories of soldiers and Army civilians who have demonstrated repeatedly that determination and a good idea often carry the day in peace and war. Despite the perception of bureaucratic inertia, the institution's long history of benefiting from the inventiveness of its people indicates that it is an incubator of innovation after all"--Publisher's website.
