Warfare and defence Books

Book SynopsisGreenhill offers the first systematic examination of forced migration as an important but largely unrecognized instrument of state influence. She shows both how often this unorthodox brand of coercion has been attempted and how successful it has been.Trade ReviewWeapons of Mass Migration simply altered the way I viewed the flow of peoples. Countries with lower standards of behavior can use the threat of forcing their people to leave, which would send a flow of unwanted migrants/refugees to democracies that would then have to deal with them. It is very much an asymmetric approach for weaker authoritarian regimes to mess with advanced democracies. Is this policy relevant? You betcha, as democracies such as the United States have to figure out how to react to these kinds of threats. It certainly pressured France and Italy in different ways when Qaddafi was threatening to send refugees to Europe. -- Stephen M. Saideman * Foreign Policy *A new, authoritative look at forced displacement, skillfully linking politics to migrations. This combination moves beyond migration as a single focused topic and connects it to choices within foreign policy. Any student of demography, conflict, and politics will be well served by this exploration of the interaction between government control, migration, and the willingness of populations to move. * Political Science Quarterly *An innovative and beautifully written analysis of how, and to what extent, refugee flows are exploited by states in order to affect policy options taken and decisions made by their counterparts. * Journal of Refugee Studies *Greenhill explains the use of state-engineered migration as a tool of coercive statecraft in the post–World War II era. She rightly points out that this rather insidious means of political suasion has been used numerous times over the relatively short period examined, and with a striking degree of success. Weapons of Mass Migration is innovative, well written, rigorously researched, and timely. It is both theoretically innovative and policy relevant, and will likely spur several new paths for IR research and migration studies. * Perspectives on Politics *IR theorists, foreign policy analysts and migration, security studies, and human rights scholars will all find this book a valuable addition to their scholarship. * Political Studies Review *Table of ContentsIntroduction1. Understanding the Coercive Power of Mass Migrations2. The 1994 Cuban Balseros Crisis and Its Historical Antecedents3. "Now the Refugees Are the War": NATO and the Kosovo Conflict4. An Invasion to Stop the Invasion: The United States and the Haitian Boatpeople Crises5. North Korean Migrants, Nongovernmental Organizations, and Nuclear Weapons6. Conclusions and Policy ImplicationsAppendix: Coding Cases of Coercive Engineered Migration Index

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Book SynopsisIn 1709, after eight years of war, France was on her knees. There was not enough money left in the treasury to pay, equip or feed the army and a bad harvest led to starvation throughout the kingdom. Circumstances had worsened to the point that King Louis XIV was forced to offer to end the War of Spanish Succession on humiliating terms for his country. However, the allied powers Britain, the Dutch Republic and the Holy Roman Empire refused Louis' offer, believing that one more successful campaign would utterly destroy French power. This book examines the campaign of 1709, culminating in the battle of Malplaquet, which would prove Louis' enemies disastrously wrong. Led by the Duke of Marlborough and Prince Eugene of Savoy, the allied armies achieved a tactical victory but it was a hollow one. The allies suffered 23,000 casualties to the French 11,000 in what was the bloodiest battle of the 18th century. The scale of casualties shocked Europe and led to a reversal of fortuneTable of ContentsOrigins of the Campaign Chronology Opposing Commanders Opposing Forces Opposing Plans The Opening Moves The Battle of Maplaquet Aftermath The Battlefield Today Further Reading Index

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Book SynopsisFrom bestselling and prize-winning author Paddy Ashdown, a revelatory new history of German opposition to Hitler.Ashdown has a great gift for narrative history. He unearths little known stories and places them in context with great dexterity.His new book throws fresh and important light on a crucial topic.' JONATHAN DIMBLEBYIn his last days, Adolf Hitler raged in his bunker that he had been betrayed by his own people, defeated from the inside. In part, he was right. By 1945, his armies were being crushed on all fronts, his regime collapsing with many fleeing retribution for their crimes. Yet, even before the war started, there were Germans very high in Hitler's command committed to bringing about his death and defeat.Paddy Ashdown tells, for the first time, the story of those at the very top of Hitler's Germany who tried first to prevent the Second World War and then to deny Hitler victory. Based on newly released files, the repeated attempts of the plotters to warn the Allies about HiTrade Review‘A powerful account of an extraordinary story.’ The Times ‘A fine account.’ 5*, Daily Telegraph ‘It moves at the pace of a thriller and it’s real’ Nick Ferrari, Sunday Express ‘Fascinating and fast moving’ Literary Review ‘No doubt many more books will be written about the war, but I hope this becomes a model for them since, though the heroism of our boys is stirring stuff, history only makes real sense if you can see it from all sides.’ Daily Telegraph ‘Paddy Ashdown has sifted the facts from the myths to write a fascinating and very personal account.’ Independent ‘Ashdown’s insights and his extensive research in an impressive range of archives will ensure that yet another work on the subject will not be required in the foreseeable future.’ Times Literary Supplement 'Paddy Ashdown has a great gift for narrative history. He unearths little known stories and places them in context with great dexterity. His new book throws fresh and important light on a crucial topic.' Jonathan Dimbleby 'One cannot read too much about the 1930s to inoculate against its evils, so I recommend Paddy Ashdown’s excellent new book 'Nein!' … Ashdown writes movingly about the repeated attempts of German patriots to warn the Allies about Hitler and to frustrate or assassinate him … A roll call of heroism … Ashdown brings them together in a compelling narrative of a decade of resistance to evil at the heart of ‘European civilisation’.' Lord Adonis

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Book SynopsisAn Economist Best Book of 2021 Artificial Intelligence is going to war. Intelligent military systems are already reshaping conflict—from the chaos of battle, with pilotless drones and robot tanks, to the headquarters far from the action, where generals and politicians use technology to weigh up what to do. AI changes how we fight, and even how likely it is that we will. Warbots will be faster, more agile and more deadly than today’s crewed weapons. New tactics are already emerging, but much deeper thinking is needed. When will an intelligent machine escalate, and how might you deter it? Can robots predict the future? And what happens to the ‘art of war’ as machines become creative? An international campaign against ‘killer robots’ hopes to ban AI from conflict. But the genie is out—autonomous weapons are too useful for states to outlaw. Still, crafting sensible rules for our warbots is possible. This fascinating book shows how it might be done.Trade Review'I, Warbot is an important reminder that military AI is not purely a technological feat, but also a ground for reckonings on the ethics of warfare and creative strategy. In advocating thoughtful regulation of autonomous systems, Payne offers his counterpoint to the Asimovesque robot overlords of science fiction: ‘War will remain something that is done by, and to, humans.' -- International Affairs

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Book SynopsisArtificial intelligence and the future of warfare sketches a clear and sobering picture of the potential impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on the digitized battlefield, broadening our understanding of critical questions facing decisions-makers today. -- .

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Book SynopsisThis second edition of The National Security Enterprise provides practitioners' insights into the operation, missions, and organizational cultures of the principal national security agencies and other institutions that shape the US national security decision-making process. Unlike some textbooks on American foreign policy, it offers analysis from insiders who have worked at the National Security Council, the State and Defense Departments, the intelligence community, and the other critical government entities. The book explains how organizational missions and cultures create the labyrinth in which a coherent national security policy must be fashioned. Understanding and appreciating these organizations and their cultures is essential for formulating and implementing it. Taking into account the changes introduced by the Obama administration, the second edition includes four new or entirely revised chapters (Congress, Department of Homeland Security, Treasury, and USAID) and updates to the text throughout. It covers changes instituted since the first edition was published in 2011, implications of the government campaign to prosecute leaks, and lessons learned from more than a decade of war in Afghanistan and Iraq. This up-to-date book will appeal to students of US national security and foreign policy as well as career policymakers.Table of ContentsForeword to the First Edition by Lt. Gen. Brent Scowcroft, USAF (Ret.) Preface Introduction: The National Security Enterprise: Institutions, Cultures, and PoliticsRoger Z. George and Harvey Rishikof Part I. The Interagency Process 1. History of the Interagency Process for Foreign Relations in the United States: Murphy’s Law?Jon J. Rosenwasser and Michael Warner 2. The Evolution of the NSC ProcessDavid P. Auerswald 3. The Office of Management and Budget: The President’s Policy ToolGordon Adams, Rodney Bent, and Kathleen Peroff Part II. Key Policy Players 4. The State Department: Culture as Interagency Destiny?Marc Grossman 5. The US Agency for International Development: More Operator than PolicymakerDesaix Myers 6. The Office of the Secretary of DefenseJoseph McMillan and Franklin C. Miller 7 The Military: Forging a Joint Warrior CultureMichael J. Meese and Isaiah Wilson III 8. The Department of the Treasury: Brogues on the GroundDina Temple-Raston and Harvey Rishikof Part III. Intelligence and Law Enforcement 9. Office of the Director of National Intelligence: From Pariah and Piñata to Managing PartnerThomas Fingar 10 Central Intelligence Agency: The President’s OwnRoger Z. George 11. The Evolving FBI: Becoming a New National Security Enterprise AssetHarvey Rishikof and Brittany Albaugh 12. The Department of Homeland Security: Civil Protection and ResilienceSusan Ginsburg Part IV. The President’s Partners and Rivals13. Congress: The Other BranchDavid P. Auerswald and Colton C. Campbell 14. The US Supreme Court: The Cult of the Robe in the National Security EnterpriseHarvey Rishikof Part V. The Outside Players15. Lobbyists: When US National Security and Special Interests CompeteGerald Felix Warburg 16. Think Tanks: Supporting Cast Players in the National Security EnterpriseEllen Laipson 17. The Media: Witness to the National Security EnterpriseJohn M. Diamond Conclusion: Navigating the Labyrinth of the National Security EnterpriseHarvey Rishikof and Roger Z. George List of Contributors Index

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Book SynopsisFrom Lt. General H.R. McMaster, former National Security Advisor during Trump's administration, a bold assessment of the most critical foreign policy and national security challenges of our age. There has been a shift in power since the end of the Cold War. In Battlegrounds, bestselling author, commander, scholar and National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster examines the rising strength of Russia and China, the threat from hostile states Iran and North Korea, the complex battlegrounds in South Asia and the Middle East, and the new arenas of international competition space, cyberspace and emerging technology.How can foreign policy, which has across multiple administrations proved itself outdated, misconceived, inconsistent and poorly implemented, be transformed to face the challenges of today? How can Western countries like America and the UK stay relevant, secure and humane? How can we abandon what McMaster calls Strategic Narcissism' in favour of Strategic Empathy' an approach that reTrade Review‘Indispensable… Battlegrounds provides a comprehensive and expert review of the strategic threats the US faced when the author was in the White House – not only the Chinese challenge but also Russia’s troublemaking everywhere from Syria to cyberspace, and the perennial North Korean and Iranian menaces’TLS Praise for H.R. McMaster’s Dereliction of Duty ‘A stunning book: eloquent and highly effective. The word noble would not be going too far.’Paul Fussell, author of The Great War & Modern Memory ‘Well-written and full of enlightening new details … Significantly adds to the historical record of a great national failure.’Arnold R. Isaacs, Washington Post ‘Carefully researched and vividly narrated, H.R. McMaster's book adds a new and disturbing dimension to an understanding of the decisions that propelled us into the Vietnam war. It should be read by anyone interested in the origins of one of the great tragedies in American history.’Stanley Karnow, Pulitzer Prize-Winning author of Vietnam: A History ‘A book to boggle your mind with new revelations of ineptness, duplicity, and arrogance amongst the senior-most officials of the United States … McMaster pastes all the puzzle pieces together to reveal a plot Shakespearean in its proportions … McMaster's scholarship and presentation is exemplary. The author's arguments are coherent and convincing and important to the historical record.’Peter Arnett, The Washington Monthly ‘An outstanding example of historical research, interpretation, scholarship, and fair-minded analysis.’Donald Kagan, author of On the Origins of War

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Book SynopsisTo maintain morale amongst soldiers in the wretched trenches of World War I, the French army provided regular rations of wine and other alcohol that became a defining feature of French soldiers’ experience. A Thirst for Wine and War explores the French army’s strategic distribution of alcohol as a method of emotional and behavioural control.Trade Review“This book not only contributes substantially to the history of intoxicants and their consumption, but it also extends well beyond these topics to expand our understanding of the histories of France, of the Great War, and of war more generally. It is hard to see the events of the First World War in France in quite the same way after reading this work.” Richard S. Fogarty, University at Albany, SUNY and author of Race and War in France: Colonial Subjects in the French Army, 1914–1918

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Book SynopsisDuring the Vietnam War, the Viet Cong were frequently unable to hold their own in stand-up fights against US and allied forces who were superior in strength, firepower, mobility, and logistics. They relied instead on traditional guerrilla warfare tactics including small-scale hit- and-run attacks, ambushes, terrorist actions, and precision attacks against bases. These included one of the oldest of guerrilla weapons the boobytrap.Booby traps could be made in large numbers in village workshops and jungle camps using locally available materials as well as modern munitions. The VC were adept at making booby traps invisible' in the varied terrain of Vietnam, often emplacing them in locations and surroundings totally unexpected by their enemies. Booby traps could be incredibly simple or startlingly complex and ingenious, ranging from pointed sticks to command-detonated submerged floating river mines. Besides a wide variety of booby traps, they also used land and water mines, bothTable of ContentsIntroduction Non-Mechanical Booby Traps Mechanical Or Non-Explosive Booby Traps Hand Grenades As Booby Traps Explosive Booby Traps And Mines The Military Use Of Booby Traps Free World Forces’ Mines And Booby Traps Conclusion Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisWhy do people go to war? Is it rooted in human nature or is it a late cultural invention? How does war relate to the other fundamental developments in the history of human civilization? And what of war today - is it a declining phenomenon or simply changing its shape? In this truly global study of war and civilization, Azar Gat sets out to find definitive answers to these questions in an attempt to unravel the ''riddle of war'' throughout human history, from the early hunter-gatherers right through to the unconventional terrorism of the twenty-first century. In the process, the book generates an astonishing wealth of original and fascinating insights on all major aspects of humankind''s remarkable journey through the ages, engaging a wide range of disciplines, from anthropology and evolutionary psychology to sociology and political science. Written with remarkable verve and clarity and wholly free from jargon, it will be of interest to anyone who has ever pondered the puzzle of war.Trade ReviewAn immensely ambitious work covering not only history but archaeology, anthropology, ethnography, demography and economics, to name but a few... its weight of learning is borne aloft by the author's enthusiasm for his subject and takes his readers with it. If only there were more scholars like this! * Michael Howard, TLS Books of the Year *There's any amount of fascinating insight to be found in this big and enormously ambitious interdisciplinary study. * The Scotsman *A book of extraordinary ambition, erudition and range... Every student of war will be obliged to engage with this remarkable piece of scholarship. * Professor Sir Lawrence Freedman, King's College, London *A work of extraordinary scope and formidable erudition... Gat definitively unravels the riddle of civilization and war. * Professor Robert J. Lieber, Georgetown University *A towering and triumphant achievement... acute, scholarly, and wide-ranging: it is certainly one of the most important works on the subject written since 1945. Gat is at the top of his brilliant form, linking a variety of disciplines in a rich and comprehensive study of this most pertinent of issues. * Professor Richard Holmes *Table of ContentsPART 1: WARFARE IN THE FIRST TWO MILLION YEARS: ENVIRONMENT, GENES, AND CULTURE ; 1. Introduction: The Human 'State of Nature' ; 2. Peaceful or War-like: Did Hunter-Gatherers Fight? ; 3. Why Fighting? The Evolutionary Perspective ; 4. Motivation: Food and Sex ; 5. Motivation: the Web of Desire ; 6. 'Primitive Warfare': How Was It Done? ; 7. Conclusion: Fighting in the Evolutionary State of Nature ; PART 2: AGRICULTURE, CIVILIZATION, AND WAR ; 8. Introduction: Evolving Cultural Complexity ; 9. Tribal Warfare in Agraria and Pastoralia ; 10. Armed Force in the Emergence of the State ; 11. The Eurasian Spearhead: East, West, and the Steppe ; 12. Conclusion: War, the Leviathan, and the Pleasures and Miseries of Civilization ; PART 3: MODERNITY: THE DUAL FACE OF JANUS ; 13. Introduction: the Explosion of Wealth and Power ; 14. Guns and Markets: the New European States and a Global World ; 15. Unbound and Bound Prometheus: Machine Age War ; 16. Affluent Liberal Democracies, Ultimate Weapons, and the World ; 17. Conclusion: Unravelling the Riddle of War ; Endnotes ; Index

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Book SynopsisWith 290 colour images, almost all previously unpublished, 'RAF Fast Jets in Colour: The Cold War and Beyond' shows the evolution of one of the most technologically advanced air forces in the world.

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Book SynopsisEn Garde! is a small-scale skirmish game based on the successful Ronin rules, in which small groups of warriors fight each other for honour or riches. Rather than just rolling a few dice, the rules allow players to make tactical decisions about how the models that they control will fight - offensively, defensively, or by applying special skills and abilities. En Garde! covers the conflicts of the 16th, 17th and early 18th centuries, when black-powder weapons started to become common in battle but martial prowess still determined the outcome.Play as Border Reivers, Conquistadors, Landsknechts, Aztecs, French Musketeers, Caribbean Pirates and many more, in scenarios that evoke classic engagements of the genre. Sub-plots (secondary objectives for each side) have also been introduced, making gameplay even more varied and exciting. Simple campaign rules allow multiple scenarios to be played in sequence and permit warbands to develop over time. An appendix is also included to provTable of ContentsIntroduction/ Background/ Gameplay/ Special Rules/ Warbands/ Scenarios/ Campaigns/ Tournaments/ Appendix – The Supernatural

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Book SynopsisAn exploration of the age-old complicity between sky watchers and war fighters, from the best-selling author of Astrophysics for People in a Hurry.Trade Review"Accessory to War is thought-provoking and reflective…" -- Nature"... wide-ranging and very readable history of the overlap between science and the military, penned with editor Avis Lang... The book is a fascinating exploration of humanity' s capacity to combine discovery with destruction…" -- BBC Sky at Night"In Accessory to War, Neil deGrasse Tyson and Avis Lang give a sweeping panoramic overview of the enduring alliance between astrophysics and the military—from the Greeks to Galileo to GPS. The book's key contribution is in documenting the various ways science has aided military endeavors over the millennia and making the sometimes-arcane source material accessible." -- Science"Throughout history, wars tend to be won by nations that are at the forefront of science. Thus astronomers and physicists have, since ancient times, benefited from an uneasy alliance with the military. This enlightening book explores the history and current implications of this partnership between space science and national security." -- Walter Isaacson

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Book SynopsisA vivid portrait of one of the most powerful leaders in Israel's first decades of statehoodTrade Review"This well-written and absorbing book offers an authoritative account of the life of Moshe Dayan and places him in the context of larger events. Doing justice to the complex and intriguing persona of Dayan, Bar-On writes for a wide audience, both general readers and students of Israel and the Middle East. I read it with great interest and profit."—Itamar Rabinovich, former Israeli ambassador to the United States and author of Waging Peace: Israel and the Arabs, 1948–2003 -- Itamar Rabinovich"[A] revealing and engrossing account of the life of an often admirable but frustratingly enigmatic man."—Jay Freeman, Booklist -- Jay Freeman * Booklist *"Mordechai Bar-On, Dayan’s bureau chief during the mid-1950s as the latter was Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff, brings a welcome addition to the canon of Dayan, weaving first-person observations as he amends the historical record."—Neil Rubin, Baltimore Jewish Times -- Neil Rubin * Baltimore Jewish Times *"This brief, incisive, elegantly written book is full of up-close and personal glimpses of and insights into the many pivotal roles Dayan played in his nation’s military and political affairs."—Martin Rubin, Washington Times * Washington Times *"Refreshing. . . Bridging the gaps of a complex personality is the great achievement of this brief but highly thoughtful book."—Jason Warshof, Jerusalem Report * Jerusalem Report *"Briefly and elegantly conveys the life of a man who played an important role in Israeli history."—The Historian * The Historian *

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Book SynopsisWritings on War collects three of Carl Schmitt's most important and controversial texts, here appearing in English for the first time: The Turn to the Discriminating Concept of War, The Grossraum Order of International Law, and The International Crime of the War of Aggression and the Principle Nullum crimen, nulla poena sine lege. Written between 1937 and 1945, these works articulate Schmitt's concerns throughout this period of war and crisis, addressing the major failings of the League of Nations, and presenting Schmitt's own conceptual history of these years of disaster for international jurisprudence. For Schmitt, the jurisprudence of Versailles and Nuremberg both fail to provide for a stable international system, insofar as they attempt to impose universal standards of 'humanity' on a heterogeneous world, and treat efforts to revise the status quo as 'criminal' acts of war. In place of these flawed systems, Schmitt argues for a new planetary order in which neither collective secTrade Review"Altogether a most useful addition to the body of Schmitt’s works." Survival An advanced piece of historical scholarship which continues to impact the often nuanced political and legal relationship between states and between states and individuals. Despite the author’s obvious intransient opinion about the Geneva League of Nations and Western liberal democratic values, this book offers sound criticisms of the international legal order of the times and is thus a pillar of knowledge for students and scholars of international law and relations." Central European Journal of International and Security Studies "Warning as it does against the pitfalls of arrogant erudition, the politicization of religion and the flight into elitist mysticism, this book contains lessons for the followers of all creeds." Muslim World "The translation of Carl Schmitt's Writings on War is a remarkable achievement. Timothy Nunan has introduced, translated and annotated the text with considerable skill and aplomb. Nunan's excellent introduction makes clear the painfully compelling relevance of these essays on sovereignty, enmity and empire for contemporary audiences--relevance that is not likely to diminish over the course of time." John McCormick, University of Chicago "Carl Schmitt's direct assault on liberal views of international law and politics generated massive controversy when they first appeared in German. Now available in an accessible translation, Anglophone readers finally get a chance to understand what the fuss was all about. Zeroing in on the Achilles' heel of liberal international law, Schmitt ultimately threw the baby out with the bath water by transforming his occasionally astute observations into a full-fledged attack. Despite his flawed normative and political aspirations, Schmitt's views provide a provocative challenge those of us committed to strengthening international law and global governance simply have to take up." William E. Scheuerman, Indiana UniversityTable of ContentsAcknowledgments viii Translator’s Introduction 1 Note on the Translation 27 The Turn to the Discriminating Concept of War (1937) 30 The Großraum Order of International Law with a Ban on Intervention for Spatially Foreign Powers: A Contribution to the Concept of Reich in International Law (1939–1941) 75 The International Crime of the War of Aggression and the Principle "ullum crimen, nulla poena sine lege" 1945) 125 Further Reading 198 Notes 201 Index 232

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Book SynopsisThe Wars of Scotland is the story of the pivotal period in Scottish history between 1214 and 1371. The century and a half between the death of King William the Lion and the accession of the Stewarts witnessed major changes in the internal character of the kingdom and its place in the wider European world. The opening decades of this era seemed to be dominated by the continued development of a defined Scottish realm but the crisis which engulfed the kings and their people meant that issues of war and allegiance would make fourteenth-century Scotland a very different place. This book is the first detailed discussion of the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries as a single period of both developing and fragmenting political hierarchies and communities. The Wars of Scotland provides a political narrative which places events in their immediate context as well as highlighting special issues and groups in thematic chapters. It also introduces a new discussion of the stability and unity of Scotland as a realmTrade ReviewThe fruit of recent scholarship is gathered into a fresh, readable, informative, and balanced account. The original Edinburgh History of Scotland was the standard Scottish historical narrative for nearly two generations; if this volume is typical, its replacement will fulfill that role for at least as long ! Highly recommended. Choice This is a superb book which should be widely read. History: The Journal of the Historical Association Michael Brown has done an admirable job ! this is a highly readable survey that provides an excellent introduction to the period. Scotia The fruit of recent scholarship is gathered into a fresh, readable, informative, and balanced account. The original Edinburgh History of Scotland was the standard Scottish historical narrative for nearly two generations; if this volume is typical, its replacement will fulfill that role for at least as long ! Highly recommended. This is a superb book which should be widely read. Michael Brown has done an admirable job ! this is a highly readable survey that provides an excellent introduction to the period.Table of ContentsList of Maps and Tables; List of Illustrations; Acknowledgements; Introduction; Part One: The Scottish Realm (1214-1286); Chapter 1 King and Kingdom; Chapter 2 Alexander II; Chapter 3 Alexander III; Chapter 4 The Sea Kings; Chapter 5 Lords and Communities: Political Society in the Thirteenth Century; Chapter 6 Church and Realm; Chapter 7 Scotland and the Anglo-French World; Part Two: War and the Reshaping of Scotland (1286-1371); Chapter 8 The Crisis of Kingship (1286-96); Chapter 9 The Scottish Wars (1297-1314); Chapter 10 Robert I; Chapter 11 The War of the Three Kings (1332-1357); Chapter 12 Lordship of the Isles; Chapter 13 Europe and the Scottish Wars; Chapter 14 Allegiance and Identity; Chapter 15 The Legacy of War: Scotland in the Thirteen-sixties; Conclusion A United Kingdom?; Table of Events; Guide to Further Reading; Bibliography; Index.

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Book SynopsisPart magical university, part museum, part tourist attraction, the great Collegium of Artistry had flourished in Felstad''s final days. Under the leadership of the seemingly immortal Malcor the Mad, the vast complex expanded, with new wings being built wherever they would fit, including up and down the rock face, and even buried within the mountain itself. Visitors called it one of the architectural wonders of the world; the students, who often got lost in its endless tunnels, simply called it The Maze.With a titanic crash, an immense ice shelf tears free from the mountains that that loom above Frostgrave, revealing the lost Collegium, and the race for its secrets begins. The Maze is known to have contained many rare and unique treasures, and who knows what may have survived . . .This new, bumper-sized supplement for Frostgrave contains a host of new adventures, treasures, and creatures to challenge players. It also includes its own unique campaign and experie

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Book SynopsisIn the 1840s, Italy was a patchwork of states. The North was ruled by the Austrian Empire, the South by the Spanish-descended monarchy of the Two Sicilies. Over the next two decades, after wars led by Savoy/Piedmont and volunteers such as Garibaldi, an independent Kingdom of Italy emerged. These conflicts saw foreign interventions and shifting alliances among minor states, and attracted a variety of local and foreign volunteers. This second volume in a two part series covers the armies of the Papal States; the duchies of Tuscany, Parma, and Modena; the republics of Rome and San Marco (Venice) and the transitional Kingdom of Sicily; and the various volunteer movements. These varied armies and militias wore a wide variety of highly colorful uniforms which are brought to life in stunning, specially commissioned, full color artwork from Giuseppe Rava.Table of ContentsIntroduction: overview of 'Second War of Independence' (1859); Garibaldi's rising in the South (1860); events of 1861–66; and 'Third War of Independence' (1866–70)/ Chronology/ 1866 campaign: battle of Custoza, and naval clash off Lissa/ Conquest of Rome from Papal forces, 1870/ The Papal army, 1848–70: organization, uniforms, weapons, and tactical performance/ The minor states' armies, 1848–70: organization, uniforms, weapons and tactical performance of forces of Grand Duchy of Tuscany, Duchy of Parma and Duchy of Modena/ Patriots and volunteers: organization, uniforms, weapons and tactical performance of Italian patriots and foreign volunteers, 1848–70, particularly (1848–49) Roman Republic, San Marco Republic and Kingdom of Sicily, and (1848–61), Garibaldi's Redshirts and others/ Select Bibliography/ Plate Commentaries.

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Book SynopsisThe complete and authoritative account of the sinking of the HMAS Sydney, and the finding of her wreck in 2008. On 19 November 1941, the pride of the Australian Navy, the light cruiser Sydney, fought a close-quarters battle with the German armed raider HSK Kormoran off Carnarvon on the West Australian coast. Both ships sank - and not one of the 645 men on board the Sydney survived. Was Sydney''s captain guilty of negligence by allowing his ship to manoeuvre within range of Kormoran''s guns? Did the Germans feign surrender before firing a torpedo at the Sydney as she prepared to despatch a boarding party? This updated edition covers the discovery of the wreck - with the light this sheds on the events of that day in 1941, and the closure it has brought to so many grieving families. ''Tom Frame has produced the most comprehensive and compelling account of the loss of HMAS Sydney to dateTrade ReviewA major work of Australian maritime history. - Sydney Morning HeraldFrame has produced an entertaining, passionate and complex work of popular history in which the subsequent efforts to piece together the evidence provide a good dose of detective story. - Courier-MailAn excellent and objective analysis, and well worth reading for anyone with an interest in naval history or the curious behaviour of those writing history with axes to grind. - Newcastle HeraldTom Frame has written a number of books on Australian naval events. With this book, he has produced a most comprehensive and interesting account of the loss of the Sydney. - Australian Defence MagazineFrame's story is a balanced and comprehensive account of the now complete Sydney story. - The Launceston ExaminerFor those with an interest in our naval, maritime or military history, this is an absorbing account of one of our most famous ships and her devastating loss. - Manly DailyTom Frame has produced the most comprehensive and compelling account of the loss of HMAS Sydney to date. His judgements are fair and his conclusions reasoned. If you only read one book on this tragic event in Australian naval history, and want all the facts and theories presented in a balanced way, Tom Frame's book is for you. - Vice Admiral Russ Shalders AO CSC RANR Chief of Navy, 2005-08

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Book SynopsisThroughout late-1943 into early-1944, an epic struggle raged over the skies of Germany between RAF Bomber Command and the Luftwaffe. This campaign had been undertaken by the Commander-in-Chief Bomber Command, Air Chief Marshal Sir Arthur Harris, and was baptized The Battle of Berlin'. The Berlin campaign was a hard, desperate slog. Struggling against dreadful and bitter winter weather, Bomber Command went' to Berlin a total of sixteen times, suffering increasingly severe losses throughout the winter of 1943/44 in the face of a revitalized German air-defence. The campaign remains controversial and the jury, even today, is ultimately undecided as to what it realistically achieved. Illustrated throughout with full-colour artwork depicting the enormous scale of the campaign, this is the story of the RAF's much debated attempt to win the war through bombing alone.Table of ContentsIntroduction /Chronology /Attacker's Capabilities /Defender's Capabilities /Campaign Objectives /Order of Battle /The Campaign /Analysis /Conclusion /Bibliography /Index

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Book SynopsisArguably two of the finest piston-engined fighters ever built, the Tempest V and Fw 190D-9 raised the bar in terms of aircraft design and operational capability during World War II. The long-nosed Dora 9', designed by Kurt Tank, first appeared in the skies over the Western and Eastern Fronts in the late summer of 1944. Fast, and with an exceptional rate of climb, it quickly bettered almost every fighter that the RAF, USAAF and Soviet Red Air Force could field. The Hawker Tempest V entered service in early 1944, initially proving itself a stalwart performer when it was deployed to intercept V1 flying bombs over southern England. From the autumn of 1944, the Tempest V also equipped squadrons of the 2nd Tactical Air Force, operating in support of the Allied armies advancing across north-west Europe. It became a potent ground-attack aircraft, armed with underwing rockets, but also a first-class interceptor when pitted against the Luftwaffe's advanced Fw 190D-9 and Me 262.FeaturiTable of ContentsIntroduction /Chronology/ Design and Development /Technical Specifications /The Strategic Situation /The Combatants /Combat /Statistics and Analysis /Aftermath /Further Reading /Index

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Book SynopsisOver the past decade, numerous states have declared cyberspace as a new domain of warfare, sought to develop a military cyber strategy and establish a cyber command. These developments have led to much policy talk and concern about the future of warfare as well as the digital vulnerability of society. No Shortcuts provides a level-headed view of where we are in the militarization of cyberspace. In this book, Max Smeets bridges the divide between technology and policy to assess the necessary building blocks for states to develop a military cyber capacity. Smeets argues that for many states, the barriers to entry into conflict in cyberspace are currently too high. Accompanied by a wide range of empirical examples, Smeets shows why governments abilities to develop military cyber capabilities might change over time and explains the limits of capability transfer by states and private actors.Trade Review'A refreshing contribution to cyber scholarship that will resonate with military and intelligence professionals. With a methodical analysis of the technical, organizational and policy challenges governments must surmount to employ offensive cyber operations with precise effect, Smeets argues that few states conduct such operations because they are incredibly difficult. Pundits, commentators and policymakers must read this book to temper both their fears and expectations.' -- Emily O. Goldman, US Cyber Command‘In the process of answering the book’s driving question – why do states struggle to develop a military cyber force? – the author offers rigorous theoretical and empirical analysis, as well as nuggets of wisdom for the policy community.’ -- Survival'In No Shortcuts, Smeets does an exceptional job of exploring how truly difficult it is to be successful at cyber operations. It requires thoughtful buildup and vital experience that many countries lack. An important book for an evolving landscape.' -- Daniel Moore, author of Offensive Cyber Operations'If offensive cyber operations are cheap and easy, then cyberweapons should proliferate and cyberwar should escalate. Max Smeets demolishes these myths and reveals a more complicated, and more interesting, reality. While cyberweapons may not proliferate, No Shortcuts certainly will!' -- Jon R. Lindsay, Associate Professor, Georgia Institute of Technology, and author of Information Technology and Military Power'No Shortcuts provides an original and empirically-informed framework for understanding the practical work required for offensive cyber operations. Highly recommended for anyone seeking to understand the challenges of cyber effect operations and how those challenges can constrain state behaviour.' -- Rebecca Slayton, Associate Professor, Department of Science and Technology Studies, Cornell University

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewEscalation Dynamics in Cyberspace deftly demonstrates why the realities of cyberspace don't match up to the hype. Erica and Shawn Lonergan provide an exemplary frame to demystify the implications of cyberspace for geopolitics and, in doing so, demonstrates to security practitioners the nuances and challenges of nation-state cyber operations. * Colin Ahern, Former Acting CISO, New York City Cyber Command *As cyber technology has rapidly permeated every aspect of modern life, analysis has been scrambling to catch up with its impact on international conflict. Lonergan and Lonergan skillfully examine the risks in the aspect of greatest potential danger, escalation within and beyond the cyber realm. Their careful assessment goes beyond the facile intuitions that have dominated much commentary so far. It is refreshingly less alarmist than much conventional wisdom on several crucial facets of the question, while confronting the more frightening prospects on others. This book is the definitive work to date on escalation in cyber conflict. * Richard K. Betts, Leo A. Shifrin Professor of War and Peace Studies, Columbia University *Escalation Dynamics in Cyberspace is a must-read for all policymakers across the national security enterprise as well as senior leaders in the military, homeland security, and intelligence communities. It provides critical insight into the nature of strategic interactions in cyberspace and the implications for crisis and conflict. The book reinforces and extends the core findings of the Cyberspace Solarium Commission, which has emphatically demonstrated that cyberspace presents crucial challenges and opportunities for the United States and the international system. * Rear Admiral (Ret.) Mark Montgomery, Executive Director, Cyberspace Solarium Commission *Geopolitical risk stemming from cyber operations has been at the forefront of critical infrastructure protection for some time. In Escalation Dynamics in Cyberspace, Erica and Shawn Lonergan provide novel insights to understand how to conceive of and manage this risk. This book has the rare quality of being both academically rigorous while also offering actionable recommendations for practitioners. * Scott DePasquale, President and CEO, Analysis and Resilience Center for Systemic Risk *This specialty book challenges the tendency of many cybersecurity authors to treat new information technology as a threat that will eventually destroy the world order and kill everyone... It will be interesting to see whether this level-headed, militarily oriented book will lead to a broader reassessment of the threat that cyberattacks pose to modern societies. * Choice *Table of ContentsPreface Acknowledgements Chapter 1: Why Is There No Escalation in Cyberspace? Chapter 2: Four Attributes of Cyber Operations Chapter 3: A Theory of Cyber Escalation Chapter 4: Restraint and Accommodation: How Cyber Operations Can Diffuse Crises Chapter 5: Patterns of Escalation in Cyberspace Chapter 6: Cyber Operations and the De-Escalation of International Crises Chapter 7: Plausible Escalation Scenarios for the Future: Cyber Operations in a Warfighting Context Chapter 8: Implications for Policymaking

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Book SynopsisEver since its introduction in the late 1950s, the B-52 Stratofortress has been the United States' primary heavy bomber and a powerful symbol of its immense military might. Its powerful electronic countermeasures equipment (ECM) was thought to make the B-52 immune to ground-to-air missile attack, but in Vietnam, and later conflicts such as Operation Desert Storm in 1991, it came up against the Soviet-designed SA-2 SAM which used heavy salvoes of missiles to bring down the bombers.The losses of several of its most feared, powerful and supposedly invincible bombers per night to a torrent of Soviet missiles during the closing stages of the Vietnam War was sobering to Americans, but the B-52s' crushing attacks virtually eliminated North Vietnam's defences and forced a peace settlement. This fascinating book analyses the roles of the SA-2 operators and the B-52 Electronic Warfare Officers (EWOs) using specially commissioned artwork as well as first-hand accounts, and traceTable of ContentsIntroduction /Chronology/ Design and Development /Technical Specifications /The Strategic Situation /The Combatants /Combat /Statistics and Analysis /Aftermath /Further Reading /Index

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Book SynopsisThis study explores the organization, history and uniforms of the Soviet Red Army during the 20 years between its victory in the Civil War and the invasion of the USSR by Germany in 1941. The two decades following the Bolshevik victory over the ''Whites'' in the Russian Civil War saw widespread and fundamental developments for the Red Army. Nevertheless, these still left it largely unready to face Germany''s Operation Barbarossa in June 1941. Having been reduced in size and planning for modernization, the Red Army of the 1920s was employed to ruthlessly crush anti-Bolshevik opposition (real or suspected) in several regions of the USSR, notably Ukraine and Central Asia, and to fight a brief border war against Chinese Manchuria. During the 1930s, Stalin virtually ''beheaded'' the army by a needless series of murderous purges of the officer class; despite this, the Red Army was victorious in clashes against Imperial Japan in the Nomonhan region in 193839, Trade ReviewIt is a very well laid out book in the series, that for a modeller would be a focal point for colour schemes and layout, and also for anybody researching or having an interest in this rather stark period of history. -- Susan Wilson * Army Rumour Service *Ideal for figure modellers and wargamers for painting references * Military Model Scene *Table of ContentsINTRODUCTION THE RED ARMY IN THE 1920s Strength Clandestine contacts with Germany The role of political commissars CAMPAIGNS IN THE 1920s Anti-Basmachi campaigns, 1920s–30s The Sino–Soviet War, 1929 The ‘secret invasion’ of Afghanistan, 1929 THE RED ARMY IN THE 1930s Expansion and re-equipment Cossacks in the Red Army 1936–41 Formation of armoured units, 1922–41 Soviet security forces, 1922–41 Stalin’s purges, 1934–41 CAMPAIGNS IN THE 1930s Far Eastern border clashes: Changkufeng, 1938, and Khalkin Gol, 1939 Soviet invasion of Poland, September 1939 The Russo–Finnish ‘Winter War’, 1939–40 The Red Army in 1941 UNIFORMS, 1922–41 Headgear Helmets Field and service uniforms Legwear and footwear Greatcoats and protective clothing Rank and insignia Branch colours Branch insignia SELECT BIBLIOGRAPHY PLATE COMMENTARIES INDEX

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Book SynopsisThe Battle of Britain was a fight for survival against a seemingly unstoppable foe. With the German army poised to invade, only the fighters of the Royal Air Force stood between Hitler and the conquest of Britain. Losses were high on both sides, but the Spitfires, Hurricanes, Havocs and Defiants of the RAF began to take their toll on the overextended, under-protected Kampfgruppen of Heinkel He 111s, Junkers Ju 87s and 88s, and Dornier Do 17s. Both sides learned and adapted as the campaign went on. As the advantage began to shift from the Luftwaffe to the RAF, the Germans were forced to switch from round-the-clock bombing to only launching night-raids, often hitting civilian targets in the dreaded Blitz. This beautifully illustrated study dissects the tactics and technology of the duels in this new kind of war, bringing the reader into the cockpits of the RAF fighters and Luftwaffe bombers to show precisely where the Battle of Britain was won and lost.Table of ContentsIntroduction Chronology Design and Development Technical Specifications The Strategic Situation The Combatants Combat Statistics and Analysis Aftermath Further Reading Index

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Book SynopsisAn acknowledged expert investigates the clashes between Soviet partisans and their German and locally recruited opponents on the Eastern Front during World War II.The savage partisan war on the Eastern Front during World War II saw a wide variety of forces deployed by both sides. On the Soviet side, civilian partisans fought alongside, and in co-operation with, Red Army troops and Red Army and NKVD special forces. On the German side, German Army security divisions, with indigenous components including cavalry, fought alongside SS police and Waffen-SS units and other front-line troops employed for short periods in the anti-partisan role. In addition to providing the background history of the forces of both sides, this study focuses upon three examples of German anti-partisan operations that show varied success in dealing with the Soviet partisan threat. Notably, it covers a major operation in north-west Russia during the spring of 1943 -- Operation Spring ClTable of ContentsIntroduction / The Opposing Sides / Combat 1 / Combat 2 / Combat 3 / Analysis / Aftermath / Unit Organizations / Bibliography / Index

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Book SynopsisA compelling examination of how secondary states are preserving their strategic autonomy and are resisting spheres of influenceRussia's invasion of Ukraine and the deteriorating United StatesChina relationship signify the onset of the New Cold War. Unlike the original Cold War, this competition is multipolar and multiplex, with secondary powers, small states, and even nonstate actors pragmatically selecting which of their interests intersect with those of the great powers. The New Cold War and the Remaking of Regions contends that multiplexity and multipolarity have important repercussions for the world's regional orders. Contributors to the book address the New Cold War and regional ordering processes from realist, liberal, and constructivist perspectives. They demonstrate how variable regional dynamics will lead either to peaceful change or conflict. This volume is part of a new wave of scholarship that expands the focus of international relations beyond great powers and recognizes the increasing agency that other states have gained in the twenty-first-century world order.

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Book Synopsis''Being a JTAC is the closest a soldier on the ground in the midst of battle can get to feeling like one of the gods - unleashing pure hellfire, death and destruction'' - Duncan FalconerMeet Sergeant ''Bommer'' Grahame, one of the deadliest soldiers on the battlefield. He''s an elite army JTAC (Joint Terminal Attack Controller- pronounced ''jay-tack'') - a specially trained warrior responsible for directing Allied air power with high-tech precision. Commanding Apache gunships, A10 tank-busters, F15s and Harrier jets, he brings down devastating fire strikes against the attacking Taliban, often danger close to his own side. Due to his specialist role, Sergeant Grahame usually operates in the thick of the action, where it''s at its most fearsome and deadly. Conjuring the seemingly impossible from apparently hopeless situations, soldiers in battle rely on the skill and bravery of their JTAC to enable them to win through in the heat of the danger zone. Fire Strike 7/9 tells the story of Bommer Grahame and his five-man Fire Support Team on their tour of Afghanistan. Patrolling deep into enemy territory, they were hunted and targeted by the Taliban, shot at, blown-up, mortared and hit by rockets on numerous occasions. Under these conditions Sergeant Grahame notched up 203 confirmed enemy kills, making him the difference between life and death both for his own troops and the Taliban.Trade ReviewJTACs carry out the most extraordinary of missions where the battle is fiercest. Many a soldier owes their life to their skill and bravery, as this book so eloquently shows -- Colonel Tim Collins OBEOne of the many unsung heroes from the battles of the Upper Gereshk Valley, Bommer Grahame was an outstanding JTAC, unflappable in a punch up, and it was a privilege to scrap alongside him and the lads from B Coy -- Colonel Richard Westley OBE MC

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewBraumoeller's analysis of the data is thoughtful and convincing...Today, with the conditions for a regional war in the Middle East riper than they have been for years, the liberal international order under strain, and the deterioration of U.S.-Chinese relations, Only the Dead makes for sobering reading. * Nikita Lalwani, Yale Law School and Sam Winter-Levy, Princeton University, Foreign Policy *Overall, the arguments in this book are strong, and the discussion of data issues is subtle throughout. Its arguments seem fundamentally correct to me. * Tyler Cowen, Marginal Revolution University *Table of ContentsPreface 1 Introduction 2 Empirical Reasons for Skepticism 3 Theoretical Reasons for Skepticism 4 A Conventional View of War 5 Measuring War 6 A Few Handy Tools 7 Trends in Warfare, 1815-present

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Book SynopsisA Question of Standing deals with recognizable events that have shaped the history of the first 75 years of the CIA. Unsparing in its accounts of dirty tricks and their consequences, it values the agency's intelligence and analysis work to offer balanced judgements that avoid both celebration and condemnation of the CIA.Trade ReviewA Question of Standing is an engaging, fluently narrated book. * Scott Lucas, Times Literary Supplement *This book joins a long list of histories of the CIA...A Question of Standing makes a compelling argument about the CIA's relationship with other US institutions and can serve as a good introduction to the history of the agency. * Choice *An engaging, fluently narrated book. * Times Literary Supplement *Jeffreys-Jones, who has been studying the trials and tribulations of the CIA for many years, provides a concise, informed, and thoughtful history of the agency. * Lawrence D. Freedman, Foreign Affairs *The literature on the history of the CIA is vast and will only continue to grow as newer interpretations emerge. Jeffreys-Jones has produced an interesting book on the early origins, development and future of the CIA. Telling the history of an agency that has a global reach is always going to be a tall order, and this book offers an accessible introduction to the CIA. * Dan Lomas, Brunel University London, UK, International Affairs *This concise history of the Central Intelligence Agency manages to include nearly all of the agency's biggest hits and greatest catastrophes. He [Jeffreys-Jones] brings a depth of knowledge that provides innumerable fascinating anecdotes * The Guardian *An excellent primer on the history of the CIA. * Jamie Gaskarth, Engelsberg Ideas *[A] terrific new history ... This book is the best kind of constructively critical history, told with a refreshingly wry and dry sense of humour—qualities that are all too rare in extant accounts. * Timothy J. Lynch, Australian Book Review *A masterful but concise sweep of analysis; all done in just over 200 pages. ... [The] final chapters are a graceful illustration of why professional historians matter so very much. * Richard Lofthouse, QUAD *This is a deep dive into often dark and troubling history. No punches are pulled and if you're interested in foreign policy and the rise of American power, this is well worth a read. * All About History *well-researched...has salient points to make about President Obama's overuse of drone strikes, and how books were cooked to cover the "absurdly low" casualty figures of innocent people who were killed because of inaccurate strikes and false intelligence. * Martin Chilton, The Independent *an excellent history of the CIA - erudite but fluent and accessible. It engages with important issues of interpretation while at the same time driving forward a compelling narrative of events. It is concise yet wide-ranging, tracing the history of US intelligence from its beginnings to the Biden presidency. ... both balanced and compelling. * Mark White, BBC History Magazine *An insightful and disturbing history of an American institution. * Kirkus Reviews *A comprehensive and thoroughly researched history of the CIA ... engaging, fair and thoughtful. * Catherine Yardley, Frost Magazine *A pleasure to read...a simultaneously authoritative and accessible account. * Hugh Wilford, Journal of Military History *Who better to write about the CIA than a Welsh-born Scottish academic who began his career steeped in standard anti-Americanism of the European left? In a clutch of books over nearly a half century, Jeffreys-Jones has answered "no one." Here, his perspective is standing: how does the CIA stand with, above all, the President but also Congress, the American public and even, on occasion, people abroad. That perspective - plus his own standing as a foreigner both detached from and deeply immersed in things American - lets him provide fresh insights on episodes from the Bay of Pigs to the creation of the director of national intelligence, to the dissing of intelligence by Trump. This book is a pleasure. * Greg Treverton, former chair of the US National Intelligence Council under President Obama *Rhodri Jeffreys-Jones has written a thorough, engaging history of the CIA. In this wide-ranging, thoughtful narrative, he takes us from the pre-history of the agency up through the controversies of the twenty-first century. Anyone interested in intelligence history or the current role of the CIA in American politics should read this book. * Kathryn Olmsted, author of Real Enemies: Conspiracy Theories and American Democracy, World War I to 9/11 *A Question of Standing is an accessible and well-written book, which makes a persuasive case that covert actions loom large in perceptions of the CIA - perhaps to the detriment of intelligence work. * Rory Cormac, War in History 31 *Table of ContentsPreface and Acknowledgements 1: The Road to U-1 2: The OSS Model 3: The Founding of the CIA, 1947 4: Covert Action in the 1950s 5: Intelligence in the 1950s 6: Bay of Pigs, 1961 7: Vietnam: The Roles of the CIA 8: From Reformation to Counter Reformation in the 1970s 9: The Collapse of Soviet Communism in the 1980s 10: Iran and Iran-Contra 11: Existential Issues, 1990-97 12: Fateful Terror and 9/11 13: The Great Diminishing Reform Act of 2004 14: Estimating Anew and a Military Turn 15: Battling Al Qaeda with Assassination and Torture 16: Obama's CIA and the Death of bin Laden 17: Fake News Comes Home 18: Back to Work 19: Conclusion Appendix: CIA Directors 1947-2022 Abbreviations in Notes Bibliography

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewMalkasian offers a nonpareil history of a war that initially was viewed as one of necessity but increasingly became one of choice. His book sets the standard for all future works that will examine the causes and nature of yet another unhappy American military adventure on the mainland of Asia. * Dov S. Zakheim, Senior Advisor at CSIS and a Vice Chairman of the Foreign Policy Research Institute, PRISM *This substantial text is well written and supported by almost 100 pages of notes and references. Offering a rather complete overview of the US failure, this is a must read for anyone interested in the mistakes made in Afghanistan. * G. M. Farr, CHOICE *The book allows Afghans to tell their own story, and their voices are present throughout. The author spent significant amounts of time in Afghanistan and communicated with all strata of society, and as a result this book is one of the very few that is truly authoritative on the subject ... it will become a valuable addition to the academic literature on Afghanistan by giving space to Afghans' voice and agency within its rigorous academic research structure. * Georgi Asatryan and Jack Kalpakian, International Affairs *...compelling... * Christina Lamb, Foreign Affairs *Table of ContentsChapter One: Thinking About America's War in Afghanistan Chapter Two: The Country and Peoples of Afghanistan Chapter Three: The First Taliban Regime Chapter Four: The United States Enters Afghanistan Chapter Five: The Karzai Regime Chapter Six: Disorder in Kandahar Chapter Seven: The Taliban Offensive Chapter Eight: A Second Taliban Regime, 2007-2010 Chapter Nine: The War in the East Chapter Ten: Kandahar City and Lashkar Gah Chapter Eleven: The New Administration and the Surge Chapter Twelve: The Surge in Helmand Chapter Thirteen: The Surge in Kandahar Chapter Fourteen: End of the Surge Chapter Fifteen: Ghazni and the East Chapter Sixteen: The new army and police, insider attacks, and the bilateral security agreement Chapter Seventeen: The 2014 Elections Chapter Eighteen: The Taliban Offensives of 2015 and 2016 Chapter Nineteen: The Trump Administration Chapter Twenty: Peace Talks Chapter Twenty-One: Looking Back on Eighteen Years of War in Afghanistan References Notes Index

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Book SynopsisA unique assessment that challenges humanity''s quest to abolish warfare.The idea that war is going out of style has become the conventional wisdom in recent years. But in Only the Dead, award-winning author Bear Braumoeller demonstrates that it shouldn''t have. With a rare combination of historical expertise, statistical acumen, and accessible prose, Braumoeller shows that the evidence simply doesn''t support the decline-of-war thesis propounded by scholars like Steven Pinker. He argues that the key to understanding trends in warfare lies, not in the spread of humanitarian values, but rather in the formation of international orders--sets of expectations about behavior that allow countries to work in concert, as they did in the Concert of Europe and have done in the postwar Western liberal order. With a nod toward the American sociologist Charles Tilly, who argued that war made the state and the state made war, Braumoeller argues that the same is true of international orders: while theTrade ReviewBraumoeller's analysis of the data is thoughtful and convincing...Today, with the conditions for a regional war in the Middle East riper than they have been for years, the liberal international order under strain, and the deterioration of U.S.-Chinese relations, Only the Dead makes for sobering reading. * Nikita Lalwani, Yale Law School and Sam Winter-Levy, Princeton University, Foreign Policy *Overall, the arguments in this book are strong, and the discussion of data issues is subtle throughout. Its arguments seem fundamentally correct to me. * Tyler Cowen, Marginal Revolution University *Table of ContentsPreface 1 Introduction 2 Empirical Reasons for Skepticism 3 Theoretical Reasons for Skepticism 4 A Conventional View of War 5 Measuring War 6 A Few Handy Tools 7 Trends in Warfare, 1815-present Notes Index

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Book SynopsisFrom terrorist disputes to splinter offshoots, an inside look at how armed groups break apart. Terrorist, rebel, and insurgent groups are highly unstable. Amid fears of defeat and even death, intense disagreements have torn many organizations apart, from Syria to Iraq, Ireland to Spain. And while some of these divisions have preceded a group''s decline and eventual defeat, others have launched some of the most notorious and deadly organizations in recent history.In Divided Not Conquered, Evan Perkoski analyzes how armed groups fracture and how breakaway splinter groups behave. Perkoski takes an unprecedented look inside these organizations to understand the specific disagreements that cause groups to break apart, like those over ideology, leadership, and strategy. Drawing on research from organizational studies to social psychology, and leveraging analogies from business firms to religious sects, Perkoski shows how these disputes uniquely shape the behavior and survivability of emerginTrade ReviewThis book is an important addition to the literature on rebel group fragmentation. It offers a novel, nuanced argument and backs up its claims with a variety of tests. It also draws on new primary source material for the Irish Republican Army case study. This is essential reading for students, researchers, and practitioners studying why and how violent groups fragment. At times, Perkoski uses technical or specialized language that may be difficult for general readers to grasp. * Choice *

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Book SynopsisDisrupt and Deny is the untold story behind Britain''s secret scheming against both enemies and friends from 1945 to the present day. British leaders use spies and Special Forces to interfere in the affairs of others discreetly and deniably. Since 1945, MI6 has spread misinformation designed to divide and discredit targets from the Middle East to Eastern Europe and Northern Ireland. It has instigated whispering campaigns and planted false evidence on officials working behind the Iron Curtain, tried to foment revolution in Albania, blown up ships to prevent the passage of refugees to Israel, and secretly funnelled aid to insurgents in Afghanistan and dissidents in Poland. MI6 has launched cultural and economic warfare against Iceland and Czechoslovakia. It has tried to instigate coups in Congo, Egypt, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Iran, and elsewhere. Through bribery and blackmail, Britain has rigged elections as colonies moved to independence. Britain has fought secret wars in Yemen, Indonesia, and Oman - and discreetly used Special Forces to eliminate enemies from colonial Malaya to Libya during the Arab Spring. This is covert action: a vital, though controversial, tool of statecraft and perhaps the most sensitive of all government activity. If used wisely, it can play an important role in pursuing national interests in a dangerous world. If used poorly, it can cause political scandal - or worse. In Disrupt and Deny, Rory Cormac tells the remarkable true story of Britain''s secret scheming against its enemies, as well as its friends; of intrigue and manoeuvring within the darkest corridors of Whitehall, where officials fought to maintain control of this most sensitive and seductive work; and, above all, of Britain''s attempt to use smoke and mirrors to mask decline. He reveals hitherto secret operations, the slush funds that paid for them, and the battles in Whitehall that shaped them.Trade ReviewReview from previous edition Revelatory and meticulously researched. Rory Cormac moves in the forensic footsteps of Peter Hennessy, patiently sleuthing his way through forgotten archives and private papers, finding disturbing documents that Whitehall civil servants hoped had long been buried. Half a century after we began to learn about SOE and Bletchley Park, there are still surprises. * Richard Aldrich, The Times Literary Supplement *A welcome and most timely book [which] provides plenty of evidence to show why it is time [that policy makers and spy chiefs] absence of accountability and freedom to break the law with impunity must end. * Richard Norton-Taylor, Literary Review *A work of outstanding scholarly originality. * Richard Davenport-Hines, Times Literary Supplement *Disrupt and Deny is a bold study of the postwar history of British covert action [and] Cormac attacks the subject with impressive energy and industry. The result is an engrossing journey through the history of a stubbornly opaque area of the secret world. * Huw Dylan, BBC History Magazine *A ground-breaking book ... It reads like a thriller and shines valuable light on how Britain's Secret Intelligence Service, M16, has spread misinformation designed to divide and discredit targets from the Middle East to Eastern Europe. * Francis Ghiles, ES Global *This excellent book relies on a high amount of archival material and represents the first detailed history of British covert action. * Lucy Trenta, Intelligence and National Security *An enthralling, well-written and authoritative history of Britain's role in covert operations from the Second World War to the present day. * Geraint Hughes, International Affairs *An important book about an important subject Disrupt and Deny should be read by anyone, citizens, scholars or those in government interested in Britain's place in the world, past and present. * Calder Walton, Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University *A pioneering and highly readable book uncovering how Britain secretly used spies and special forces to stem national decline. * Professor Michael Goodman, King's College, London *Rory Cormac is one of the brightest rising stars in the expanding firmament of Intelligence Studies. Here he takes on one of the most difficult of research endeavors: probing the ins-and-outs of covert action as practiced by the British. He comes up with a balanced assessment written in lovely prose that is a pleasure to read. This book is a valuable dissection of an important topic that few have had the audacity to address. * Loch K. Johnson, Regents Professor of International Affairs, University of Georgia *This is a ground-breaking book--the first history of British covert action ever published, from wartime SOE to new and unacknowledged adventures in Syria." * Richard J. Aldrich, University of Warwick and author of GCHQ:The Uncensored Story of Britain's Most Secret Intelligence Agency *Table of ContentsIntroduction: Covert Action Part I - Cold War 1: False Starts: From Counter Attack to Liberation 2: Operation Valuable: Defending Greece; Detaching Albania 3: Pinpricks: The Early Cold War 4: A Long Game: Exploiting Rifts Behind the Iron Curtain Part II - End of Empire 5: Operations Boot: Regime Change in Iran 6: Expansion: Covert Action Before Suez 7: Interdependence: Covert Action After Suez 8: Decolonisation and Drift: The Battle for Influence after Empire 9: Militarisation: Secret Wars in Yemen and Indonesia Part III - Age of Illusions 10: Operation Storm and Beyond: From Latin America to Oman 11: Troubles: Covert Action in Northern Ireland 12: Containment: The Second Cold War 13: Transition: The New Agenda 14: Counter-Terrorism: Disrupting Threats; Managing Risk Conclusion: The British Way Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisExplore the Wars in Star Wars as never before!Enter a galaxy ravaged by conflict and discover the complete story of the epic struggles that define the Star Wars movies. This ambitious book presents major galactic conflicts from an in-world historical perspective: each battle is depicted with captivating imagery, explored with newly commissioned maps, and explained through detailed analysis of tactics, famous commanders, legendary warriors, key moments, and its impact on wider galactic history.This is the perfect book for any Star Wars fan, budding military historian, or would-be rebel hero! AND TM 2021 LUCASFILM LTD.

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Book SynopsisEmmanuel Jal was seven years old when he became a soldier and went into battle with the rebel army in Sudan''s bloody civil war. Believing he was being sent to school, Emmanuel trekked his way to a refugee camp in Ethiopia where he became one of the Lost Boys of Sudan.After nearly five years of fighting, Emmanuel was smuggled into Kenya by Emma McCune, a British aid worker, and finally began to have a childhood and an education. When Emma died tragically, Emmanuel struggled to find purpose in life but eventually - through the power of prayer and music - he succeeded.From child soldier, to refugee, to rap star, War Child is one boy''s incredible story of survival and triumph.Trade ReviewInevitably, War Child will invite comparison to Ishmael Beah's A Long Way Gone, another memoir by an African boy-soldier ... War Child is very different, very much worth reading, and when you think about it, much more believable ... You'll come away from this book loving Emmanuel Jal * Carolyn See, WASHINGTON POST *An astounding narrative of human physical endurance * Evening Standard *While it may be that no portrayal can ever bring us close to the reality, Jal does afford the reader an insight into a terrrifying existence * New Statesman *

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Book SynopsisThis volume provides materials for active learning about peacebuilding and conflict management in the context of complex stability operations. Today, America faces security challenges unlike any it has faced before, many of which requiring lengthy U.S. involvement in stability operations. These challenges are exceedingly dynamic and complex because of the ever changing mix and number of actors involved, the pace with which the strategic and operational environments change, and the constraints placed on response options. This volume presents a series of case studies to inspire active learning about peacebuilding and conflict management in the context of complex stability operations. The case studies highlight dilemmas pertaining to the story of the case (case dilemma) and to its larger policy implications (policy dilemma). The cases stimulate readers to get inside the heads of case protagonists with widely differing cultural backgrounds, professional experiences, and individual and organisational interests. Overall, Understanding Complex Military Operations challenges the reader to recognize the importance of specific national security related issues and their inherent dilemmas, deduce policy implications, and discern lessons that might apply to other â perhaps even non-security related â areas of public policy, administration, and management. This volume will be of much interest to students of conflict prevention, transitional justice, peacebuilding, security studies and professionals conducting field-based operations in potentially hazardous environments. Trade Review'The case method is a natural addition to training and education for complex operations. When the Case Center of the Georgetown University Institute for the Study of Diplomacy was asked to participate, we shared an analytical technique that would apply experiential learning in a new way. The central question for students of complex operations is: confronted by a new environment, how does an expert practitioner interpret the situation and reach new insights? There are many similarities that practitioners face in Iraq and Afghanistan, but successful operations in one environment is not wholly a recipe for success in the other. Teaching with the case method builds the analytical, decision-making skills that are not case, or lesson, dependent. The case study method and the practitioners who contributed to this volume have established a solid foundation for future complex operations' --- Charles Dolgas, Institute for the Study of Diplomacy, Georgetown University'The origins of this case studies volume was a collaboration between the nascent Center for Complex Operations and the Naval Post Graduate School, with the aim of improving the ability of the U.S. Government to prepare for civil–military cooperation in counterinsurgency, irregular warfare and stability operations. Complex operations are tough! As soldiers, policy makers, peacekeepers, academics and other experts engaged in complex operations, we continue to face challenges, even after a decade of civilian-military cooperation in Iraq and Afghanistan. These case studies are designed to enhance the learning and analytical processes and better prepare professionals for the range of complex operations. And maybe, the next time we find ourselves shoulder-to-shoulder doing the difficult and necessary work inherent in complex operations, things will be just a little bit easier' ---David A. Sobyra, Office of the Secretary of Defense'Table of ContentsForeword, Ambassador John E. Herbst (Ret.) 1. Complex Operations: Connecting Scholarship and Practice, Karen Guttieri and Volker Franke Part I: Policy Questions 2. The Road to Good Intentions: British Nation-building in Aden, Scott Smitson 3. The Declarations of Independence: The Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic, Rudy L. Hightower II 4. Mozambique: A Chance for Peace, Ann L. Phillips 5. Basra: Strategic Dilemmas and Force Options, John Hodgson Part II: Security Providers 6. Security by Contractor: Outsourcing in Peace and Stability Operations, Volker Franke 7. Leading Healing in a Broken Unit, Edward H. Powley and Scott N. Taylor 8. Right and Wrong, Balanced on the Edge of a Spear: U.S. Forces at a Mosque in Baghdad, Joshua Potter Part III: Coordination Challenges 9. The Kuwait Task Force: Postconflict Planning and Interagency Coordination, Dennis Barlow 10. Dynamics of Humanitarian Assistance: Civil Affairs in the Horn of Africa, Jessica Piombo 11. CORDS Campaign of Pacification, Rufus Phillips 12. Security by Drones: The Global Market for Remote-Controlled Warfare, Rebecca LeFebvre Part IV: Security and Development Program Challenges 13. Dynamic Tension: Security, Stability, and the Opium Trade, Peter Curry 14. A Penny for Your Thoughts, a Nickel for Your Heart: Buying Popular Support for Counterinsurgency, Justin Gorkowski 15. Reintegrating Child Soldiers, Kim Fletcher Part V: Analytic Cases 16. Whole of Society Conflict Prevention: A Case Study on Kenya’s Success Contrasted with Failures in Afghanistan and Iraq, Lisa Schirch 17. Military Intervention and Diplomatic Engagements in Libya: A Collage of Policy, Force and Law, Anna F. Triponel and Paul R. Williams 18. The Iraq War: Efforts during Conflict to Address Past Atrocities and Seek Accountability, Sandra L. Hodgkinson

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Book SynopsisThe book aims to provide the reader with a state-of-the-art introduction to classic and modern military theory. The text accounts for the most important theories within the field by developing and analyzing these theories, as well as problematizing both their normative and explanatory aims. While focusing on military theory, the book does not only reflect a single way of relating to knowledge of war and warfare, but furthers learning by introducing contrasting perspectives as well as constantly criticizing the theories. There is a clear need for an introductory text for the entire field of military theory that focuses whole-heartedly on the theories â not on their context or how they are expressed in practice during war. This book covers such questions as how we should understand the changing character of war, the utility of force and how the pursuit of political ends is achieved through military means. It draws upon and illustrates military thought through a wide-rangTable of Contents1. Military Theory: An Introduction 2. What is War? 3. What is Strategy? 4. What is Operational Art? 5. The Principles of War 6. Theories of Joint Operations 7. Theories of Land Operations 8. Theories of Sea Operations 9. Theories of Air Operations 10. The Dynamics of War: Some Conclusions

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Book SynopsisFollowing the 900th anniversary of the Crusader capture of Jerusalem, it is now time to reflect on how the phenomenon of the Crusades influenced the Muslim world, then and now: militarily, culturally and psychologically.Carole Hillenbrand discusses a group of themes that highlight how Muslims reacted to the alien presence of the Crusaders in the heart of traditional Muslim territory. She examines ideological concerns and the importance of the jihad in the context of the gradual recovery of the Holy Land and the expulsion of the Crusaders.Trade ReviewThis is ground-breaking work, and its value lies not only in the detailed reportage, but also in the way Carole Hillenbrand gives western historians a guide to source material, either unknown to them or available only in partial translation, and introduces her readers to the mindset of medieval Muslims, providing an entirely different angle from which to look at the crusading movement. By putting modern ideas into context the book will enable readers in both the western and Islamic worlds to understand better events which to some extent are shaping the present. -- Jonathan Riley-Smith The Crusades from a Western viewpoint have produced a very rich and abundant bibliography for more than a century. On the other hand, very few studies on the Muslim response to the Crusade have appeared. For the first time the subject is tackled here globally and an attempt is made to explain, through a deep analysis of the Arabic sources, the motives and aims of the Muslims ! This work - which shows very clearly the impact which the Crusades have had in Islamic territory up until our own time - is a remarkable contribution to the history of relations between east and west. -- Anne-Marie Edde Hillenbrand's admirable book, the first comprehensive attempt to pull together the relevant Muslim texts on these wars, lets the sources speak for themselves, and provides intriguing insights into the deeply rooted problems which face us today ! she has done a masterful job, providing us with a whole new way to examine the traditional western material on the Crusades. A magisterial and path-breaking study in its own right ! a veritable treasure trove of material heretofore unavailable to the non-Arabist ! The Crusades is a masterly and welcome contribution to the historiography of the Crusades. Hillenbrand has set an enviable standard of scholarship from which teachers and students of the Crusades, the medieval Middle East, and medieval Europe will long benefit. It is a major contribution !The book is profusely illustrated and the illustrations are on the whole well chosen. This is ground-breaking work, and its value lies not only in the detailed reportage, but also in the way Carole Hillenbrand gives western historians a guide to source material, either unknown to them or available only in partial translation, and introduces her readers to the mindset of medieval Muslims, providing an entirely different angle from which to look at the crusading movement. By putting modern ideas into context the book will enable readers in both the western and Islamic worlds to understand better events which to some extent are shaping the present. The Crusades from a Western viewpoint have produced a very rich and abundant bibliography for more than a century. On the other hand, very few studies on the Muslim response to the Crusade have appeared. For the first time the subject is tackled here globally and an attempt is made to explain, through a deep analysis of the Arabic sources, the motives and aims of the Muslims ! This work - which shows very clearly the impact which the Crusades have had in Islamic territory up until our own time - is a remarkable contribution to the history of relations between east and west. Hillenbrand's admirable book, the first comprehensive attempt to pull together the relevant Muslim texts on these wars, lets the sources speak for themselves, and provides intriguing insights into the deeply rooted problems which face us today ! she has done a masterful job, providing us with a whole new way to examine the traditional western material on the Crusades. A magisterial and path-breaking study in its own right ! a veritable treasure trove of material heretofore unavailable to the non-Arabist ! The Crusades is a masterly and welcome contribution to the historiography of the Crusades. Hillenbrand has set an enviable standard of scholarship from which teachers and students of the Crusades, the medieval Middle East, and medieval Europe will long benefit. It is a major contribution !The book is profusely illustrated and the illustrations are on the whole well chosen.Table of ContentsThe first crusade - the Muslim reaction; Jihad - the evolution of propaganda, 1100-1174; Jihad - military success, 1174-1291; Muslims and crusaders - the ideological divide; Muslims and crusaders - social and cultural relations; warfare - technology, strategy, theory and practice; epilogue - the heritage of the crusades.

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Book SynopsisThis book is a uniquely accessible discussion of the sanctions and international trade measures deployed against Russia following its 2022 invasion of Ukraine. The book situates the sanctions response within its historical and economic backgrounds.Trade Review'The US, UK, EU, Japan, and other allies imposed quick and coordinated sanctions on Russia following Putin's invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Christine Abely wields her legal expertise to tell the fast-paced story of how, due to a complex and interdependent global economy, even these far-reaching sanctions were nevertheless not enough.' Chad P. Bown, Reginald Jones Senior Fellow, Peterson Institute for International Economics'Christine Abely has pulled off an impressive feat: a comprehensive guide to the 2022 sanctions against Russia. In crisp and clear prose, Abely brings order to the complexity of the most consequential sanctions in modern history. The Russia Sanctions is an invaluable resource for scholars, students, and practitioners alike.' Edward Fishman, Senior Research Scholar, Columbia University Center on Global Energy Policy; former Russia and Europe Sanctions Lead, US Department of StateTable of ContentsIntroduction; 1. Before the invasion; 2. Invasion: the first week; 3. The financial sanctions and impact on the global financial system; 4. Extraterritoriality; 5. The energy problem; 6. Trade as a weapon; 7. Food insecurity; 8. The oligarchs, and others; 9. Escalation; 10. Enforcement; 11. Assessing the sanctions; Conclusion.

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Book SynopsisThis book analyzes the civil war in Yemen and how intervening external actors have shaped the trajectory of the conflict.The work examines the conflict in Yemen as a testing ground for expectations about the autonomy and control of proxies by external patrons and the direct consequences for civilian victimization and duration of war. Like other proxy wars, the international dimensions of the war made the conflict in Yemen subject to the geopolitical interests of intervening powers. The longstanding power rivalry between Saudi Arabia and Iran over Middle East supremacy resulted in a competitive intervention in Yemen, where the initial belligerents of the civil warthe Houthi and the Hadi regimewere used as proxies by Tehran and the Gulf coalition led by Riyadh, respectively. Their intervention ultimately translated into a prolonged and destructive conflict. The often contradictory and self-interested patronage strategies by the coalition's two central patrons, Saudi Arabia and Table of Contents1. Introduction 2. Proxy War: A Primer 3. Proxy War in the Middle East 4. Key Military Engagements in Yemen, 2014-2022 5. External Patrons of Surrogates in Yemen’s Civil War 6. Conclusion

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Book SynopsisThis book analyses how and to what extent ex-communist states have adjusted their defence strategies since joining the EU and NATO, and how differences and similarities between their strategies can be explained. Between 1999 and 2013, four phases of enlargement took place when the European Union (EU) and NATO allowed 11 new former communist states to enter both organisations. These states share some common attributes and experiences related to strategic culture and common experiences during the Cold War era that can potentially explain similarities in behaviour and preferences among them. However, the strategic adjustments among these states are far from uniform. In an effort to explain these differences, the book introduces three intervening variables: (1) differences in relative power and position in the international system, (2) national geographical characteristics; and (3) historical experiences related to formative periods of state-building processes as well as wars andTrade Review'Edstrom and Westberg present a seminal and meticulously researched study of the deteriorating European security environment, a disturbing reality underscored by the tragic Russian aggression in Ukraine. Leveraging rigorous analysis of strategically significant variables, including geographical factors, historical experiences, common trials, power dynamics, and military priorities in 11 European nations liberated from Soviet domination, the authors convincingly urge defense planners and leaders of Central Europe, NATO, and the European Union to adopt innovative strategies, military practices, and new defense capabilities to shore up national and collective security.'Steven Lambakis, Editor-in-Chief, Comparative Strategy and Senior Defense Analyst at the National Institute for Public Policy, Fairfax, VA, USA'This path-breaking research monograph is essential reading for all those concerned with the changing dynamics of European security, defence cooperation and military strategy. Edström and Westberg have written the first comprehensive comparative study of the military strategies of eleven new NATO members from Central and Eastern Europe. Their analysis is grounded on a sophisticated research design and is logically structured, clearly written, and rich in empirical detail. The authors draw on their extensive knowledge of the relevant scholarly literature to provide a theoretically nuanced analysis of the critical factors shaping military strategy in NATO’s new European allies. Essential reading in these times of crises and insecurity.' Adrian Hyde-Price, Professor of Political Science, University of Gothenburg, SwedenTable of ContentsPART I - Theoretical & Methodological Considerations: Framing the Research Design 1. Strategic Adjustment in Central and Eastern Europe 2. Analysing and Explaining Strategic Adjustment and Diversity 3. Operationalising the Dependent Variable: Defence Strategy PART II - The Empirical Exploration 4. The Strategy of Bulgaria 5. The Strategy of Croatia 6. The Strategy of the Czech Republic (Czechia) 7. The Strategy of Estonia 8. The Strategy of Hungary 9. The Strategy of Latvia 10. The Strategy of Lithuania 11. The Strategy of Poland 12. The Strategy of Romania 13. The Strategy of Slovakia 14. The Strategy of Slovenia PART III - Explaining the Findings 15. The Aggregated Result of the Empirical Exploration 16. Explaining the Diversity of Strategic Responses 17. Conclusions

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Book SynopsisUpturning the traditional view of religion as a source of conflict, this book studies Islamic perspectives of international conflict resolution, re-interpreting the possibility of Israel-Palestine reconciliation beyond traditional secular frameworks.Beginning with an analysis of both classical and modern Islamic texts, the book provides a theoretical overview of Islamic conflict resolution before exploring the Israel-Palestine conflict in its historical, social and political dimensions. This framework allows for a real-world examination of Islamic conflict resolution in the context of Israel-Palestine theological debates. The author also critically assesses differing ideological and political views among Islamic scholars, divided by those supporting and those opposing a peace treaty between Israel and Palestine. Ultimately, it is argued that neglecting religion misses the opportunity to inject the spiritual dimension needed for reconciling the Israelis and Palestinians.

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Book SynopsisThis book examines the processes, practices and principles of defence planning in small and middle powers.Small and middle powers are recalibrating their force postures in this age of disruption. They are adapting their defence planning and military innovation processes to protect the security of their nations. The purpose of this book is to explore defence planning and military innovation in 11 contemporary case studies of small and middle powers in North America, Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Oceania. Employing a structured focused comparison framework, it traces patterns in the choices of small and middle powers across the following themes: (1) alliances, dependencies and national ambitions; (2) approaches, processes, methods and techniques; and (3) military innovation strategies and outcomes. Breaking new theoretical ground, it offers a three-pronged typology distinguishing between the strategic defence planner, the transactional defence planners and the complacent de

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Book SynopsisThis innovative and important book explores how war imprints on culture and the psychosocial effects of war on individuals and societies, based on the first few months after the outbreak of war in Ukraine in 2022.The book approaches the conflict in Ukraine through the prism of creative and artistic material alongside scholarly analysis to highlight the multiplicity of subjective experiences. Essays are complemented by material from the war diaries', which comprise day diaries, dream diaries, artistic and poetic material composed by students and academics in February and March 2022. With chapters focusing on fear, ruptures and resistance, the book examines different aspects of subjective, cultural and embodied experiences of war. It examines elements that dominant perspectives of war often overlook; the quotidian, personal and emotive ways that war is registered individually and collectively in societies and cultures.Highlighting different narratives that illuminate the

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