Frank Hoffmanholds an appointment as a distinguished research fellow at the National Defense University in Washington, DC. He is a retired U.S. Marine infantry officer. His forty-two years in the U.S. defense establishment includes senior political appointments at the Pentagon, ten years at Headquarters Marine Corps, and a decade at NDU's Institute for National Strategic Studies. In addition to his research portfolio in strategy and military innovation, he has taught at the National War College. He earned his PhD in war studies from King's College, London.
This work is going to become a classic of use to any of those who are interested in improving the performance of America's military institutions in war. Frank Hoffman has written an outstanding examination of the problems and issues involved in innovation and adaptation. His case studies come from all four of the U.S. services and provide wonderful insights into the actual difficulties that war presents to learning organizations. --Williamson Murray, professor emeritus at The Ohio State University In this original and important study, Frank Hoffman shows how a military's ability to adapt under fire is shaped by organisational capacities to learn lessons in war. With fascinating case studies of the U.S. armed services in World War II, Korea, Vietnam, and Iraq, this is an essential read for students of military innovation. --Theo Farrell, professor and deputy vice-chancellor, University of Wollongong and former head of the Department of War Studies, King's College London