The second nuclear age the navy in the postcold war world. And that was enough for the alliance to mature in the light of events. Also, speaking as a strategist, i have a professional dislike for impossible. An ambitious and selfdescribed bold overview of 2300 years of strategic thinkers with a clear roadmap to the authors favorites. The 21st century security environment and the future of war. Modern strategy explains the permanent nature, but ever changing character, of strategy in light of the whole strategic experience of the. Modern strategy is a book important to my understanding of the history of the 20th century. The trouble with the hybrid war concept is that it encourages the innovative theorist to venture without limit into the swamp of inclusivity, indeed of a form of encyclopedism. Colin gray is professor of international politics and strategic studies at the.
The firstever introduction to the theory of strategy. Gray s latest book aims to examine in depth five aspects of strategy intellect, morality, culture, geography, and technology and poses important questions around technology, geography, and ethics. The book is a major contribution to the general theory of strategy. Colin gray is professor of international politics and director of the centre for security studies at the university of hull. It should be needless to add that policy needs to be somewhat flexible and adaptive since war has a way of frustrating political intentions. See the discussion of the dimensions of strategy in colin s. We present the utter variant of this book in doc, djvu, pdf, txt, epub formats. It is immodest and selfindulgent to use the personal pronoun in a work with pretensions to scholarship. A modern airpower theorist whispers to a wall medium. Provides a short and accessible introduction to a key component of any higherlevel strategic studies course. Liddellhart, colin gray and edward luttwak, an explicit and standalone application of any one of these theories to modern warfare is not readily discernable. First, it believes that historical truth can be found, or at least approached. He is the author of numerous books on strategy, including the navy in the postcold war world.
Defence planning, surprise, and prediction professor of. Mackubin thomas owens strategy has long been the subject of scholarly study and policy analysis. Anyone wishing to have a truly firm grounding in questions of war and strategy cannot do without colin s. In addition, he is a senior associate to the national institute for public. Gray, worldrenowned scholar of strategic thought, discusses the meaning of strategy and its importance for politicians and the military as a means of achieving desired outcomes in complex, uncertain conditions. Today, it is hard to settle upon a central organising strategic concept for the. It is a blunt instrument, and there are many reasons why cunning plans often go awry, not the least among which is the fact of an enemy with an independent will.
This book focuses on grand strategy and military strategy as practised over an extended period of time and under very different circumstances, from the campaigns of alexander the great to insurgencies and counter. Sir halford mackinder and his critics a hundred years on, comparative strategy, vol. A graduate of the universities of manchester and oxford, dr. Gray is professor of international politics and strategic studies at the university of read ing, uk. Clausewitz, and sun tzu, or the more modern theories of b. That said, modern strategy is well sown with personal pronouns. My aim is to relate the nature of strategy to the character of its artistic application.
Modern strategy explains the permanent nature, but ever changing cha. Gray is professor of international politics and strategic studies at the university of reading, england, and senior fellow at the national institute for public policy in fairfax, virginia. Contemporary strategy in historical perspective cambridge, uk. Strategy in the contemporary world presents an introduction to the role of military power in todays world. Historians and social scientists alike have written widely about strategic thought, process, and. It is an essential andenduring feature of human history that is here to stay. Gray is a strategic theorist and defense analyst who has worked in britain, canada, and the united states. But milevski, a former phd student supervised by professor gray at the university of reading, adds critical context and comparative analysis. Gray, and perspectives on strategy is no exception, writes julia muravska. Second, it believes in the utility of ambitious the. This book is not an intellectual autobiography, but for me it is a landmark work that represents my best effort to share understanding of my chosen field of scholarly interest at the thirtyyear point in my career.
Writing at the tail end of the golden decade of modern american strategic thought 195566, thomas c. In addition, he is a senior associate to the national institute for public policy. Professor colin gray on clausewitz and the modern strategic world professor colin gray on mackinder a defence of the heartland professor sir michael howard on military history and the history of war professor christopher greenwood the case for intervention in iraq general sir hugh beach the concept of preventive war isbn. Advanced strategic planning and analysis support contract with the national institute for public policy, contract no. Colin gray s explanation of the century in terms of strategic activity, foreign policy, and war is. Gray was educated at the university of manchester and the university of oxford. This edition explores both the enduring and historical issues which have shaped the study of strategy and the contemporary issues that dominate todays headlines. Colin gray, inescapable geography, in geopolitics, geography and. Gray is a political scientist with broad interests in national security policy, strategic. Gray born 1943 is a britishamerican strategic thinker and professor of international relations and strategic studies at the university of reading, where he is the director of the centre for strategic studies. Gray this study rests upon two vital assumptions, both of them anathema to postmodern minds. American cold war of 194591, colin gray posits seven categories of context. These civilian strategists favoured the incorporation of game theory and systems analysis.
He also divides the cold war into separate periods, defined by what he considers its three strategically decisive moments. Gray, worldrenowned scholar of strategic thought, discusses the meaning of strategy and its impo. Apr 17, 2014 this lesson examines the contributions to the theory of airpower by the recognized strategist colin gray. Written by leading strategist professor colin gray, this textbook provides students with a good grounding in the contribution of war to the development of the modern world, from the preindustrial era to the postindustrial age of international terrorism and smart weapons. Gray in pdf format, then you have come on to faithful site. Gray december 29, 1943 february 27, 2020 was a britishamerican writer on geopolitics and professor of international relations and strategic studies at the university of reading, where he was the director of the centre for strategic studies. The first generation of theory strikes back takes the scholarly argument about the study, and meaning, of strategic culture to a new stage. In addition, he was a senior associate to the national institute for public policy.
Professor colin gray on clausewitz and the modern strategic world. Gray, worldrenowned scholar ofstrategic thought, discusses the meaning of strategy and itsimportance for politicians and the military as a means of achievingdesired outcomes in complex, uncertain conditions. It begins with a discussion of the relationship between strategic studies and its critics in the golden age, a period that saw the rise to prominence of a new breed of strategic thinker, the civilian strategist. Sep 01, 2016 this book is a wonderful and concise treatise that in some ways will remind readers of edward mead earles original makers of modern strategy, which was published at the end of world war ii. Geography, economics and politics in southern africa farnham. Strategic and combat studies institute previous scsi.
He has written pioneering and controversial studies of nuclear strategy, arms control, maritime strategy, and geopolitics. The roots of american grand strategy american grand strategy cannot be understood without a historical grounding. Colin gray s explanation of the century in terms of strategic activity, foreign policy, and war is fascinating and instructional. The general theory of strategy 35 the general theory for education 40 policy, strategy, tactics. Some expertise or lesson that re obtained from checking out publications is uncountable. Something that you have no idea after that exposed to be renowneded with the publication modern strategy, by colin s. This lesson examines the contributions to the theory of airpower by the recognized strategist colin gray. This article is adapted from a chapter in my forthcoming book modern strategy oxford. Forty maxims on war, peace and strategy washington dc. Gray abstract this book focuses on grand strategy and military strategy as practised over an extended period of time and under very different circumstances, from the campaigns of alexander the great to insurgencies and counter. This book is not an intellectual autobiography, but for me it is a landmark work that represents my best effort to share understanding of my chosen field of scholarly interest at the thirtyyear point in my ca. Gray national institute for public policy prepared under. It is an essential and enduring feature of human history that is here to stay. Gray modern strategy explains the permanent nature, but ever changing character, of strategy in light of the whole strategic experience of the twentieth century.
Gray this study rests upon two vital assumptions, both of them anathema to post modern minds. The washington times, march 2000 modern strategy is his finest effort to date. Gray worked at the international institute for strategic studies london, and at hudson institute crotononhudson, ny, before founding a defenseoriented. It presents strategy as it pertained not only to wars, campaigns, and battles but also to times of peace that were overshadowed. Gray provides a theory of airpower that includes the empirical lessons of its meandering. The washington times, march 2000 over the years, no writer has addressed the topic of strategy more comprehensively or systematically than colin gray. The uses and value of strategic sea 1994, explorations in strategy 2nd edn, 1998, and the second nuclear age forthcoming 1999. Theory for practice and perspectives on strategy and perspectives on strategy colin s. If you are searched for a ebook modern strategy by colin s. This book contents the dimensions of strategy, strategic culture as context, nuclear weapons in strategic history and patterns in strategic experience. Checking out, once again, will provide you something brandnew.
Gray modern strategy book is about the theory and practice of the use and threat use of organized force for political purposes in the twentieth century. This chapter examines key themes in the criticism levelled at strategic studies. Buy colin gray ebooks to read online or download in pdf or epub on your pc, tablet or mobile device. Grays latest book aims to examine in depth five aspects of strategy intellect, morality, culture, geography, and technology and poses important questions.