Lawrence D. Freedman

Peacekeeping   January/February 2020 Capsule Review

The Costs of Conversation: Obstacles to Peace Talks in Wartime

Mastro shows why it can be so hard for belligerents to find a diplomatic route out of conflict. 

Reviewed by Lawrence D. Freedman

This article is paywall-free.

War & Military Strategy   January/February 2020 Capsule Review

Only the Dead: The Persistence of War in the Modern Age

Braumoeller delivers a crushing critique to Pinker’s argument that war was on the wane.

Reviewed by Lawrence D. Freedman

This article is paywall-free.

World War II   January/February 2020 Capsule Review

The Resistance in Western Europe, 1940–1945

Wieviorka masterfully analyzes the resistance to the German occupations during World War II.

Reviewed by Lawrence D. Freedman

This article is paywall-free.

Intelligence   January/February 2020 Capsule Review

Betrayal in Berlin: The True Story of the Cold War’s Most Audacious Espionage Operation

Vogel gives a riveting and vivid account of how British and U.S officials tapped into Soviet communications during the Cold War.

Reviewed by Lawrence D. Freedman

This article is paywall-free.

War & Military Strategy   January/February 2020 Capsule Review

Call Sign Chaos: Learning to Lead

In this memoir, Mattis describes the stress of battle and the tough decision to send soldiers into the field. 

Reviewed by Lawrence D. Freedman

This article is paywall-free.

Politics & Society   November/December 2019 Capsule Review

Two Books on Piracy

In his lively, vivid history of pirates, Lehr finds some striking continuities from ancient to modern times. Moss highlights the legal and political issues raised by...

Reviewed by Lawrence D. Freedman

This article is paywall-free.

Terrorism & Counterterrorism   November/December 2019 Capsule Review

Power to the People: How Open Technological Innovation Is Arming Tomorrow’s Terrorists

Cronin shows how groups such as the Islamic State exploit new technologies including the Internet, smartphones, autonomous vehicles, and artificial intelligence.

Reviewed by Lawrence D. Freedman

This article is paywall-free.

WMD & Proliferation   November/December 2019 Capsule Review

The Nuclear Spies: America’s Atomic Intelligence Operation Against Hitler and Stalin

Houghton examines why the United States failed to anticipate the first Soviet nuclear test in August 1949.

Reviewed by Lawrence D. Freedman

This article is paywall-free.

Terrorism & Counterterrorism   November/December 2019 Capsule Review

The Last Card: Inside George W. Bush’s Decision to Surge in Iraq

The authors trace a detailed history of the Bush Administration's decision to surge in Iraq. 

Reviewed by Lawrence D. Freeman

This article is paywall-free.

War & Military Strategy   September/October 2019 Capsule Review

Why America Loses Wars: Limited War and US Strategy From the Korean War to the Present

In this lively and opinionated book, Stoker pins a major part of the blame of recent U.S. military war on muddled thinking about “limited war.” 

Reviewed by Lawrence D. Freedman

This article is paywall-free.

War & Military Strategy   September/October 2019 Capsule Review

The War for Gaul: A New Translation

James J. O’Donnell demonstrates how to appreciate Caesar’s The War for Gaul as a major contribution to martial literature while deploring its morals. 

Reviewed by Lawrence D. Freedman

This article is paywall-free.

War & Military Strategy   September/October 2019 Capsule Review

Three Books on World War II

Although a vast literature has covered every aspect of World War II, the war’s length, scope, and intensity mean that Holland, O’Brien, and Nagorski still manage to...

Reviewed by Lawrence D. Freedman

This article is paywall-free.

Climate Change   May/June 2019 Capsule Review

Two Books on the Risks of Nuclear Terrorism and Proliferation

Sokolski outlines geopolitical approach to proliferation, while Poneman tackles the twin threats of climate change and nuclear proliferation.

Reviewed by Lawrence D. Freedman

This article is paywall-free.

War & Military Strategy   May/June 2019 Capsule Review

Atlas of World War II: History’s Greatest Conflict Revealed Through Rare Wartime Maps and New Cartography

Hyslop's cartographic work is excellent, but the stars of the book are high-quality reproductions of maps produced as part of the war effort.

Reviewed by Lawrence D. Freedman

This article is paywall-free.

War & Military Strategy   May/June 2019 Capsule Review

The New Rules of War: Victory in the Age of Durable Disorder

McFate demonstrates a lively and provocative way to think about modern warfare.

Reviewed by Lawrence D. Freedman

This article is paywall-free.

War & Military Strategy   May/June 2019 Capsule Review

Two Books on Espionage and Covert Operations

British covert efforts, Cormac writes, have often been about compensating for declining power. Carson reveals that covert operations are often transparent to the enemy.

Reviewed by Lawrence D. Freedman

This article is paywall-free.

Security   March/April 2019 Capsule Review

We Want to Negotiate: The Secret World of Kidnapping, Hostages, and Ransom

This excellent and careful book asks tough questions about whether and how governments should negotiate with kidnappers to get hostages released. 

Reviewed by Lawrence D. Freedman

This article is paywall-free.

Intelligence   March/April 2019 Capsule Review

Operation Columba—The Secret Pigeon Service: The Untold Story of World War II Resistance in Europe

Corera's vivid account shows how the homing pigeons used by British intelligence agencies during World War II revealed daily life under the Nazis and valuable...

Reviewed by Lawrence D. Freedman

This article is paywall-free.

War & Military Strategy   March/April 2019 Capsule Review

The Girls Next Door: Bringing the Home Front to the Front Lines

In this fascinating history, Kara Dixon Vuic focuses on the young women who joined American men sent to fight overseas from 1918 until the end of the Vietnam War.

Reviewed by Lawrence D. Freedman

This article is paywall-free.

Security   March/April 2019 Capsule Review

Rampage

Scott reconstructs the Battle of Manila, interspersing accounts of massacres with happier moments of liberation. 

Reviewed by Lawrence D. Freedman

This article is paywall-free.