As the summer holidays approach, the post presents some of the books, articles and other writings that have inspired members of the AARC over the last year.

The role of the military in domestic operations is one of the most vexing issues in a democracy, made complex by a lack of historical work. This occasional paper offers the first definitive history of all instances of call outs in Australia since 1901, in order to provide a left and right of arc for contemporary policy and operational thresholds.

Benjamin Armstrong's book considers the continued relevance of the early 20th century influential American maritime strategist Rear Admiral Alfred Mahan. Reviewing the book, Jennifer Parker finds that Armstrong’s commentary is especially timely as the ADF seeks to balance long-term strategic capability investments with the need for more immediate operational readiness.

Kevin Holzimmer's book on General Walter Krueger adds to a growing body of work that re-examines the role of the United States Army in the Southwest Pacific Area during the Second World War. Reviewer Dayton McCarthy highly recommends the book as giving the Australian reader a wider perspective than the well-known touchpoints of Buna, Lae/Finschafen and Borneo.

In a talk hosted by 2(AS) Division and streamed by The Cove on Tuesday 26 November, Major General David Thomae, AM will reflect upon his Command of the 2nd (Australian) Division and of Joint Task Force 629.

Roger Lee reviews Tony Cowan's new book on the German Army during World War I and identifies lessons for commanders that are as relevant now as they were during the Great War.

Small Uncrewed Aerial Systems (sUAS) are widely available, militarily effective and challenging to defeat. In a talk hosted by 2(AS) Division and streamed by The Cove at 16.30-17.30 [AEST] Tuesday 29 October, Dr. Carl Rhodes will discuss the implications for the Australian Army of the wide-spread use of small uncrewed air systems by combatants in current and recent battlefields.

Reviewer Chris Roberts rates James W Holsinger's book about Lieutenant General Geoffrey Keyes as being most useful for historians of the World War Two Mediterranean Theatre of Operations and postwar Austria. Keyes saw active service in Sicily, Italy, postwar Germany and postwar Austria. The book's title draws from the fact that Keyes was also General Patton's deputy commander during the Africa Campaign.

Wars of Revelation has much to offer, especially for those at the higher levels of the profession of arms and those in areas such as Military Strategic Commitments who engage in policymaking at the strategic level.

The Australian Army Research Centre (AARC) invites submissions for the third edition of the Australian Army Journal (AAJ) for 2025. The theme for this edition will be ‘The Australian Army Contribution to the Profession of Arms – The Past, Present, and Future’. Submissions for 2025 Volume XXI, Number 3 are due by end of day Monday, 24 March 2025.

McLeod Wood reviews Paul Dickson's book 'The Rise of the GI Army 1940-41'. In his view, it offers valuable insights into the period prior to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour. For those with an interest in understanding how the US prepared for entry into World War Two, this is a well researched and written book.

Authors Gregory MacCallion and Courtney Stewart consider how the ADF should approach deterrence and examine land power's contribution to integrated force effects. This Land Power Forum Post summarises the author's longer article that appears in Australian Army Journal Volume 20 Number 2.

Marking 50 years since the withdrawal of US combat forces from Vietnam in 1973, this book is an edited collection of 12 historical essay on the US Navy and US Marine Corps. Reviewer Blair Tidey recommends it as a good introduction to the topic of riverine and coastal conflict for Australian readers interested in Army's emerging capabilities in this area.

We are introducing a Land Power Forum series entitled the Land Power Library, published on a fortnightly continuing basis. We invite Defence members, public servants and academics, and others with an interest in Army capability to provide book reviews to include in the series.

In a talk hosted by 2(AS) Division and streamed by The Cove on Tuesday 24 September, Professor Anne-Marie Brady will discuss implications for the Australian Army of the PRC’s use of ‘magic weapons’. This is a term used by China's President Xi Jinping to describe the threats and politically influence activities used by the CCP to give effect to its global political objectives.

In a talk hosted by 2(AS) Division and streamed by The Cove on Tuesday 27 August, Professor Peter Dean will discuss implications for the Australian Army from the DSR, NDS and IIP. In doing so this discussion will support our understanding of Army’s role in defence of the nation, a role with significant importance for 2(AS) Division, the Army and the ADF as a whole.

In his newly released Occasional Paper, Cr Carl Rhodes considers lessons learned from the use of uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) in the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Recognising that the military utility of UAS has rapidly emerged over the last decade, he analyses why the Australian Army and ADF more broadly need to immediately equip and prepare to face this threat across the spectrum of conflict.

Author Richard Bushby compares WW2 Allied amphibious operations in the European and Mediterranean theatres with those conducted in the central Pacific theatre. The article further examines the relationship between amphibious techniques and broader concepts of strategy and operational art.

This Land Power Forum post by Oleksandra Molloy is part of a larger project - the first evidence-based research on the lessons learnt from the use of drones in the war in Ukraine – drawing on both Ukrainian and Australian expertise. The post summarises highlights from the research – lessons from the use of drones in the Russia-Ukraine War.

Opportunities to enhance collaboration between Australia and India exist in the realm of defence trade and technology transfer. Pradeep Mehta and Anil Wadhwa of the Consumer Unity and Trust Society explain why.