Bringing together international experts to provide a comprehensive introduction to strategic studies,
Strategy in the Contemporary World, Sixth Edition, is the only overview to critically engage with both enduring and contemporary issues that dominate strategy. Readers are encouraged to explore key debates and alternative perspectives throughout the chapters. A boxed "Debates" feature considers key controversies and presents opposing arguments, helping students to build critical thinking skills and reflect upon a wide range of perspectives.
The new edition has been thoroughly updated to incorporate the latest developments in the field of strategic studies. A new Chapter 19, "The West and the Rest," explores the limitations and problems strategic studies face when dealing with security challenges in the Global South, stressing the importance of diversity in the field and the important contributions the non-Western world has made to international relations theories and concepts. Chapter 14, "Geography and Strategy" considers important developments in air power, maritime strategy and the rapid expansion of space and cyber warfare.
This text is supported by fully updated online resources, to encourage deeper engagement with content.
For students:
Case studies help to contextualise and deepen understanding of key issues
Web links and further reading provide students with opportunities to deepen their understanding of main topics and explore further areas of research interest
For instructors:
Customizable PowerPoint slides to ensure clarity of explanation of key concepts and debates
Test Bank to reinforce key concepts and test students' understanding
Seminar activities to ensure effective and engaging class discussion
1. Introduction: Strategy in the Contemporary World: Strategy After 9/11, John Baylis and James J. WirtzPart I: Enduring Issues of Strategy2. The History of the Practice of Strategy from Antiquity to Napoleon, Beatrice Heuser3. The Evolution of Modern Warfare, Michael Sheehan4. Strategic Theory, Thomas G. Mahnken5. The Causes of War and the Conditions of Peace, John Garnett and John Baylis6. Strategic Culture, Jeffrey S. Lantis and Darryl Howlett7. Law, Politics, and the Use of Force, Justin Morris8. Technology and Warfare, Eliot A. Cohen9. Intelligence and Strategy, Roger Z. George10. Strategy and Defense Planning, Colin S. GrayPart II: Contemporary Problems11. Irregular Warfare: Terrorism and Insurgency, James D. Kiras12. The Second Nuclear Age: Nuclear Weapons in the Twenty-First Century, C. Dale Walton13. The Control of Weapons of Mass Destruction, John Baylis14. Conventional Power and Contemporary Warfare, John Ferris15. Geography and Strategy, Daniel Moran NEW16. Humanitarian Intervention and Peace Operations, Sheena Chestnut Greitens17. The Rise of Cyberpower, John B. Sheldon18. Geopolitics and Grand Strategy, Stefanie Ortmann and Nick WhittakerPart III: The Future of Strategy19. Strategic Studies: The West and the Rest, Amitav Acharya and Jiajie He NEW20. Strategic Studies and its Critics, Columba Peoples21. A New Agenda for Security and Strategy?, James J. Wirtz22. The Practice of Strategy, Colin S. Gray and Jeannie L. Johnson23. Does Strategic Studies Have a Future?, Lawrence Freedman