rapidfire In Review
Guerrilla Leader: T.E. Law- rence and the Arab Revolt. By James L. Schneider. Bantam Books, 2011. $28. ISBN 978-0- 553-80764-6.
M Standing Ovation
James Schnei- der’s remark- ably lucid biography of T.E.
any wounded warriors likely will spend the rest of their lives in a wheelchair because of spinal cord injuries. A new ready-to-wear, bat-
tery-powered exoskeleton called Ekso might help some paraplegics stand and walk again. Developed by Ekso Bionics in Berkeley, Calif., the lat-
est generation of Ekso employs sensors in its crutches to communicate with a backpack computer. By using specifi c hand gestures while holding the crutches, a wearer can move the device forward or backward, ex- plains Karl Gudmundsson, Ekso Bionic’s vice president of marketing. Ten of the nation’s top rehabilitation facilities have conducted investigational studies into Ekso and are be- ginning to use the device, with promising results. Ekso is expected to be available for daily personal use in 2013. Ekso is designed for individuals between 5 feet 6 inch- es and 6 feet 2 inches in height and weighing up to 220 pounds. Certain other criteria also must be met, includ- ing good upper-body strength, adequate standing toler- ance, and no blood clots in the lower extremities, says Dr. Donald Peck Leslie, medical director of the Shepherd Center in Atlanta. The device also is limited in what it can do. For ex-
ample, it currently cannot traverse steps. Nonetheless, for the right patients Ekso could be a life
changer. “For paraplegics to be able to stand and take steps under their own power is an amazing goal,” says Leslie. — Don Vaughan
Lawrence (1888-1935), or “Lawrence of Arabia,” is a masterpiece of military history, vividly describing the most colorful and ef- fective leader of irregular Arab forces against the Turks in the Middle East during World War I. Schneider dramatically describes Lawrence’s role as the chief architect and leader of the Arab Revolt, uniting disparate tribes into a cohesive and feared army and developing solid theories of unconventional warfare studied decades later by none other than North Vietnam’s General Vo Nguyen Giap.
Schneider highlights
Lawrence’s understand- ing and use of intelligence, logistics, and tactical plan- ning and his appreciation of terrain, weather, and mo- rale, as well as his grasp of the importance of complete regard for Arab culture and tradition. He also reveals Lawrence’s correct suspi-
*online: To see the Ekso exoskeleton in action, visit
http://bit.ly/y1hDGX. 24 MILITARY OFFICER JUNE 2012
cions of British and French motives in Arabia and his bold leadership in raids, ambushes, and sabotage.
Lines of Fire: A Renegade Writes on Strategy, Intel- ligence, and Security. By Ralph Peters. Stackpole Books, 2011. $29.95. ISBN 978-0- 8117-0588-2.
Former career sol- dier Ralph Peters off ers 35 essays on the nature
of war today and the shape of future national security issues and military opera- tions in this “alert message from a very dark place.” He identifi es the 21st century as the age of war- lords where intractable enemies only can be over- come by violence; where civil wars, insurrections, terrorism, and abject law- lessness replace classic war; and where wishful thinking, compromise, and yielding platitudes will never bring peace. Peters carefully argues
against the Western notions that technology can defeat suicide bombers and that pirates and mass murderers have rights to be protected. He concludes the West is “unprepared for the ab- solute mercilessness” of today’s enemies. — William D. Bushnell
PHOTO: EKSO BIONICS
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88