“Recommended Without Reservation”: Australian Army Journal Praises Dr. Russ Glenn’s Brutal Catalyst
KeyPoint Press is thrilled to announce a major review for Dr. Russ Glenn’s Brutal Catalyst: What Ukraine's Cities Tell Us About Recovery From War. The book, which provides a deep dive into the unavoidable challenges of post-conflict urban recovery, was reviewed in the latest edition of the prestigious Australian Army Journal.
Reviewed by Dr. Albert Palazzo, the book is called an essential contribution to military planning and readiness, particularly in understanding the urban environment. Dr. Palazzo notes that while “Urban operations are the type of battle that the military like to avoid but inevitably have to fight,” Dr. Glenn’s work forces readers to confront the necessary next step: recovery.
The review highlights the book’s timely focus on the information domain and civil-military planning:
“Glenn also makes it clear that perception is critical because, in the internet age, the world will be watching and no force wants to win the tactical battle only to lose the strategic one.”
The reviewer also recommends that military organizations, like the Australian Army, should internalize the book’s lessons on preparation:
“The Australian Army might consider expanding its civil-military cooperation capability so that anticipatory planning, before a crisis hits, becomes a part of its standard planning process.”
Ultimately, the verdict is definitive: Dr. Palazzo recommends Brutal Catalyst “without reservation or hesitation,” calling it a work that will help the military “underpin its readiness for the wars to come.”
This is a must-read for anyone seeking to understand the full lifecycle of war in the 21st century.
Full Journal Citation: Reviewed by Albert Palazzo, Australian Army Journal, Volume XXI, Number 3, 2025.
Read the Australian Army Journal: Australian Army Research Centre
Purchase Brutal Catalyst today: Order "Brutal Catalyst: What Ukraine's Cities Tell Us About Recovery From War" on Amazon
