Conflict

In this comprehensive study, General David Petraeus and award-winning historian Andrew Roberts examine more than 70 years of conflict, drawing important insights and lessons from a timely analysis of the past.
Drawing on their different perspectives and expertise, Petraeus and Roberts show how often critical mistakes are repeated and how challenging it is for statesmen and generals to learn to adapt to various new weapon systems, theories, and strategies. The conflicts examined by the authors include the Arab–Israeli wars, the Korean and Vietnam wars, both Gulf wars, the Balkan wars in the former Yugoslavia, and both the Soviet and coalition wars in Afghanistan, as well as guerrilla conflicts in Africa and South America.

Conflict culminates in a bold look at Putin's catastrophic invasion of Ukraine, which is another case study of the tragic consequences of leaders' unwillingness to learn from history. Here we find a wealth of sharp observations supported by the wisdom gained from experience. The book Conflict offers not only a critical assessment of our recent past, but is also a basic textbook on modern warfare that provides the essential knowledge necessary for waging war today and for understanding what the coming decades will bring.