Contemporary Military Strategy and the Global War on Terror: US and UK Armed Forces in Afghanistan and Iraq 2001-2012

Description

Contemporary Military Strategy and the Global War on Terror offers an in-depth analysis of US/UK military strategy in Afghanistan and Iraq from 2001 to the present day. It explores the development of contemporary military strategy in the West in the modern age before interrogating its application in the Global War on Terror. The book provides detailed insights into the formulation of military plans by political and military elites in the United States and United Kingdom for Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. Alastair Finlan highlights the challenges posed by each of these unique theatres of operation, the nature of the diverse enemies faced by coalition forces, and the shortcomings in strategic thinking about these campaigns. This fresh perspective on strategy in the West and how it has been applied in recent military campaigns facilitates a deep understanding of how wars have been and will be fought. Including key terms, concepts and discussion questions for each chapter, Contemporary Military Strategy and the Global War on Terror is a crucial text in strategic studies, and required reading for anyone interested in the new realities of transnational terrorism and twenty-first century warfare.

Alastair Finlan is Lecturer in Strategic Studies at Aberystwyth University, UK. He is author of over a dozen books, including Contemporary Military Culture and Strategic Studies: US and UK Armed Forces in the 21st Century (2013).

Finlan, quite radically, manages to write a book on strategy premised upon the central argument that, paradoxically, strategy was the one thing missing in Afghanistan ... Finlan gives a captivating description of the step-by-step mismanagement and strategic disorientation in both the Afghan and Iraqi missions. -- Florian P. Kuhn * Journal of Intervention and Statebuilding * This is an exceptionally fine book that must enhance Alastair Finlan's already high reputation. It offers a coherent and persuasive narrative that blends theory and practice in explanation of the appalling errors in strategy that were committed in the 2000s in Iraq and Afghanistan. However, the work is fair and balanced where it needs to be - it is not a journalistic condemnation, but rather is an excellent example of strategic studies at its best. * Colin S. Gray, Department of Politics and International Relations, University of Reading, UK * An excellent analysis of the (lack of) strategic thinking behind the Global War on Terror as manifested in Afghanistan and Iraq. Finlan presents a fresh, fast-paced and insightful examination of the application of military strategy in Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. This is a compelling and convincing narrative on contemporary strategy that should be read by scholars and policy makers alike. * Elinor Sloan, PhD Professor of International Relations, Carleton University, Canada * Contemporary Military Strategy and the Global War on Terror is an excellent book, well suited for college courses in military history and international relations. It will also make instructive reading for policymakers in an age of asymmetrical conflict. -- Michael D. Gambone, Kutztown University * Michigan War Studies Review *