Kirjahaku

CHRISTOPHER PIKE’s first book in his trilogy Making Sense of War examined war as a social phenomenon. About War (2021) explained why war, organised violence, happens. War in Context shows – through examples from history – how the state legitimises war and how war legitimises the state, and how Britain has used military force in the past. Pike asks: is war necessary? Can it be predicted? Is terrorism war? Is terrorism effective and how should it be countered? What were the implications of al Qaeda’s attacks on the Twin Towers and the Pentagon in September 2001? What then might be the effect on world stability of America’s less assertive leadership? War in Context looks at deterrence, the basis for nuclear strategy; and the strategic implications of such modern phenomena as cyborgs, Artificial Intelligence and Drones. But the human factor is emphasised – the moral and physical pressure on commanders of robots and hypersonic missiles. Above all, it is humans who decide how and when death is delivered. Science increases the intensity of battle, but man, not the machine, controls the outcome. The book ends with an assessment of Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.

This final volume in the Making Sense of War trilogy, builds upon the concepts and reassessments of its predecessors, About War and War in Context. War after Ukraine offers a compelling analysis of Russia’s historic use of force, the Ukraine war, and the reasons behind Putin’s aggression. Christopher Pike challenges the argument that provocations – like Western’s smug satisfaction at communism’s demise, nationalism and NATO expansion – gave Putin excuses to invade. While the invasion prompts calls for greater European unity, Pike warns of the current limitations of Western intervention, especially in the face of potential Russian aggression in other regions: Europe cannot defend itself. The book also recognises the subtle difference and interaction between the state, the nation and the nation state, a concept which is becoming increasingly vital in understanding the current and future international political environment. Pike examines the evolution of nuclear strategy, noting stubborn narratives of Russia as a persistent threat. The West’s policy is rooted in Cold War thinking, despite political and scientific upheaval. A reassessment of nuclear strategies in the light of contemporary geopolitical realities is urgently needed. War After Ukraine also provides insight into the future of war and international relations and calls for more subtle and better informed diplomacy to reflect the rational and irrational concerns of current and putative adversaries. Makingsenseofwar.com

War has been a constant of human history. From the fortified settlements of the Neolithic to the trenches of the Somme, from the Cold War nuclear standoff to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, organised violence has shaped the destinies of peoples, nations, and empires. Yet despite its persistence, war remains one of the least understood of human activities. Too often it is confused with warfare, reduced to the mechanics of battles and technology, rather than recognised as a political act with profound consequences. The Making Sense of War trilogy by Christopher K. Pike confronts this gap directly. It offers a sustained, multidisciplinary study of war’s causes, conduct, and consequences, drawing on history, politics, strategy, sociology, psychology, and international relations. Across three volumes — About War, War in Context, and War after Ukraine — the trilogy provides readers with an accessible yet rigorous framework for understanding why wars begin, how they are fought, and why they so rarely end as their initiators intend. About War, the first volume in the trilogy, introduces the central distinction between war and warfare. War is defined as the hostile use of organised violence for political ends; warfare concerns the conduct of that violence through tactics, logistics, and operations. By tracing this distinction through history — from Clausewitz’s trinity to the failures of Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, and Libya — Pike shows why fewer than half of wars achieve their original political objectives. He examines civil–military relations, the misuse of strategy, and the dilemmas of nuclear deterrence, arguing that victory must be accompanied by peace and justice if it is to be meaningful. Some reader’s comments: “From an historical and sociological perspective, this book is incredibly interesting, well researched and most importantly, well written.” “What a fascinating and intensively researched book About War is. Wow!” “A sharp, original study that makes the complexities of war understandable without oversimplifying.”