Some of the principles of warfare are ancient others are new but all described in The New
Rules of War will permanently shape war now and in the future. By following them Sean McFate
argues we can prevail. But if we do not terrorists rogue states and others who do not fight
conventionally will succeedand rule the world. The New Rules of War is an urgent fascinating
exploration of warpast present and futureand what we must do if we want to win today from an
82nd Airborne veteran former private military contractor and professor of war studies at the
National Defense University. War is timeless. Some things changeweapons tactics technology
leadership objectivesbut our desire to go into battle does not. We are living in the age of
Durable Disordera period of unrest created by numerous factors: Chinas rise Russias resurgence
Americas retreat global terrorism international criminal empires climate change dwindling
natural resources and bloody civil wars. Sean McFate has been on the front lines of deep state
conflicts and has studied and taught the history and practice of war. Hes seen firsthand the
horrors of battle and understands the depth and complexity of the current global military
situation. This devastating turmoil has given rise to difficult questions. What is the future
of war? How can we survive? If Americans are drawn into major armed conflict can we win?
McFate calls upon the legends of military study Carl von Clausewitz Sun Tzu and others as
well as his own experience and carefully constructs the new rules for the future of military
engagement the ways we can fight and win in an age of entropy: one where corporations
mercenaries and rogue states have more power and nation states have less. With examples from
the Roman conquest World War II Vietnam Afghanistan and others he tackles the differences
between conventional and future war the danger in believing that technology will save us the
genuine leverage of psychological and shadow warfare and much more. McFates new rules distill
the essence of war today describing what it is in the real world not what we believe or wish
it to be.
