A critique of American military leadership, arguing that the Pentagon's devotion to developing high-tech weapons systems has left the troops ill-prepared to fight the types of wars going on in places like Bosnia and Saudi Arabia, as evidenced by the fact that soldiers in the Gulf War were wearing Vietnam issue boots and carrying dangerously outmoded equipment.

Includes index.

Prologue -- Goats and gunfighters: the Gulf, 1990 -- Snow job in the desert: the Gulf, 1991 -- Junkyard dogs: the Balkans, 1992 -- God's work in hell: Somalia, 1992-1993 -- Bad hombres, good joss: Vietnam, 1993 -- "Unfortunate casualties": Somalia, 1993 -- Flimflam war: Korea, 1994 -- Great white god: Haiti, 1994 -- "King of Bosnia": the Balkans, 1996 -- Desolation gulch: the Balkans, 1996 -- Admiral Boorda: Washington, 1996 -- It's the system, stupid: Washington, 1996 -- Change -- or belly up: Whitefish, 1996 -- Glossary.