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Ralph Peters

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This article is about the military officer, novelist and essayist. For the president of the Long Island Rail Road, seeRalph Peters (LIRR).

Ralph Peters
Born(1952-04-19)April 19, 1952(age 72)
Pottsville, Pennsylvania,U.S.
EducationPennsylvania State University
Alma materSt. Mary's University, Texas(MA)[1]
Occupation(s)Former U.S. Army officer, military analyst, writer
Political partyIndependent
Spouses
  • Janice Stickler (divorced)
  • Marion Ann Martin (divorced)
Katherine McIntire
​
(m.1994)​
Parent(s)Ralph Heinrich Peters
Alice Catherine (née Parfitt) Peters

Ralph Peters(born April 19, 1952) is a retiredUnited States Armylieutenant coloneland author.

In addition to his non-fiction books, he has published eight novels under the pen nameOwen Parry,includingHonor's Kingdom,which was awarded theHammett Prize.Three of his novels published as Ralph Peters received theW. Y. Boyd Literary Award for Excellence in Military Fiction.

Early life and education[edit]

Peters was born inPottsville, Pennsylvania,and grew up in nearbySchuylkill Haven.He is ofGermanandLutherandescent on his father's side, andWelshandMethodistdescent on his mother's. His father was acoal minerand businessman.

His wife, Katherine McIntire Peters, is the deputy editor ofGovernment Executive,a division ofAtlantic Media.[2]

Career[edit]

Military[edit]

Peters enlisted in theU.S. Armyin 1976 following his graduation fromPennsylvania State University.[3][4]

Peters' first assignment was in Germany. After returning from Germany, he attendedOfficer Candidate Schooland received a commission in 1980.[5][6]He served with1st Battalion, 46th Infantry Regiment,then part of the1st Armored Division.[7]

Peters spent ten years in Germany working inmilitary intelligence,and was later appointed aForeign Area Officer,where he specialized in theSoviet Union.He attended theCommand and General Staff College.His last assignment was in the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence. He retired in 1998 as a lieutenant colonel, following 22 years of military service.

Author[edit]

Peters's first novel wasBravo Romeo,aspythriller set inWest Germany,and was published in 1981. Since then, his novels progressed from futuristic scenarios involving theSoviet Armyto contemporary terrorism andfailed stateissues. His characters are often presented as militarymaverickswho have the knowledge and courage to tackle problems others cannot or will not. His novel,The War After Armageddon,was released in 2009. In 2008, he published the non-fictionLooking for Trouble: Adventures in a Broken World.He is a regular contributor to the military history magazine,Armchair GeneralMagazine,and he also serves on its Advisory Board.[8]

He has also written historical war novels. His novels about theAmerican Civil Warhave been well received and recognized with the Hammett Prize and the W.Y. Boyd Literary Award for Excellence in Military Fiction.

He has published numerous essays on strategy in military journals such asParameters,Military Review,andArmed Forces Journal,reports for theUnited States Marine Corps(seeCenter for Emerging Threats and Opportunities[permanent dead link]), formerly wrote a regular opinion column for theNew York Post,and has written essays and columns forUSA Today,The Wall Street Journal,The Washington Post,Newsweek,The Weekly Standard,The Washington MonthlyandArmymagazine. Peters is a member of the Board of Contributors forUSA Today's Forum Page, part of the newspaper's Opinion section.

Views[edit]

Iraq War[edit]

Peters strongly supported the2003 invasion of Iraqand the ensuingIraq War.In July 2017, Fox News hostTucker Carlsontold Peters: "I would hate to go back and read your columns assuring America that taking outSaddam Husseinwill make the region calmer, more peaceful, and America safer when, in fact, it has done exactly the opposite, and it has empowered Russia and Iran, the two countries you say you fear most. "[9]

Afghanistan[edit]

In February 2009, Peters called for U.S. troops to be pulled out ofAfghanistan,writing, "we've mired ourselves by attempting to modernize a society that doesn't want to be – and cannot be – transformed." He continued, "We needed to smash our enemies and leave. Had it proved necessary, we could have returned later for another punitive mission. Instead, we fell into the great American fallacy of believing ourselves responsible for helping those who've harmed us."[10]

Bowe Bergdahl[edit]

Peters expressed sympathy forPOWSergeantBowe Bergdahl's family, but speculated (Fox News,July 19, 2009) that Bergdahl might be "an apparent deserter... if he walked away from his post and his buddies in wartime – I don't care how hard it sounds – as far as I'm concerned the Taliban can save us a lot of legal hassles and legal bills." He characterized Bergdahl's description (in theTalibanproduced video) of U.S. military behavior in Afghanistan ascollaboration with the enemy,even if coerced.[11]Peters hoped Bergdahl would be reunited with his family, but argued that the US media had glorified one captured soldier who Peters claimed had shamed his unit and lied, while ignoring genuine heroes and casualties (The O'Reilly Factor,July 21).[12]

Donald Rumsfeld[edit]

In 2011, Peters criticized former Defense SecretaryDonald Rumsfeld,saying: "I am allergic to Rumsfeld. We did a great thing in Iraq, but we did it very badly. He is an extremely talented man but he has the tragic flaw of hubris. His arrogance is unbearable. My friends in uniform just hate him."[13]

Obama foreign policy[edit]

DuringStuart Varney'sFox Business Networkshow on December 7, 2015, Peters referred to PresidentBarack Obamaas a "total pussy", leading Fox News to suspend him for two weeks.[14]

Russia[edit]

In July 2017, Peters said that Russian PresidentVladimir Putin"is comparable" toAdolf Hitler."He hates America. He wants to hurt us.... Russia is evil. Russia is our enemy."[9]

Israel[edit]

Peters praised PresidentDonald Trumpfor his decision torecognize Jerusalemas Israel's capital.[15]

Fox News[edit]

In March 2018, Peters publicly quit his role as an expert commentator on Fox News. In his goodbye letter to his colleagues, he wrote:

Four decades ago, I took an oath as a newly commissioned officer. I swore to "support and defend the Constitution," and that oath did not expire when I took off my uniform. Today, I feel that Fox News is assaulting our constitutional order and the rule of law, while fostering corrosive and unjustified paranoia among viewers. Over my decade with Fox, I long was proud of the association. Now I am ashamed.[16]

In the same letter, he also called the Trump administration "ethically ruinous" and accused Fox News of "harming our system of government for profit",[17]calling the network a "propaganda machine" for the Trump administration.[18]OnAnderson Cooper 360°,Peters likened Trump's behavior tosedition.[19]

Awards[edit]

In 2013, Peters was named as the recipient of theW.Y. Boyd Literary Award for Excellence in Military Fictionfrom theAmerican Library Associationfor his novelCain at Gettysburg.[20]He received the award again in 2014 forHell or Richmond[21]and in 2016 forValley of the Shadow[22]and in 2020 forDarkness at Chancellorsville.[23]

In 2002, he received theHammett Prizefrom the International Association of Crime Writers, North American Branch (IACW/NA) forHonor's Kingdom.[24]

Bibliography[edit]

Novels[edit]

  • As Ralph Peters
    • Bravo Romeo– 1981ISBN978-0399900976
    • Red Army– 1989ISBN978-0671676681
    • The War in 2020– 1991ISBN0671676709
    • Flames of Heaven: A Novel of the End of the Soviet Union– 1993ISBN0671737384
    • The Perfect Soldier– 1995ISBN0671865838
    • Twilight of Heroes– 1997ISBN9780380788989
    • The Devil's Garden– 1998ISBN978-0811731065
    • Traitor– 1999ISBN0380976412
    • The War After Armageddon– 2009ISBN978-0765323552
    • The Officers' Club– 2011ISBN978-0765326805
    • Cain at Gettysburg– 2012ISBN978-0765330475
    • Hell or Richmond– 2013ISBN978-0765330482
    • Valley of the Shadow– 2015ISBN978-0765374035
    • The Damned of Petersburg– 2016ISBN978-0765374066
    • Judgment at Appomattox– 2017ISBN0765381702
    • Darkness at Chancellorsville: A Novel of Stonewall Jackson's Triumph and Tragedy– 2019ISBN0765381737
  • As Owen Parry
  • As Robert Paston

Nonfiction[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^Ralph Peters (2010).Looking for Trouble: Adventures in a Broken World.Stackpole Books.p. 246.ISBN978-0811706896.
  2. ^"Voices: Katherine McIntire Peters".GovExec.com. August 21, 2012.RetrievedAugust 15,2014.
  3. ^"Soldier writer speaker: Ralph Peters brings to the National Convention a wealth of on-the-ground experience and incisive opinions".The Officer.July 1, 2006.RetrievedAugust 4,2008.After graduating from Penn State University, he enlisted, at age 23, as a private with two flat feet, curved spine, and intermittent asthma.
  4. ^"Fox News analyst saves his most searing commentary for Fox News".Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.March 21, 2018.RetrievedAugust 19,2018.He had enlisted after graduating from Penn State in 1976.
  5. ^"In Depth with Ralph Peters 280144-1".C-SPAN Video Library.August 3, 2008.RetrievedAugust 4,2008.
  6. ^Contemporary Authors Online, Gale, 2008. Reproduced in Biography Resource Center. Farmington Hills, Mich.: Gale, 2008.http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/BioRC Document Number: H1000113025 Retrieved August 4, 2008. Revised 2006-08-31. Fee.
  7. ^"1st Battalion, 46th Infantry".Lineage and Honors Information.United States Army Center of Military History.January 12, 2005. Archived fromthe originalon May 23, 2008.RetrievedAugust 4,2008.
  8. ^"Advisory Board".Armchair General.
  9. ^abChoi, David (July 12, 2017)."Tucker Carlson interview goes sideways when guest accuses him of defending Putin".Business Insider.
  10. ^"The mendacity of hope",Ralph Peters,USA Today,February 24, 2009
  11. ^Edwards, David; Tencer, Daniel (July 20, 2009)."Fox analyst: Taliban should kill US soldier if he deserted".Raw Story.Archived fromthe originalon July 24, 2009.RetrievedAugust 21,2009.
  12. ^The Enterprise:Rep. Massa was right – POW deserves our support.July 30, 2009.
  13. ^Baxter, Sarah; York, New (February 2, 2011)."Neocons join the lynch mob for 'arrogant' Rumsfeld".Times Online.London. Archived fromthe originalon August 18, 2007.RetrievedFebruary 2,2011.
  14. ^Stelter, Brian (December 7, 2015)."Fox News suspends two commentators for profanity while criticizing Obama".CNN Business.
  15. ^"Peters on Jerusalem Decision: Sometimes You Have to Do the Right Thing & 'Damn the Consequences'".Fox News.December 6, 2017.
  16. ^Namako, Tom (March 20, 2018)."An" Ashamed "Fox News Commentator Just Quit The" Propaganda Machine "".Buzzfeed.RetrievedMarch 20,2018.
  17. ^Grynbaum, Michael M. (March 20, 2018)."Fox News Analyst Quits, Calling Network a 'Propaganda Machine'".The New York Times.ISSN0362-4331.RetrievedJune 18,2020.
  18. ^Relman, Eliza."A Fox News contributor quit the network, calling it a 'propaganda machine for a destructive and ethically ruinous administration'".Business Insider.RetrievedMarch 20,2018.
  19. ^"Ralph Peters: Trump must keep 'throne' to avoid prison".cnn.com.October 1, 2019.RetrievedOctober 1,2019.
  20. ^"W.Y. Boyd Literary Award for Excellence in Military Fiction".ala.org.
  21. ^"'Hell or Richmond' by Ralph Peters wins the 2014 W.Y. Boyd Award | News & Press Center ".Ala.org. April 29, 2014.RetrievedMay 28,2014.
  22. ^Malden, Cheryl (May 10, 2016)."'Valley of the Shadow' wins W.Y. Boyd Award for excellence in military fiction ".
  23. ^"W.Y. Boyd Literary Award for Excellence in Military Fiction | Awards & Grants".www.ala.org.
  24. ^Sciandra, Mary Frisque and Lisa."IACW/NA: Hammett Prize: Past Years".

Sources[edit]

Public DomainThis article incorporatespublic domain materialfrom websites or documents of theUnited States Army Center of Military History.

External links[edit]

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