American Biodefense

Frank L. Smith III addresses the puzzling and largely untold story about why the U.S. military has neglected research, development, acquisition, and doctrine for biodefense.

Frank L. Smith III is a Lecturer with the Centre for International Security Studies in the Department of Government and International Relations at the University of Sydney.

Frank L. Smith III... draws upon his many years of experience, research and expertise to present a seminal work of national importance....A highly recommended study that is also suitable for non-specialist general readers concerned with bioterrorism issues and American national security.

Dr. Ron Smith:

[Smith] asks rhetorically, will the US military neglect the threat of cyber weapons, as it neglected for so long the threat of biological weapons? It is a good question, especially since the new director of the US National Security Agency has specifically drawn attention to the fact that there are a number of contemporary states that have the capability to completely shut down the infrastructure of the United States. It is the virtue of books like this that they make us think about these things.

Gregory D. Koblentz, George Mason University, author of Living Weapons: Biological Warfare and International Security:

In the well-written and accessible American Biodefense, Frank L. Smith III makes a useful contribution to the literature on military innovation, as well as the literature on biodefense. Smith's book is unique in addressing a failed innovation in contrast to the rest of the literature, which focuses on successful innovations.