War Transformed book by Mick Ryan takes a deep dive in what the future wars will look like. I read this book long back just before it was published but did not post a review at the time. This was also the time when Russia hadn’t yet attacked Ukraine and all that the author wrote and discussed in the book had no precedent yet.
War Transformed Book Review
However, in the last then months that all seems to have changed. We have seen many new military moves and in this war that was supposed to end quickly but has dragged on for months now with no sign of abating.
All that we have seen Russia implement and try out is clearly elaborated an discussed in the book by Mick Ryan. The various strategies that he has discusses, how drones will be deployed in future wars and how the internet and technology will become central to the conflicts can be seen to some extent in action in the current Russia-Ukraine conflict.
However, the author discusses much more that what we see happening now. He explores military strategies on various axes including, technological, psychological, and scientific battlefields.
And if I remember correctly, he is somewhat wrong on the lengths of the conflicts. He believes that future wars will be swift and short-lived. But as we can see the latest conflict has been anything but that with it impact on nations across the world.
Overall, if you like to read about how weapons and improvements in science and how it will affect the wars in at least the next decade, this is a book that you don’t want to miss.
Book Synopsis
War Transformed: The Future of Twenty-First-Century Great Power Competition and Conflict by Mick Ryan provides insights for those involved in the design of military strategy, and the forces that must execute that strategy. Emphasizing the impacts of technology, new era strategic competition, demography, and climate change, Mick Ryan uses historical as well as contemporary anecdotes throughout the book to highlight key challenges faced by nations in a new era of great power rivalry. Just as previous industrial revolutions have advanced societies, the nascent fourth industrial revolution will have a similar impact on how humans fight, compete, and build military power in the twenty-first century.
After reviewing the principle catalysts of change in the security environment, War Transformed seeks to provide a preview of the shape of war and competition in the twenty-first century. Ryan examines both the shifting character of war and its enduring nature. In doing so, he proposes important trends in warfare that will shape all aspects of human competition and conflict in the coming decades.