Making Sense of War: Strategy for the 21st Century

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0521676649 ISBN 13: 9780521676649

Publisher: Cambridge University Press, 2006

Making Sense of War provides a comprehensive and clear analysis of the complex business of waging war. It gives readers a thorough understanding of the key concepts in strategic thought, concepts that have endured since the Athenian general Thucydides and the Chinese philosopher/warrior Sun Tzu first wrote about strategy some 2500 years ago. It also examines the influence on strategic choice and military strategy of political, legal and technological change. This book discusses strategy at every level of competition, employing a thematic approach and using historical examples from 500 BCE to the present. It discusses the contraints and opportunities facing military commanders in the 21st century, and demonstrates that the formulation of military strategy will continue to be perhaps the single most important responsibility for senior security officials. Making Sense of War offers original insights into the imperatives of military success in the era of asymmetric warfare.

Book Description:

Making Sense of War provides a comprehensive and clear analysis of the complex business of waging war. Employing a thematic approach and using historical examples from 500 BCE to the present, it discusses the constraints and opportunities facing military commanders in the 21st century.

About the Author:

Alan Stephens is a senior lecturer at the University of New South Wales Australian Defence Force Academy. Previous appointments include principal adviser to the Australian Federal Parliament's Joint Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee, official historian for the RAAF, contributing editor to Asia-Pacific Defence Reporter, military history commentator on ABC television, and RAAF pilot.