White House Warriors: How the National Security Council Transformed the American Way of War

When Congress originally created the National Security Council in 1947, it was intended to better coordinate foreign policy after World War II. Nearly an afterthought, a small administrative staff was established to help keep its papers moving. President Kennedy was, as John Gans documents, the first to make what became known as the NSC staff his own, selectively hiring bright young aides to do his bidding.



Despite Kennedy's death and the tragic outcome of some of his decisions, the NSC staf...