Examines the nation's pluralistic military institutions in both peace and war, the tangled civil-military relations that created the country's commitment to civilian control of the military, the Armed Forces' increasing nationalization and professionalization, and America's growing reliance on sophisticated technologies spawned by the Industrial Revolution and the Computer and Information Ages. This edition is also a timely reminder that vigilance is indeed the price of liberty but that vigilance has always been -- and continues to be -- a costly, complex, and contentious undertaking in a world that continually tests America's willingness and ability to provide for the common defense.

Subtitle from container. Compact discs.