A detailed analysis of the Bush administrations use of torture after 9/11, demonstrating the importance of US public policy.
"Pfiffner is a decorated Vietnam veteran whose clear and detailed writing offers an excellent case against the use of torture in prisoner interrogation in the 'war on terror.' Highly recommended for all readers interested in current global affairs, history, or the military."
-Library Journal
"This important new book is extremely well-documented. It presents the case that torture was official U.S. policy, not the result of a few bad apples. It invokes the doctrine of command responsibility and makes a compelling case that Bush and many of those who worked for him actively initiated the policies that led to the torture of prisoners. This is strong stuff."
-S.G. Mestrovic, author of The Trials of Abu Ghraib and expert witness at the Abu Ghraib courts martial
"Jim Pfiffner is a decorated soldier and dedicated scholar, who combines knowledge about the chain of command with understanding of Pentagon and Department of Justice policymaking. His discussions of command responsibility and the ethical issues involved in torture make this book the last best word on this shameful chapter in our nation's history."
-Richard M. Pious, Barnard College, author of Why Presidents Fail (2008)
"In this engrossing and superbly detailed account, Professor Pfiffner guides us through a sinister and disturbing sequence of events, orchestrated at the highest level of ou government, by which brutality became a sanctioned tool of American policy. Torture as Public Policy is an important step in helping us understand what went wrong-a prerequisite to putting the United States back on course toward the moral high ground."
-Michael Archer, author of A Patch of Ground: Khe Sanh Remembered and Shadow Governor: The Life and Times of Nevada's William J. Raggio (2010)
"Thorough, insightful, combines passion and analysis in the best traditions of scholarly political science and public intellectual discourse; an important contribution even in a croded field."
-Bruce W. Jentleson, Duke University
