In his classic book On War, Carl von Clausewitz famously wrote: "War is the realm of uncertainty; three quarters of the factors on which action is based are wrapped in a fog of greater or lesser uncertainty." Ever since, "the fog of war" has been a standard concept in military theory. But now, says Admiral William A. Owens, the time has come to lift that fog with technology currently in development. Such technology may soon "revolutionize the way we conduct military operations," writes the author, who is the former vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (America"s second-highest-ranking officer) and now heads Teledesic. "In a future conflict," says Owens, "an Army corps commander in his field headquarters will have instant access to a live, three-dimensional image of the entire battlefield displayed on a computer screen, an image generated by a network of sensors, unmanned aerial vehicles, reconnaissance aircraft, and special operations soldiers on the ground. The commander will know the precise location and activity of enemy units--even those attempting to cloak their movements by operating at night, in poor weather, or hiding behind mountains or under trees." Yet Lifting the Fog of War is not merely high-tech happy talk. Owens is deeply concerned about U.S. military readiness: "The military as we know it is in trouble," he writes. "The impending collapse of our military capability in the oncoming "defense train wreck" must occupy center stage in the 2000 presidential election." This book is at once an engaging review of recent military history, a gripping vision of what may come, and a compelling call to arms. --John J. Miller