Angelo State University Professor Pens 5th book on Global Security

SAN ANGELO, TX – Dr. William A. Taylor, a professor of global security studies and holder of the Lee Drain Endowed University Professorship at Angelo State University, has published his fifth book, "The Advent of the All-Volunteer Force: Protecting Free Society."

Published through Routledge, a global publisher of academic books and journals in the humanities and social sciences, Taylor's new book examines the extensive influence of the All-Volunteer Force (AVF) on the past, present and future of America, demonstrating how the AVF encompasses the most significant issues of military history and defense policy.

Throughout the vast majority of its wars during the 20th century, the U.S. relied on a mixture of volunteers who chose to serve and conscripts provided through the Selective Service System, known colloquially as "the draft." When the U.S. emerged as a world superpower after World War II, policymakers also depended on the draft during peacetime. Drawing on primary source documents, Taylor's book guides readers through the transition from the draft to the AVF and analyzes its history, results, challenges and implications. Each chapter provides an overview of the issues of the time, recounts the ensuing debates and developments around them, and examines how they were manifested relative to the advent of the AVF and American society during times of peace and war.

Combining narrative with documents, "The Advent of the All-Volunteer Force" is a valuable resource for students, scholars, policymakers and general readers interested in modern American history, military history, and the dynamic linkages between policy, politics and American society. During its completion, Taylor's research project for this book won the 2021 Sharon Ritenour Stevens Prize from the Association for Documentary Editing.

"The Advent of the All-Volunteer Force" is part of Routledge's "Critical Moments in American History" series and is available in hardcover, paperback and e-book through Routledge, Amazon, Barnes & Noble and other online booksellers.

An ASU faculty member since 2011, Taylor has published four previous books:

• "George C. Marshall and the Early Cold War: Policy, Politics, and Society" (2020)
• "Contemporary Security Issues in Africa" (2019)
• "Military Service and American Democracy: From World War II to the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars" (2016) - now required reading for every first-year cadet at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point
• "Every Citizen a Soldier: The Campaign for Universal Military Training after World War II" (2014) - winner of the 2015 Crader Family Book Prize Honorable Mention

Additionally, Taylor is the editor for two book series, "Studies in Civil-Military Relations" through the University Press of Kansas, and "Studies in Marine Corps History and Amphibious Warfare" through the Naval Institute Press. He has also contributed to 24 other books and published more than 95 reference articles and book reviews. His books are housed in more than 1,900 libraries throughout the U.S. and in 55 countries around the world.

To fund his research, Taylor has won 18 national fellowships and research grants. He also won the 2022 Texas Tech University System Chancellor's Council Distinguished Teaching Award and the 2016 TTUS Chancellor's Council Distinguished Research Award.

At Angelo State, Taylor is the first faculty member to win the President's Award for Faculty Excellence in all three areas of faculty performance: Teaching (2021), Leadership/Service (2019) and Research/Creative Endeavor (2016).