The Art of War and Peace
03 July 2025Imprint: Ithaka
Synopsis
'A deeply thought-provoking book full of wisdom, insight and common sense, by two of our foremost strategists' James Holland, bestselling author of The War in the West
FOREWORD BY SIR NICK CARTER, FORMER UK CHIEF OF DEFENCE STAFF
How have the character and technology of war changed in recent times?
Why does battlefield victory often fail to result in a sustainable peace?
What is the best way to prevent, fight and resolve future conflict?
The world is becoming a more dangerous place. Since the fall of Kabul and Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the US-led liberal international order is giving way to a more chaotic and contested world system. Western credibility and deterrence are diminishing in the face of wars in Europe and the Middle East, tensions across the Taiwan Strait, and rising populism and terrorism around the world. Can peace, mutual respect and democracy survive, or are we destined to a permanent chaos in which authoritarians and populists thrive?
Using decades of experience as policy advisors in conflicts in Iraq and across Africa, and on recent fieldwork in Israel and Taiwan, the authors analyse the nature of modern war, considering state-on-state and intra-state conflicts. They investigate how technology can be a leveller for small powers against larger aggressors and the role of leadership, diplomacy and economic assistance.
Weighing up past lessons, present observations and predictions about the future, The Art of War and Peace explores how wars can be won on the battlefield and how that success can be translated into a stable and enduring peace.
FOREWORD BY SIR NICK CARTER, FORMER UK CHIEF OF DEFENCE STAFF
How have the character and technology of war changed in recent times?
Why does battlefield victory often fail to result in a sustainable peace?
What is the best way to prevent, fight and resolve future conflict?
The world is becoming a more dangerous place. Since the fall of Kabul and Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the US-led liberal international order is giving way to a more chaotic and contested world system. Western credibility and deterrence are diminishing in the face of wars in Europe and the Middle East, tensions across the Taiwan Strait, and rising populism and terrorism around the world. Can peace, mutual respect and democracy survive, or are we destined to a permanent chaos in which authoritarians and populists thrive?
Using decades of experience as policy advisors in conflicts in Iraq and across Africa, and on recent fieldwork in Israel and Taiwan, the authors analyse the nature of modern war, considering state-on-state and intra-state conflicts. They investigate how technology can be a leveller for small powers against larger aggressors and the role of leadership, diplomacy and economic assistance.
Weighing up past lessons, present observations and predictions about the future, The Art of War and Peace explores how wars can be won on the battlefield and how that success can be translated into a stable and enduring peace.
Details
03 July 2025336 pages
9781785126857Imprint: Ithaka
Reviews
'[An] excellent study'The Telegraph
'A deeply thought-provoking book full of wisdom, insight and common sense, by two of our foremost strategists'James Holland, bestselling author of THE WAR IN THE WEST
'The Art of War and Peace by David Kilcullen and Greg Mills, a team comprising an American-Australian and a South African, is a metaphor for the international cooperation necessary by which the efforts of good people can succeed over evil.'General (rtd) Sir Nick Carter, former Chief of the Defence Staff, UK
'It is a great honour for me to work with Greg Mills and David Kilcullen. I recommend this book to all those interested in peace in our complex world'Valerii Zaluzhnyi, ‘The Iron General’, Ukraine
