For centuries, all sorts of political movements have claimed the Hebrew Bible as their guide. But as Michael Walzer argues in his new book, the Bible offers no consistent political program. Better to read it, suggests the United Kingdom’s chief rabbi, as a text on how to run a society.

Thomas Ricks' new book identifies an urgent challenge facing the U.S. armed forces: how to produce good generals. But Ricks' solution -- regularly firing underperforming officers -- is based on flawed historical analysis and would do more harm than good.

Today, the War of 1812 is all but forgotten. But as two recent books show, its legacies -- helping professionalize the U.S. military, planting the seeds of manifest destiny, and laying the groundwork for a long-standing Anglo-American alliance -- endure today.