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Full Product Details

Author:   Lawrence Freedman (Emeritus Professor of War Studies, Emeritus Professor of War Studies, King's College London)
Publisher:   Oxford University Press Inc
Imprint:   Oxford University Press Inc
Dimensions:   Width: 15.70cm , Height: 2.50cm , Length: 22.60cm
Weight:   0.612kg
ISBN:  

9780197814659

ISBN 10:   0197814654
Pages:   344
Publication Date:   02 March 2026
Audience:   College/higher education ,  Postgraduate, Research & Scholarly
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Forthcoming
Availability:   To order  

Table of Contents

Introduction PART I: ORIGINS 1: On Scepticism and Scavenging 2: Michael Howard: A Reminiscence PART II: ACADEMICS AND POLICY-MAKING 3: Academics and Policy-Making: Rules of Engagement 4: Review Essay, Michael Desch, Cult of the Irrelevant 5: The Benefits of Hindsight: Historical Research and Political Accountability 6: The Chicago Speech and Criteria for the Use of Force 7: Iraq 20 Year On: The Story of the Missing Weapons of Mass Destruction 8: The UK Military Contribution to the Iraq War 9: Blair's Decision to Support Bush's War PART III: PEOPLE 10: Strategy's Evangelist: Colin Gray 11: The Intellectual Legacy of Michael Quinlan 12: Robert Jervis, Realism, and Misperceptions 13: John McDonald: Poker-Playing Popularizer of Game Theory 14: Strategic Fanaticism: Vladimir Putin and Ukraine 15: Nelson Mandela as a Strategist PART IV: ISSUES 16: Ancient Lessons for Modern Crisis 17: The Death of Captain Waskow: In Praise of the Infantry 18: Does Artificial Intelligence Change the Nature of War? 19: Terrorism as Strategy 20: Israel: Beyond Deterrence 21: For King and Country 22: Stalemate, Zugzwang, and a Long Middle Game PART V: REVIEWS 23: Oppenheimer: The Bomb, Morality, and Strategy 24: My Kendom for a Horse? Barbie: A Strategic Analysis

Reviews

For some, strategic thinking should be based on hard metrics and shorn of sentiment. Lawrence Freedman's collection of essays turns that proposition on its head. Part autobiographical, spanning a remarkable career spent at the coalface of national security debates, the book is full of unobtrusive charm, humanity and critical self-infliction. Freedman packs a considerable punch as he ponders the limits of deterrence and the ever-darkening geopolitical storm clouds on the horizon. * John Bew, Professor of History and Foreign Policy, King's College London * This collection of essays by the greatest living academic strategist is a treasure. Incisiveness coupled with humanity and humor are Lawrence Freedman's hallmarks. Please read this to learn the craft of strategy. * Kori Schake, Director of Foreign and Defense Policy, American Enterprise Institute * Lawrence Freedman is not only our preeminent military historian and strategist but also a witty memoirist, fine journalist, stylish essayist, and a canny observer of all the contours and influences of past, present, and likely future-from his personal life, the politics shaping all of our times, and their various intermingling and contradictions. This collection, the too-drably titled On Strategists and Strategy, pops with energy, insight, and wisdom. * Fred Kaplan, Author of The Bomb, The Insurgents, and The Wizards of Armageddon *

Author Information

Lawrence Freedman was Professor of War Studies at King's College London from 1982 to 2014 and Vice-Principal of the College from 2002 to 2013. He was the Official Historian of the Falklands Campaign and a member of the UK Inquiry into the Iraq War. He is the author of several books, including Strategy: A History (Oxford, 2013).

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