In the modern nuclear age, the old strategic emphasis on winning wars has been outmoded by a balance of terror which has in turn created contemporary notions of detente, peaceful coexistence and deterrence. Written by scholars who have been extensively involved in the study of strategic thought, this book considers recent trends and stresses the many non-military options which strategists in our time offer as less catastrophic alternatives than nuclear holocaust.

Theoretical aspects offer an analytical map so that the student of strategy can find his way around the subject without getting lost in the detail. The contributions to strategic thought of such institutions as the Rand Corporation and the International Institute of Strategic Studies are assessed and the individual writings of Thomas Schelling, Henry Kissinger, Herman Kahn and others are analyzed. In discussion of the policy aspects of strategy, these theoretical precepts are applied in a lucid manner which clearly shows the connection between strategic theory and practice.

The contents are divided into three major parts. Part I deals with the nature and evolution of strategy and the changing role of military forces. Part II discusses major contemporary strategic concepts while the third part describes the military policies of the major powers since 1945. While the authors do not believe that military strategists have produced any foolproof formula for survival, they offer many instances in which strategic thought may help us to cope with a dangerous and uncertain world.