[3] In doing so, Hammond sought to develop a more discerning understanding of how organizational behavior and domestic political considerations affected all aspects of nuclear strategy and American foreign policy.
[5] National security author Mark D. Mandeles, speaking in 2013, said Organizing for Defense still "retained considerable relevance and importance today".
[7] Hammond's part was a detailed, interviews-based analysis of the formulation of NSC 68 that is regarded as a classic contribution that has not been surpassed in the years since.
[9] A review of it for The History Teacher stated that "High points of the book include analysis of the array of options available at critical times and description of the complex roles of various actors in deciding foreign policy in a democratic system.
"[9] In his texts Hammond disagreed with the "New Left" of American foreign policy revisionism and instead believed that the Cold War represented largely reasonable U.S. responses to Soviet provocations.