Dan Caldwell is Distinguished Professor of Political Science at Pepperdine University. Previously, he held positions at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California, Brown University, and the Executive Office of the President in Washington, D.C. His books include American-Soviet Relations, The Dynamics of Domestic Politics of Arms Control, World Politics and You, and Seeking Security in an Insecure World. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and Chair of the Council's Academic Outreach Initiative.

"Caldwell provides a detailed account of how September 11th transformed the orientation of the Bush administration and of President Bush's sense of mission to go after terrorists in general with a 'global war on terror' and the Bush Doctrine which abandoned the policies of deterrence and containment for offensive actions against terrorist groups like al Qaeda and state supporters with preventive war if necessary."—Thomas Maddux, H-Diplo "As we approach the tenth anniversary of the September 11th attacks, a holistic understanding of the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan is long overdue. Dan Caldwell provides a reasoned analysis of the national security struggles we face as a nation, and what to do about them. Highly recommended."—John Nagl, President of the Center for a New American Security and author of Learning to Eat Soup with a Knife "A harbinger of a second wave of books on the Iraq war, thorough in its research, well grounded historically, insightful in its analysis; approached with an admirable mix of personal conviction and professional scholarship, making a valuable contribution to our understanding of this seminal event and its lessons for American foreign policy."—Bruce W. Jentleson, Duke University "Vortex of Conflict analyzes US policy in three conflict-torn countries. In one volume, Caldwell creates a book perfect for the area expert who wants to understand war, or the security specialist who needs to learn the socio-political context of today's conflicts. The bibliography and chronology alone are worth the price of the book. Great work from a first-rank scholar!"—Joseph J. Collins, Professor of National Security Strategy, the National War College "Dan Caldwell writes in his customary, clear and concise style—easily read by scholars, students, and a wide general readership. The book is historically well grounded, providing the reader with necessary background for understanding the 'vortex of conflict' that continues to engage U.S. policymakers."—Paul Viotti, Executive Director, Institute on Globalization & Security, University of Denver "Vortex of Conflict is a penetrating account of how the U.S. enmeshed itself in concurrent conflicts in Iraq, Afghanistan, and—covertly at least—Pakistan. Caldwell deftly explains the events, strategic choices, and unanticipated consequences that led Washington to undertake military and political commitments of unprecedented proportions in the greater Middle East."—Timothy Crawford, Political Science Department, Boston College

Dan Caldwell is Distinguished Professor of Political Science at Pepperdine University. Previously, he held positions at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California, Brown University, and the Executive Office of the President in Washington, D.C. His books include American-Soviet Relations, The Dynamics of Domestic Politics of Arms Control, World Politics and You, and Seeking Security in an Insecure World. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and Chair of the Council's Academic Outreach Initiative.

"Caldwell provides a detailed account of how September 11th transformed the orientation of the Bush administration and of President Bush's sense of mission to go after terrorists in general with a 'global war on terror' and the Bush Doctrine which abandoned the policies of deterrence and containment for offensive actions against terrorist groups like al Qaeda and state supporters with preventive war if necessary."—Thomas Maddux, H-Diplo "As we approach the tenth anniversary of the September 11th attacks, a holistic understanding of the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan is long overdue. Dan Caldwell provides a reasoned analysis of the national security struggles we face as a nation, and what to do about them. Highly recommended."—John Nagl, President of the Center for a New American Security and author of Learning to Eat Soup with a Knife "A harbinger of a second wave of books on the Iraq war, thorough in its research, well grounded historically, insightful in its analysis; approached with an admirable mix of personal conviction and professional scholarship, making a valuable contribution to our understanding of this seminal event and its lessons for American foreign policy."—Bruce W. Jentleson, Duke University "Vortex of Conflict analyzes US policy in three conflict-torn countries. In one volume, Caldwell creates a book perfect for the area expert who wants to understand war, or the security specialist who needs to learn the socio-political context of today's conflicts. The bibliography and chronology alone are worth the price of the book. Great work from a first-rank scholar!"—Joseph J. Collins, Professor of National Security Strategy, the National War College "Dan Caldwell writes in his customary, clear and concise style—easily read by scholars, students, and a wide general readership. The book is historically well grounded, providing the reader with necessary background for understanding the 'vortex of conflict' that continues to engage U.S. policymakers."—Paul Viotti, Executive Director, Institute on Globalization & Security, University of Denver "Vortex of Conflict is a penetrating account of how the U.S. enmeshed itself in concurrent conflicts in Iraq, Afghanistan, and—covertly at least—Pakistan. Caldwell deftly explains the events, strategic choices, and unanticipated consequences that led Washington to undertake military and political commitments of unprecedented proportions in the greater Middle East."—Timothy Crawford, Political Science Department, Boston College