Greenhill, 2001, £ 20, ISBN 1-85367-471-0, 272 pgs., hardback

Dr. Alfred Price wrote a three-volume history of US electronic warfare (about 1200 pages) from WWII to the present. This book is a condensed version of Volume III and what a marvelous introduction to EW it is. Concise, informative, and often with gripping prose, War in the Fourth Dimension belongs on every military buff’s shelf.

Yes, it’s that good. If you want to know how we dominated the skies over Kosovo, Iraq, and now Afghanistan, read this book. If you want to know what went wrong during the Vietnam Air War, this book will explain the ins and outs of SAM missile operations. If you want an understanding of the cat and mouse operations of electronic warfare specialists, Dr. Price will open your eyes.

And considering the explosion of acronyms in modern air war, the book is exceptionally readable. The Gulf War chapter is one of the most succinct and understandable accounts of EW theory-and-practice I’ve ever read. Dr. Price applies considerable talent in making techno babble coherent.

The book is peppered with anecdotes and descriptions to give substance to EW theory. Obviously, it is a very optimistic story, and he only touches on recent failures and ignores others--for example, the bombing of the Chinese embassy in Serbia. Presumably this is covered in the longer volume. But let me assure you, that he uses his sharp analytical skills to dissect Vietnam War EW defeats.

All in all, this is one enjoyable and informative book. Modern Warfare emanates from its EW component and Dr. Price delivers an exceptionally readable overview.