Title: The New Makers of Modern Strategy: From the Ancient World to the Digital Age
Author: Hal Brands
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Publication Date: 05/02/2023
ASIN: 0691204381
Read BookBook Description:
The Evolution of Military Strategy
The New Makers of Modern Strategy: From the Ancient World to the Digital Age, edited by Hal Brands, examines the development of military and political strategy across centuries of warfare and statecraft. Published by Princeton University Press in 2023, the book brings together contributions from leading scholars of military history, international relations, and strategic studies. Moreover, it connects classical ideas with the challenges faced by modern strategists. As a result, readers gain a broad view of how strategic thought has changed over time.
The book begins with the foundations of strategic thought. It examines figures such as Thucydides, Polybius, Sun Zi, Machiavelli, Clausewitz, Jomini, and Alfred Thayer Mahan. In addition, it explores the relationship between military power, political objectives, economics, and national strategy. Consequently, readers can see how different thinkers approached the challenges of war and statecraft.
Strategy Through War and Rivalry
The collection then examines strategy during periods of great-power competition and global conflict. Chapters explore Napoleon, Churchill, Roosevelt, Hitler, Stalin, Mao Zedong, and other influential figures. Furthermore, the book covers total war, nuclear strategy, the Korean War, the Arab-Israeli conflict, the Cold War, and strategies of non-alignment. These chapters show how military strategy developed alongside major political and technological changes.
The final sections focus on the post-Cold War world. They examine counterinsurgency, counterterrorism, China’s strategy, irregular warfare, North Korea, the Congo Wars, intelligence, and new strategic domains. Therefore, the book connects historical lessons with contemporary questions about military and political strategy.
Why Read The New Makers of Modern Strategy?
By combining historical research with strategic analysis, The New Makers of Modern Strategy provides a comprehensive study of how ideas about war and statecraft have evolved. Additionally, its global scope introduces readers to strategic traditions from different periods and regions. The book is an excellent resource for readers interested in military strategy, grand strategy, military history, geopolitics, international relations, and strategic studies. Finally, it provides a valuable reference for understanding the thinkers, conflicts, and ideas that have shaped modern approaches to strategy.
The New Makers of Modern Strategy: From the Ancient World to the Digital Age is featured in Author Spotlight: Hal Brands | September 2026, alongside other notable works by the historian and strategist.
Author Spotlight: Hal Brands | September 2026