Bing West is a Marine combat veteran, historian, and former Assistant Secretary of Defense. He fought with infantry units in Vietnam and later served as an advisor to American forces in Iraq and Afghanistan. West's books on those wars-including The Village, No True Glory, and The Wrong War-are taught at military academies and praised for their realism and insight. A graduate of Georgetown and Princeton, he has served in the Pentagon and the White House.

In Cat 5: The 2033 War, West draws on six decades of experience in battle and government to warn how America's debt, division, and complacency are eroding its power. He lives in Rhode Island with his wife, Betsy, and continues to write about national security and leadership in times of crisis.