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Claire Harris
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English

THE NEW RULES OF WAR

Sean McFate

Victory in the Age of Durable Disorder

An urgent, fascinating exploration of warfare - past, present and future, from an 82nd Airborne veteran, former private military contractor, and professor of war studies at the National Defense University.
War is timeless. Some things change - weapons, tactics, technology, leadership, objectives - but our desire to go into battle does not. We are living in the age of Durable Disorder - a period of unrest created by numerous factors: China's rise, Russia's resurgence, America's retreat, global terrorism, international criminal empires, climate change, dwindling natural resources, and bloody civil wars.
McFate calls upon the legends of military study Carl von Clausewitz, Sun Tzu, and others, as well as his own experience, and carefully constructs the new rules for the future of military engagement. With examples from the Roman conquest, World War II, Vietnam, Afghanistan and others, he tackles the differences between conventional and future war, the danger in believing that technology will save us, the genuine leverage of psychological and 'shadow' warfare, and much more.


Currently a fellow at Oxford University, Dr. Sean McFate is an author, novelist, and expert in foreign policy and national security strategy. He served in the US. Army's 82nd Airborne Division, as a private military contractor, and was Vice President at a boutique political risk consulting firm. He's previously authored The Modern Mercenary and two novels, Shadow War and Deep Black, plus the forthcoming novel Extreme Measures.
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Book

Published 2019-01-22 by William Morrow

Book

Published 2019-01-22 by William Morrow

Comments

The future is one of deep uncertainty and few are courageous enough to offer a bold or clear exposition of its character. But McFate has done just that and the results are both compelling and persuasive. Not all will agree with his analysis, but they will find it challenging to justify their exceptions, not least because so many of his judgements appear to be with us already. If we heed his advice, we may just make the necessary adjustments in time to avert a serious catastrophe.

This book isn't pretty, but it's necessary reading for the strategically inclined.

UK: Michael Joseph

Stunning. Sean McFate is a new Sun Tzu, and reveals why modern war is not what people think. Drawing on history and ancient principles, McFate masterfully explains how armed conflict works today. The New Rules of War is a must read for anyone who wants to know how war will be fought tomorrow and how the winners will win.

McFate's experience as professor of strategy at the National Defense University and Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service, plus time spent in the Army's 82nd Airborne Division and as a private military contractor in Africa, inform this standout work of military science... This is an authoritative and skillful analysis of the state of war today.