The Bradley and How It Got That Way: Technology, Institutions, and the Problem of Mechanized Infantry in the United States Army

(Hardback)

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The mechanized infantry is one of the least-studied components of the U.S. Army's combat arms, and its most visable piece of equipment, the Bradley Fighting Vehicle, is one of the military's most controversial pieces of equipment. This study traces the idea of mechanized infantry from its roots in the early armored operations of World War I, through its fruition in World War II, to its drastic transformation in response to the threat of a nuclear, biological, and chemical battlefield. The U.S. Army's doctrinal migration from the idea of specialized armored infantry to that of more generalized mechanized infantry led to problematic consequences in training and equipping the force. Haworth explores the origins, conduct, and outcome of the Bradley controversy, along with its implications for Army institutional cultures, force designs, and doctrines. Challenging traditional partisan views of the Bradley program, Haworth goes to the roots of the issue. The author details the mechanized infantry's problematic status in the Army's traditional division of roles and missions between its Infantry and Armored branches. While new conditions demand new equipment, old institutions and current commitments inevitably complicate matters; thus, traditional infantry considerations have driven the Bradley's requirements. The raw capability of the vehicle and the fortitude and ingenuity of its users have to some extent compensated for the conflicting pressures in its design. However, the reluctance of the Army to see mechanized infantry as a specialty has led to the problem the vehicle has faced, as this book clearly shows.

Reviews

The Bradley and How it Got That Way offers well-documented, balanced coverage of how the US Army struggled with the concept of a mechanized infantry, the doctrinal debates on its employment and the nature of its equipment. The book's thoroughness is an asset.-Military Review
The Bradley and How It Got That Way is a compelling story told in a concise and crisp manner, linking the development of a weapons system with the doctrinal struggles of its users, the infantry and armored cavalry. The author does an admirable job....to tell a complex story that clearly identifies "standardization greed" as a systemic problem in the American military-industrial complex. He not only provides a credible synthesis of weapons procurement and doctrinal development, but speaks to a topic that has been sadly neglected in the historical literature, the motorization and mechnization of the infantry. This book marks a fine beginning to a field that deserves more attention and concern by the military history community.-The Journal of Military History
The Bradley and How It Got That Way is useful not only as military history, but also as a superb case study in the organizational and policy difficulties of a major government institution adjusting to technological change.-Forum
"The Bradley and How it Got That Way offers well-documented, balanced coverage of how the US Army struggled with the concept of a mechanized infantry, the doctrinal debates on its employment and the nature of its equipment. The book's thoroughness is an asset."-Military Review
"The Bradley and How It Got That Way is useful not only as military history, but also as a superb case study in the organizational and policy difficulties of a major government institution adjusting to technological change."-Forum
"The Bradley and How It Got That Way is a compelling story told in a concise and crisp manner, linking the development of a weapons system with the doctrinal struggles of its users, the infantry and armored cavalry. The author does an admirable job....to tell a complex story that clearly identifies "standardization greed" as a systemic problem in the American military-industrial complex. He not only provides a credible synthesis of weapons procurement and doctrinal development, but speaks to a topic that has been sadly neglected in the historical literature, the motorization and mechnization of the infantry. This book marks a fine beginning to a field that deserves more attention and concern by the military history community."-The Journal of Military History

Author Bio

W. BLAIR HAWORTH, JR. is a contracting historian and defense analyst specializing in military history and the history of technology./e He has previously participated in projects for the U.S. Congress's Office of Technology Assessment, the U.S. Department of Defense Cold War Project, and the American Maritime History Project, among others.