Here are three new or soon to be released titles with an academic bent from University Presses:
WITH US AND AGAINST US (Columbia UP;
May 22) by Stephen Tankel is subtitled “How America's Partners Help and Hinder
the War on Terror” and Tankel provides a rigorous and nuanced analysis in this
addition to the Columbia Studies in Terrorism and Irregular Warfare series. An
assistant professor at American University, Tankel argues that many states are
as much a part of the problem as they are part of the solution. He uses
numerous examples including chapters on Algeria, Egypt, Mali, Pakistan, Saudi
Arabia and Yemen to illustrate his points and the complexity of these alliances.
Tankel includes extensive notes and references. Overall, WITH US AND
AGAINST US is probably a bit too lengthy and scholarly for most of our high
school students, but others interested in the field will definitely find it to
be valuable. In particular, the last
chapter (“Making the Most of Cooperation”), probes differences in attitudes and
policies between the Bush, Obama and Trump administrations and their impact on
America’s ability to encourage a local face versus military force in sustaining
counterterrorism activities. Tankel consults through the Center for a New
American Security (CNAS)
and will be speaking later this year about his new book at the University of Maryland’s START (National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and
Responses to Terrorism). 
PIGSKIN NATION (U of Illinois P; April
11) by Jesse Berrett focuses on the interplay between football and politics primarily
during the mid-1960s to mid-1970s; as such, it will appeal mainly to political junkies and some sports fans. However,
it is still a fascinating look at the influence that the NFL, with increasing
emphasis on televised games, merchandising, and celebrity players, has had on
politics and American culture in general.
Berrett, a historian and teacher, points
to the NFL’s associations “with patriotism, the military in Vietnam, even the Bicentennial.”
He examines the influence of Commissioner Pete Rozelle, also stresses Nixon’s reinforcing
of his own political message with comments about conservative coaches like
Vince Lombardi, and the role of players in the 1968 and 1972 Presidential
elections. Readers will even reminisce about Reagan’s “win one for the Gipper” references.
PIGSKIN NATION could definitely provide a springboard for
creative thinking by students looking to apply a similar analysis to other periods
(or sports) in American history, even as we learn more about the concussion
crisis and/or debate reactions to the playing of the National Anthem today.
SUSPECT CITIZENS (Cambridge UP, June 30)
by Frank R Baumgartner, Derek A Epp and Kelsey
Shoub deals with “What 20 Million Traffic Stops Tell Us About Policing and Race,”
another high interest topic for many of our students. This text concludes: “First,
there are stark differences [in how police interact with the public]; Second,
young men of color are clearly targeted for more aggressive treatment. Third, these
differences are not fully justified by differences in criminality. Fourth, the aggressive use of traffic stops …
is surprisingly inefficient, rarely leading to arrest for contraband.” Baumgartner is a professor at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill and has written previous books about social justice issues like the death penalty. Epp is an assistant professor at the University of Texas, Austin and Kelsey Shoub is a graduate student at UNC. In SUSPECT CITIZENS, they use data from traffic stop in the state of North Carolina from 2002 to 2016 to both document racial bias and to support suggestions for improved community relations, believing that public safety is enhanced when trust is restored. Their analysis is supported with statistical modeling and roughly 75 figures and tables, plus an extensive set of references and notes. Hopefully, other jurisdictions are able to use build on this work.
