Insurgents author Fred Kaplan at the Library | Arts & Culture

From Paul Burns, Louisville Free Public Library

LOUISVILLE (January 15, 2013) – Fred Kaplan, “War Stories” columnist for Slate magazine and author of The Insurgents: David Petraeus and the Plot to Change the American Way of War, will speak at the Main Library on Thursday, January 31 as part of the Authors at the Library series.
 
In his latest book, The Insurgents, Kaplan tells the story of the small group of “soldier-scholars,” led by General David Petraeus, who sought to change how the American military waged war. Based on extensive research and interviews with more than 100 individuals, including Petraeus, The Insurgents offers an inside look at how Petraeus and his colleagues waged their own insurgency to overhaul the culture of the U.S. military.
Kaplan describes how these men and women maneuvered their ideas through the bureaucracy, ultimately making them official policy. And while this is a story of power, politics, ideas, and personalities, it is also a cautionary tale about how smart strategists can win the battles at home but not the wars abroad.  Petraeus and his fellow commanders made the U.S. military more adaptable to the conflicts of the modern era, but they also created the tools—and made it more tempting—for political leaders to wage wars they might otherwise have avoided.
A veteran of military journalism, Kaplan is also the author of The Wizards of Armageddon, Daydream Believers, and 1959: The Year Everything Changed. Prior to joining Slate, he spent 20 years reporting for the Boston Globe.
 
Join author Fred Kaplan at the Main Library on Thursday, January 31 at 7:00 p.m. for a discussion of his new book. The event is free, but tickets are required; visit LFPL.org or call 574-1644 to order.