The Future of War

For as long as there have been wars there have been fears about the next war. Where are the new dangers? What is the best defence? How might peace come about? This is the history of how over the last 150 years we have tried - rightly and wrongly - to predict war's future. . 'Britain's leading academic strategist ... read this book' Economist. 'Insightful and opinionated ... expertly covers centuries of evolving mayhem' Gary J. Bass The New York Times. 'A bonfire of predictions ... Freedman's purpose in this wise book is to discern patterns in the way we have thought about war's future' Shashank Joshi Financial Times. 'It reflects the author's immense knowledge and wisdom. It should feed our humility because it reminds us of mankind's unlimited capacity for folly' Max Hastings The Times|Sir Lawrence Freedman is Emeritus Professor of War Studies at King's College London. He was the official historian of the Falklands Campaign and a member of the official inquiry into Britain and the 2003 Iraq War ('the Chilcot Inquiry'). He has written extensively on nuclear strategy and the Cold War and comments regularly on contemporary security issues. His book Strategy was a Financial Times and Economist book of the year; A Choice of Enemies: America Confronts the Middle East won the 2009 Lionel Gelber Prize and Duke of Westminster Medal for Military Literature.|What is most impressive about the book is the author's erudition and the lightness with which he wears it|Arguably Britain's leading academic strategist examines how ideas about how future wars could be fought have shaped the reality with usually baleful results. ... His message to policymakers is to beware those who tout the ease and speed with which victory can be achieved while underestimating the resourcefulness of adversaries. Anybody who thinks otherwise should read this book|It reflects the author's immense knowledge and wisdom. It should feed our humility because it reminds us of mankind's unlimited capacity for folly; and also of the need to sustain defences against all manner of threats because the only certainty is that the next peril to confront us will be the one we least expect|For as long as there have been wars there have been fears about the next war. Where are the new dangers? What is the best defence? How might peace come about? This is the history of how over the last 150 years we have tried - rightly and wrongly - to predict war's future. 'Britain's leading academic strategist ... read this book' Economist'Insightful and opinionated ... expertly covers centuries of evolving mayhem' Gary J. Bass The New York Times'A bonfire of predictions ... Freedman's purpose in this wise book is to discern patterns in the way we have thought about war's future' Shashank Joshi Financial Times'It reflects the author's immense knowledge and wisdom. It should feed our humility because it reminds us of mankind's unlimited capacity for folly' Max Hastings The Times