"War," as Winston Churchill said, "is the argument of history." It is now clear that the end of the Cold War did not mean the end of history, and that the argument is resuming. Major wars have broken out in the Ukraine and in the Middle East, and another, bigger war between China and the U.S. could soon be in the offing over Taiwan. It is high time that we take a fresh look at what goes into military power and how states win - or lose - wars. This is precisely what Phillips Payson O'Brien, Professor of Strategic Studies at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, does in his latest book, War and Power (PublicAffairs, 2025). Using the results of Russia's invasion of Ukraine as the latest example, O'Brien shreds the myth that great powers and big armies always win wars. Rather, who wins wars turns on many factors; the state of a society, its leadership, its economy, its technology and its allies. Thus, Vietnam defeated France and America, and Ukraine is holding back Russia. This is an exceptionally timely book, with powerful insights and important historical examples. Join us to equip yourself intellectually for what is coming.
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