Conflict is both a sweeping history of the evolution of warfare up to Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, and a penetrating analysis of what we must learn from the past, and anticipate in the future, in order to navigate an increasingly perilous world.

In this deep and incisive study, General David Petraeus, the former CIA director who commanded the US-led coalitions in both Iraq and Afghanistan, and the prize-winning historian Andrew Roberts, explore over  lessons and insights from their fresh analysis of the past. Petraeus and Roberts show how often critical mistakes have been repeated time and again, and explore the challenge, for statesmen and generals alike, of learning to adapt to various new weapon systems, theories and strategies. Among the conflicts examined are the Arab – Israeli wars, the Korean and Vietnam wars, the two 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.

The Henry Jackson Society is delighted to invite you to a conversation between one of the Conflict authors Andrew Roberts and Dr Alan Mendoza about the ideas contained within the book, and to collaborate on a landmark examination of war since 1945.

(c) Anna Kunst

Andrew Roberts is an internationally bestselling historian and biographer whose books include The Storm of War, Napoleon the Great (winner of the Grand Prix of the Fondation Napoléon) and George III. He is currently Visiting Professor at the Department of War Studies at King’s College, London, and the Roger and Martha Mertz Visiting Research Fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University.

Alan Mendoza is a Co-Founder and Executive Director of The Henry Jackson Society, Britain’s leading think tank fighting for the principles and alliances which keep societies free. He directs strategy for the organisation as well as acting as its main public face in mediums as diverse as the BBC, Sky, CNBC, Al-Jazeera, Bloomberg, LBC and TalkRadio. On the print side, Alan is a columnist for City AM, London’s business newspaper, and has contributed to The Times, The Telegraph, The Daily Mail, The Sun and a host of international newspapers and magazines.

Having obtained a B.A. (Hons.) and M.Phil in history at Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge, Alan completed a Ph.D. at the same institution. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and was the Parliamentary Candidate for the Conservative Party in the Brent Central Constituency for the 2015 General Election. He is also a Trustee of the President Reagan Memorial Fund Trust.

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EVENT SUMMARY

The Henry Jackson Society was honoured to host the book launch event with one of the author’s of ‘Conflict,’ Andrew Roberts, chaired by Alan Mendoza. Lord Roberts focused on leadership and one’s capacity to have big ideas, as well as strategies for conducting war. It was also mentioned how different developments, such as anti-tank weapons, information technologies, and drones, shaped our perception of the future of warfare and how some technologies, such as tanks, retained their importance. Lord Roberts stated that drones, specifically, were significant. He also shared his experiences and observations from his visit to Ukraine, highlighting the importance of Ukrainian morale in the war effort. The uniqueness of the war in Gaza, respecting its complications compared to all the former wars, was mentioned. In the Q&A session, the feasibility of the Declaration of Human Rights in actual warfare and the failures of the United Nations to obstruct atrocities were discussed. Lord Roberts also touched on how the fog of war, created by current war strategies in Gaza, impacted the situation in Ukraine.

To watch this discussion online please register HERE. To register your interest to attend In-Person please kindly submit the form below.

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