Twórcy nowoczesnej strategii. Od starożytności do ery cyfrowej

by Hal Brands (Editor), Barbara Kocowska (Translator), Michał Głatki (Translator)

Podstawowe źródło wiedzy na temat strategii militarnej i politycznej oraz kształtowania świata nowożytnego od starożytności do ery cyfrowej

To wyjątkowo ważna książka wśród publikacji na temat strategii i kluczowych postaci, które przez wieki, a nawet tysiąclecia kształtowały teorię i praktykę rządzenia. Najwybitniejsi światowi specjaliści – teoretycy i praktycy – prezentują przegląd myśli strategicznej od starożytności do współczesności z globalnej perspektywy porównawczej. Analizie poddano zarówno koncepcje klasyczne, jak i bieżące tendencje w obrębie strategii, a szczególną uwagę poświęcono okresowi zimnej wojny oraz czasom po zamachach z 11 września. Autorzy przyglądają się ponadczasowym wymogom skutecznej strategii, jednocześnie śledząc rewolucyjne zmiany, które stanowią wyzwanie dla twórców strategii we współczesnym świecie.

W warunkach narastającego globalnego chaosu studiowanie strategii i jej historii jest istotne jak nigdy dotąd: od Tukidydesa i Sun Zi do Clausewitza, Napoleona, Churchilla, Mao, Ben Guriona, Andrew Marshalla, Xi Jinpinga oraz Kasema Sulejmaniego.

Genres: History, Politics, Nonfiction, Military Fiction, War, Military History, Business

Paperback

Published March 7, 2025

Reviews

[Chad Manske]

"The New Makers of Modern Strategy: From the Ancient World to the Digital Age" is a comprehensive and thought-provoking anthology edited by Peter Paret, Gordon A. Craig, and Felix Gilbert. It follows in the footsteps of its 1986-published predecessor, "Makers of Modern Strategy from Machiavelli to the Nuclear Age," (edited by none other than Clausewitz's "On War" translator Peter Paret), but with a keen focus on the evolving landscape of warfare and the strategic challenges brought about by the digital age.

The book's most notable strength (let alone length, at 1200 pages!) lies in its breadth of coverage. It spans several millennia, exploring the strategies of prominent historical figures such as Alexander the Great, Sun Tzu, Napoleon Bonaparte, and Winston Churchill. Moreover, it examines the theories and practices of contemporary strategists like Henry Kissinger and Colin Gray, providing a balanced blend of historical analysis and modern perspectives.

One of the book's key achievements is its ability to draw parallels between historical and modern strategic thought. The authors of each of the 45 essays effectively demonstrate the enduring nature of certain strategic principles, highlighting the ways in which ancient and classical strategists continue to inform contemporary military thinking. For example, some discuss how Sun Tzu's emphasis on understanding the enemy and exploiting their weaknesses remains relevant in today's asymmetric warfare scenarios. Furthermore, the book shines a light on the changing nature of warfare in the digital age. It explores how technological advancements, such as cyber warfare and unmanned aerial vehicles, have transformed the strategic landscape. This focus on the digital age is a notable departure from its predecessor, which primarily examined the strategic dynamics of the nuclear age. By including these discussions, the book successfully captures the complexities and challenges of warfare in the twenty-first century.

While "The New Makers of Modern Strategy" offers an impressive breadth of coverage, some readers may find its depth lacking--hard for me to say that given its overall length. My reason for this is that the book primarily consists of condensed essays, limiting the level of analysis and detail provided on each strategist and their ideas. While this approach allows for a wide range of contributors and topics, it occasionally leaves the reader wanting a more in-depth exploration of certain subjects.

Moreover, the book's organization could be improved. The chapters are arranged thematically rather than chronologically, which can occasionally lead to a disjointed reading experience. This structure makes it challenging to track the evolution of strategic thought over time--a strategist's best companion for comparison--particularly for readers less familiar with the subject matter. A clearer timeline or a more coherent narrative thread would have enhanced the book's overall flow and readability, in my humble opinion.

In terms of comparison with its predecessor, "Makers of Modern Strategy from Machiavelli to the Nuclear Age,"--a book I still have and use, and marked up by highlighter, underlines, and dog-eared pages--the two books have distinct focuses and strengths. While the 1986 volume delves deep into the strategic theories that emerged during the nuclear age, the new anthology takes a broader approach, incorporating insights from across history and connecting them to the digital age.

Both books offer valuable contributions to the study of military strategy. "Makers of Modern Strategy from Machiavelli to the Nuclear Age" remains an indispensable resource for understanding the strategic challenges of the twentieth century, particularly in relation to nuclear weapons and the Cold War. On the other hand, "The New Makers of Modern Strategy" is a timely and relevant addition, addressing the strategic landscape of the twenty-first century and the impact of technology on warfare. This is not even to mention the very first edition of this work, published in 1943, called "Makers of Modern Strategy: Military Thought from Machiavelli to Hitler," and edited by Edward Meade Earle--which was also the quintessential volume for budding strategists of that era.

"The New Makers of Modern Strategy: From the Ancient World to the Digital Age" is a commendable anthology providing a wide-ranging exploration of strategic thought throughout history. By drawing connections between the past and the present, the book highlights the enduring relevance of certain strategic principles while addressing the unique challenges posed by the digital age. While it may lack depth in some areas and would benefit from improved organization, it offers valuable insights for both scholars and practitioners of military strategy. When compared to its predecessor, it stands as a worthy companion, extending the analysis of strategic thought to encompass the complexities of contemporary warfare, and will also, like its 1986 predecessor, become required reading in various forms for all military professionals attending various levels of career professional military education.

[Tom]

At last and just in time to give a bit of meaning to the current state of the world.

[Paul]

B: The New Makers of Modern Strategy: From the Ancient World to the Digital Age—I wish I had read this as part of my introduction to history course in college or just thirty-three years ago when I was discussing strategy and tactics with fellow officers on the Joint Staff after the 1st Gulf War. This is a textbook for both budding strategists and historians. But don’t take this as a light read, at over 1,100 pages I started reading it in July and finished today (with a brief break in early September for a vacation trip).

[William Schlickenmaier]

Exhausting and indispensable. A must read.

[Matas Maldeikis]

Tiems, kurie iš tiesų giliai domisi strategija. Vadovėlinis tipas.

[Julian]

First book on strategy I read and wow what and introduction. So many names of great thinkers/people I never knew.

[C]

Required reading for school… sigh

[Irfan Anjum]

I bought it with great enthusiasm because i have the previous one "Makers of Modern strategy by EARL". However this turned out to be a disappointment. Seems like it was makers of anglo-american strategy rather than a global or "modern strategy". Having a fair amount of knowledge in history and colonialism(specially indian) I was extremely disappointed how the author(s) brushed off colonialism as something not to be mentioned. If the belligerent was anglo-american it would just be due to the force of nature and if the belligerent was not anglo-american they were the pure evil. How does the imperial trade routes and colonial institutions affected the approach of "colonized" was simply ignored. The very first chapter talks about institutions that helped Rome withstand carthagian attacks, suddenly institutions disappear and wishes take over. It gets confusing when the author is quoting something that he wished was true rather than quoting original source or its explanation. Felt pretty disappointed, I still have to read 10 chapters but i guess they are as good as the journey so far.

[James]

I highly recommend The New Makers of Modern Strategy as an excellent primer on strategy as a discipline of study for anyone interested in geopolitical history. The book is really a compendium of thematically connected short essays each offering an independent case study of a specific historical figure or time period. With only a few exceptions, I found most chapters substantive and interesting, though I’ll also note that almost all of them assume a basic contextual familiarity that I did not always have—certain chapters focusing on earlier European history or post-decolonization Africa were harder for me to follow. But the nice thing about the book’s structure is that it allows readers to tackle each chapter in any order, or even skip over a few as needed. In fact, I put the whole thing down for over half a year but still found it easy to pick back up without feeling any sort of disconnect. The New Makers of Modern Strategy is therefore surprisingly approachable despite its breadth and heftiness. It won’t make you an expert on anything, but it’ll point you in the right direction.

[Juan Fernando]

"La guerra no es otra cosa que la continuación de la política por otros medios", dijo famosamente Clawsewitz. De hecho, es un poco más que eso.

La democracia, en sus rituales, y los negocios en su apetito, no solo importan metáforas de la guerra, la subliman. Antes las transiciones de poder se definían mayoritariamente mediante el uso de la fuerza y la conquista militar. Hoy se resuelven en otro terreno, en el de las campañas políticas y de la diplomacia. Las estrategias de incidencia, de influencia, de comunicación toman del pensamiento militar prácticas, estratégicas y mentalidad.

Este es un libro que se ha publicado tres veces en la historia (1943, 1986 y 2023). Siempre justo antes de que el mundo geopolítico diera un giro. Es un balance muy completo de los principios y de los responsables de la estrategia que han dado significativos empujones a la historia.

[Anusha Datar]

This is an extensive and fairly comprehensive about the ways that both tactical and grander strategy have changed (or stayed more or less the same) over its history. This book is extensive and it felt a little daunting to read it, but it painted a clear picture and was an excellent overview.

I agree with the reviews that state that this book was not necessarily comprehensive and is somewhat dismissive of huge factors that shape the histories and perspectives of nations outside of the West (such as colonialism's impact). I understand that writing a book about the entire history of humanity is a tall order and so some topics may go underserved, I just wish that they could be open about it!

[Edwin D.]

Well worth the time spent reading it

Altogether more expansive than its,two predecessors, one of which I read as an officer In my country's service. Obviously, Not all authors Included are as Included are as articulate, Clear, Clear, and insightful. The overall quality is very high. I recommend this book Particularly to people who have an independent understanding of many of the subjects discussed.

[Jordan Schneider]

proud that this generation of scholars could live up to the extremely high standards of the series

fascinating to read alongside the past two editions to compare how this edition's preoccupation of China compares to the past two (the Cold War and WWII respectively) as well as what this edition can do with a less Eurocentric selection of topics

[Dale]

third

The second edition was a Long time mainstay of the US Army Command and General Staff reading assignments for class. This third edition is updated to reflect new information and an expanded understanding of the concept conflict.

[Mihai Zodian]

It`s better to read the previous installments of the Makers. In this edition, they sacrificed depth to fad and many chapters are superfluous. Some chapters are decent, like the one by Lawrence Freedman, but all felt rushed.

[Jason]

An excellent book, but man it took me a while to get completely through it. There were certainly some chapters that appealed to me less, but others were so full of interesting information that I couldn't put down the book.

I am likely to pick this up again and reread selective chapters.

[Logan Rolleigh]

An exceptional springboard for further education on a plethora of aspects of geopolitics.

[Ethan Patete]

A must read for any interested in the subject.

[Ruben]

A primer for those interested in the broader aspects of strategy (military or otherwise). For sure, many of them are not easy reads, so the chapters addressing foundational thinkers (Thucydides, Sun Tzu, Machiavelli, Jomini, Clausewitz, and Mahan) stand out as intellectual anchor points.

[Terry Tucker]

Exquisite, Classic, Enduring!!!

There is no substitute for strategy. Without strategy action is random and devoid of direction; power and advantage are squandered rather than deployed to good effect. But strategy is both complex and simple. The concept - what it is, what it encompasses and how it is pursued has been the perennial debate.
Edward Earle Mead conceived "Makers of Modern Strategy" in 1943, during the worst moments of history's' worst war. Conflict raged across the globe and the setting lent an extraordinary urgency by underscoring that the study of strategy had become a matter of life or death for the remaining liberal world.
The contributors of that first collection sought to promote a better understanding of strategy by tracing its evolution of military thought. Mead's volume of 20 chapters and an epilogue by noted scholars also meant to emphasize a critical point - that a country's fate depended far more than tactical excellence in combat.
The volume drove home the points made during the interwar period - that strategy was not just the providence of military commanders. it was also the providence of economists, politicians, statesmen and historians. The book demonstrates - illustrates - how an immersion in history could produce a richer and more rigorous engagement with the concepts of strategy and dynamics of war and peace.

This first volume set an academic standard and established strategic studies as a modern academic field

The second edition of Makers of Modern Strategy, edited by Peter Paret with assistance from Gordan Craig and Felix Guilbert was published in 1986, and it was no less an instant classic at publication. it contained five sections broken out into 28 chapters. It delved deeply in Clausewitz, Nuclear War, the violence of insurgency and the historical development of American Strategy

Both volumes of Makers of Modern Strategy were and remain classics that still provide insights.

This latest edition, edited by Hal Brands continues the legacy started by Edward Earle Mead in 1942/1943.
it is composed of 45 chapters and the essays are written, as in past volumes, by the most the notable and scholarly heavy weights in the field - many names will be highly recognizable to the avid reader of military science and history. Within each of these exquisitely written essays, the authors represent an effort to convey the enduring realities of strategy. the book is broken out into five sections. Section 1 begins with Foundations and Founders and consists of 10 chapters. Subsequent sections cover Strategy in the Age of Great Power Rivalry-8 chapters; the Age of Global War - 8 chapters; Strategy in a Bipolar Era - 8 chapters and finally Strategy in the Post-Cold War World- 11 chapters. Taken collectively, the book contains examples of both failed and successful strategies.
The authors do not always agree on key issues, episodes, or individuals but the themes are cross-cutting with the history it relates.

I highly recommend this book and if you can get your hands on the other previous editions, i would suggest that too.

[David Farrell]

This updated compendium reframes centuries of strategic thinking through the lens of cyber, AI and great‑power competition - providing defense and government leaders a bridge from historic case‑studies to the technological battlefield of today.