Modern Military Strategy

by Elinor C. Sloan

This textbook provides a comprehensive introduction to post-Cold War military theory for students of strategic studies. This second edition has been fully revised and updated, including a new chapter on peacekeeping, and examines contemporary strategic thought on the conduct of war in the sea, land, air, nuclear, space and cyber domains, as well as irregular warfare. Each chapter identifies contemporary strategic thinkers in a particular area, examines strategic thought through the lens of identifiable themes, and discusses the ideas of classical strategists to provide historical context. Examples of the link between the use of military force and the pursuit of political objectives are presented, such as airpower against ISIS and in Libya, counterinsurgency in Afghanistan and Iraq, counter-piracy operations off the coast of Africa, and the Stuxnet virus in Iran. The chapters identify trends, statements and principles that indicate how military power can best be employed to effect political ends, while the conclusion paints an overall picture of the relationship between classic and contemporary strategic thinking within each warfare domain. This book will be essential reading for students of strategic studies, war studies and military history, and is highly recommended for students of security studies and international relations in general.

Genres: Military Fiction, War

194 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2012

Reviews

[Jacob Hammill · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lots of nitpicky semantic garbage (especially in the joint theory & military transformation sections), but otherwise a solid introduction

[Josn · Rating 4 out of 5]

An introduction in military strategy: that’s what it is. Each chapter describes the historical development of strategic thought in war at sea, land, sky, etc. In general it pays the most attention on American strategists: I don’t know if that’s justifiable or not.
The last chapters about strategies concerning cyber space, nuclear weapons and space, I thought were a bit of a drag. But am not really interested in those subjects, to be honest.
So if you want to be introduced in military strategy: this book does the trick in about 157 pages.

[Andrew Jose · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked up this book to introduce myself to the history, main ideas, and a general overview of strategic thought. This book satisfied all my intellectual needs in this subject, covering all aspects of war strategy, notably land, water, air, cyber, and space, and going so far as to provide a recommended reading list on each topic. A great introductory book that I recommend as required reading for any international security and strategic studies course.