One hundred days into the second term of President George W. Bush, a clear national security agenda and policy team have emerged. While there has been some change--most notably, the elevation of Condoleezza Rice to secretary of state and primary policy pilot--there is also a great deal of continuity, particularly in the Pentagon, where Donald Rumsfeld still rules supreme.

In addition to fighting wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, the defense secretary is leading the charge on a third front--the internal fight to transform the US military. Yet two recent books by experienced war correspondents tell important stories that call parts of the transformation program into question.