Bleached Bones Available in Paperback, Early Reviews

Bleached Bones and Wicked Serpents: Ancient Warfare in the Book of Mormon is now available in paperback. (You can click the Kindle version to see the cover art.) There are not any reviews posted on Amazon, but this is what others are saying about the book, my research, and contributions I've made elsewhere that are a part of this book:

 “…an absolute must for anyone studying the Book of Mormon... [ties] wide ranging examples from the ancient world in remarkable efficiency. Deane's personal experience also gives a strong eye to military aspects so often neglected... This is a book that will be talked about for years to come by any serious student of the Book of Mormon...” David West, award winning author of Heroes of the Fallen

“Deane is an excellent scholar with fresh ideas and is always worth reading.” Matthew Roper, research associate at the Laura F. Willes Center for Book of Mormon Studies

“A valuable contribution…” Brant Gardner, author of Second Witness: An Analytical and Textual Commentary on the Book of Mormon

“With a sigh of relief, one might say balance is restored to discourse on application of military lessons in the Book of Mormon to current conflicts. His work draws interesting, scholastically grounded parallels, placing [the war] narrative [and even] seldom plumbed verses on a…true to life description.” Kristopher Swenson

“[Deane helps provide] a fitting springboard for robust and lively debates.” Robert Wood, Chester M. Nimitz Chair Emeritus, U.S. Naval War College.

“Good insights…both engaging and provocative.” Harlow Clark, Association of Mormon Letters

If you haven't already, make sure to get your copy today! If you already have a copy, feel free to add your comments below! I'll be sure to add them to the master list I keep; and who knows, they might be included on the back page of future editions!  (Unfortunately I found several glaring typos, in particular I mangled the dates of the fall of Rome with the Battle of Adrianople. I know that most of you won't notice, but to me, mistakes such as those glow like a neon sign. So I want a second edition to fix those typos.)  Typos aside I'm still very happy with the book, and I would love to hear what you think! 

The Undissected War

I just finished another draft of a chapter for my second book. (By the way, my first book is now available in paperback as well.)  The new chapter is based on the abstract linked to below, though I've made significant modifications that I think enhanced the chapter.  I found this as I was researching which went very well with the ideas that inspired my chapter. In fact, it is rather nice to know that I noticed the same principles described by one of the best modern strategists.  (The author's book on Roman strategy  still dominates the field.) It tends to give me even more confidence that my second book will be even better than the first.

Here is from page twenty of Edward Luttwack's Strategy:

...critical faculties are certainly more likely to be sharpened by failure; and if remedies are offered to improve performance, they are less likely to be resisted by inert conservatism because the hierarchical defenders of the status quo, will have been undermined by defeat...With victory, all of the army’s habits, procedures, structural arrangements, tactics, and methods, will indiscriminately be confirmed as valid or even brilliant-including those that were positively harmful, but with all of their harm concealed by undissected experience of success...

Here is the last paragraph of my abstract that inspired the chapter: 

Battlefield losses often inspire great soul searching and political, military, and cultural reform, while winning a war brings a whole new set of problems.  From Rome to Britain, to American policy after World War II, the burden of hegemonic leadership is often assumed vigorously after outstanding military victory, but often unravels from within due to the demands of money and men and a slow decay of society’s ability, and desire, to furnish them.