The Pentomic Army: The US Army and the Nuclear Battlefield of the 1950s–60s (Europe@War)($29.95Value)

Description

Explores how a radical 1950s-60s reorganization aimed to fight in a nuclear battlefield through dispersed mobile units, technical weapons, and recruitment challenges. In The Pentomic Army, Robert F. Williams explores the U.S. Army's radical 1956–1962 Pentomic transition, a desperate bid for relevance on the nuclear battlefield. Driven by Eisenhower's "New Look" strategy and intense inter-service rivalry for dwindling resources, the Army sought to transform and operate effectively in a future defined by atomic warfare. This book delves into the doctrinal changes that envisioned a dispersed, non-linear battlefield with small, mobile units capable of delivering immense firepower. It details the ambitious pursuit of highly technical weaponry, including nuclear-capable surface-to-surface missiles and the versatile application of helicopters. Williams also examines the significant challenges in recruiting and retaining technically proficient personnel for this new, complex force, often struggling against public perception and inter-service competition. While skillfully managing its public image as a modern and forward-thinking force, the Pentomic structure ultimately failed as a viable combat organization. Its shortcomings stemmed from impractical doctrine, technological gaps, and logistical complexities, leading to its eventual abandonment. This book reveals how this pivotal, though ill-fated, experiment profoundly shaped the U.S. Army's institutional culture and enduring approach to modern warfare. The Pentomic Army: The U.S. Army and the Nuclear Battlefield in the 1950s-60s is illustrated throughout with original photographs and the @War series’ signature colour artworks. Robert F. Williams is a historian with the US Army at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. A former airborne infantry non-commissioned officer, with tours in both Iraq and Afghanistan, he earned a Ph.D. from Ohio State University in 2023. His work on has appeared in the Journal of Military History, Military Review, Parameters, War on the Rocks, the Modern War Institute, and Stars and Stripes. He is a historian of land warfare, with a particular interest in the organizational culture of the U.S. Army. His first book, The Airborne Mafia: The Paratroopers Who Shaped America’s Cold War Army, was published in 2025.