The Strategist: Eliot's New Book on War & Politics

War and Politics examines the relationship between military action and political purpose, challenging approaches that treat strategy as an abstract or purely technical activity. Bernard Brodie draws on historical examples and the experience of the Vietnam era to argue that policymakers must think coherently about the consequences of war. The book addresses nuclear strategy, military decision-making, and the difficulty of translating political objectives into operational plans. Cohen praises its attempt to restore historical sensibility to strategic analysis, while noting that its structure reflects a collection of related essays. It is presented as an important precursor to Cohen’s own integrated treatment of strategy.

Sea Power in the Machine Age examines the transformation of naval power brought about by steam propulsion and related technological changes. Bernard Brodie uses naval history to show how technological innovation affects strategy, organization, operations, and the balance between maritime powers. The book reflects his broader interest in connecting concrete military developments with political and strategic consequences. Cohen cites it to emphasize that Brodie’s later strategic thinking was grounded in historical study rather than abstract theory alone. It illustrates the value of understanding how military institutions adapt to major technological change.

Regime Change meticulously chronicles the first year of Donald Trump's precedent-shattering second term, drawing on over 1,000 interviews to expose the administration's decision-making process, financial corruption, and reckless dismantling of agencies like USAID. The authors reveal shocking conversations from the Oval Office and Situation Room regarding potential war with Iran and the handling of the Jeffrey Epstein scandal, portraying a president who has become more powerful, vengeful, and willing to gamble than any modern leader.

Eliot A. Cohen’s book offers a focused account of how to think about strategy and war. It defines strategy as pursuing political purpose through organized force, distinguishing it from broad policy and from planning alone. Cohen emphasizes execution, judgment, adaptation, and the importance of understanding adversaries, context, resources, priorities, sequencing, and theories of victory. He also examines how surprise, groupthink, institutional habits, and human limitations distort strategic decision-making. Drawing on history and professional experience, the book argues that strategic judgment requires humility, practical wisdom, and a broad education in human nature.

In this ambitious and wide-ranging history, Simon Sebag Montefiore traces the making of the modern Middle East across more than a century of upheaval, ideology, conflict, and cultural change. From the Ottoman era to the Trump presidency, the book presents the region through a vivid cast of rulers, revolutionaries, poets, terrorists, and peacemakers, offering a fresh perspective on how the Middle East of today came to be.