Book Log 2015 #3: La Place de la Concorde Suisse by John McPhee

Switzerland has followed a policy of neutrality for centuries, but that doesn't mean that they're pacifists. The Swiss have carefully prepared to fight, developing a citizen army and creating an infrastructure where bridges are pre-wired for detonation and mountains contain bunkers for artillery, hangars for jets, and barracks for soldiers and citizens alike. The general staff (who represent the bulk of the Swiss military professionals) are confident that they can use their training, planning, and terrain to successfully defend themselves.

On the other side is a recon battalion whose citizen soldiers are much less optimistic about their chances. They fulfill their service requirement, but when asked about an actual war have little doubt that the enemy (at the time of this writing, likely the Soviets) would be successful. It's this juxtaposition that is so well examined, the way in which the Swiss plan so meticulously but rely on semi-interested conscripts to carry out their plans.

This book was published in 1984, when the assumption was that an invasion would come from the east (be it the Soviets or other Warsaw Pact forces). It'd be interesting to see how (or if) the end of the Cold War has changed Swiss planning. Still, an informative book about an unexpected topic, which is kind of McPhee's thing.

(Popsugar Reading Challenge: A book set in a different country)