This book describes a serious look at defending the planet in the event of an extra-terrestrial invasion. Travis Taylor, et al, have written the definitive book on the defense of earth against a potential alien incursion. Whatever your beliefs on the subject, and despite many of my own popular novels I am agnostic at best, the book also serves as an important primer on the potential future of warfare on every level. It is tightly grounded in current day realities of war and extrapolates thoughtfully but closely about future potentials. It should be on the reading list of anyone who is serious about national security and the future of war.

2007-06-30 Poorly Edited, Very Disappointed

I was really looking forward to reading this book as it sounded like such an interesting topic. I'm afraid I came away very disappointed.

I'd expected a book on planetary defence to be written from a global perspective but it has a parochial, right wing, American viewpoint. The authors make little effort to persuade, assuming that the reader will already share their political views.

The authors claim that it took years of research yet it is filled with statements of the obvious, has many typographical errors and contains repetition from earlier in the book. The style varies greatly, sometimes becoming very folksy and at other times seeming academic.

Some of the material is irrelevant to the topic at hand. Among other things I found the section where one of the authors gleefully recounts his childhood disagreement with Dr Carl Sagan over SDI and calls him a 'jerk' to be self-indulgent, and somewhat distasteful.

There is no editor listed for the book. I suggest the authors would do well to contact one and discuss a second edition.