West Point Press’ Cyber Defense Review and MIROR journals are on the desks of senior leaders at the Pentagon. Its law books by West Point faculty members Hitoshi Nasu and Sean Watts are in law libraries not only at the Army’s JAG school, but in civilian and international universities across the globe. Further, the Press is finalizing a number of books, including one from scholars at Georgetown (a law book that will be used by military lawyers and those supporting UN operations) and the Library of Congress (a book on the history of the Tribal Shaykh, which will be used by the State Department and military as prep for operations in the Middle East).
The Press will publish work not only by USMA’s faculty, cadets, and research centers, but also by respected scholars and thought leaders on topics of national importance from around the world whose values align with the ideals of Duty, Honor, Country. The establishment of the Press sees the Academy joining the ranks of prestigious institutions like Cambridge, Oxford, Harvard, and Yale Universities who have had presses of their own for many years. The West Point Press will dramatically extend West Point’s mission, influence, and long history of providing intellectual capital to the Army and the nation while guarding its own intellectual property. It will also meaningfully enhance the ability of faculty, staff, and cadets to develop expertise in authorship and scholarship and allow them to grapple with communicating complex issues.
The seminal works (including books, cadet and peer-review journals, conference proceedings, digital textbooks, white papers, and other publications of scholarly merit) that the Press produces will inform leaders and decisionmakers across the military, our branches of government, and in organizations around the world. With successful communication as the very first goal of USMA’s academic program, the ability to listen actively; read critically; speak effectively; and write with thoughtfulness, clarity, and purpose is critical for Army officers to accomplish missions across a spectrum of 21st century operations. The West Point Press will develop these skills in cadets, as well as foster their ability to use sound logic and relevant evidence to make convincing arguments that appeal to different audiences while using appropriate forms of media. Further, the Press will keep West Point on the cutting-edge of institutional relevance and preeminence and augment USMA’s ability to competitively attract the best cadet and faculty candidates in the country.
“I follow cyber issues closely, especially those related to military developments, but I very much count on my quarterly issue of The Cyber Defense Review. It provides me an invaluable medium-term perspective, putting current developments, most of which I was familiar with, but many that were new to me, into the larger context of persistent trends and future possibilities. The Fall 2023 issue, with its articles about cyber operations in the Russia-Ukraine War, was especially valuable, but also typical. Not only did it summarize the developments in the first stages of the war, but it put them into the context of the overall conflict and made judicious predictions about future developments. I think the Review fills a unique space in cyber publications for the military audience.”
– Admiral Dennis Blair, US Navy (retired), Former Director of National Intelligence
From its position at the intersection of both premier military academy and top-tier college, and as the world’s preeminent leader development institution, West Point is charged with facilitating the necessary interdisciplinary study of the future of warfare. The West Point Press is an essential forum in which to do just that. This critical program will meaningfully enhance the ability of faculty, staff, and cadets to deepen their expertise, explore complex problems, and leverage the independent publishing capability that only Margin of Excellence funding can offer. This initiative will help the intellectual leadership and responsibility essential to USMA’s identity to flourish and become part of a legacy that has enduring importance for generations to come.
Learn more about West Point Press at westpointpress.com.
