Why do we try to use military force to solve our political problems? And why, when our forces win the military battles does this still fail to solve those problems? From Iraq to the Balkans, and from Afghanistan to Chechneya, over the past fifteen years there has been a steady stream of military interventions that have not delivered on their promise for peace, or even political resolution.

This book, by one of the world's most experienced generals and leading military thinkers, explains this anomaly at the heart of our current international system and shows why force can only work if it has utility. It offers an original analysis and bold new vision of the role of armed forces in resolving conflicts and confrontations.