08-07-2007, 07:29 PM
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The Carnoustie Effect: Warfare in the 21st Century
| | The Carnoustie Effect: Warfare in the 21st Century | | by Gordon Lang | | | | 'The Scotsman' called it 'a controversial book'. With the dreaded word ‘war’ in everyone’s minds once again, our latest publication could not be more topical. In THE CARNOUSTIE EFFECT - Warfare in the 21st Century, the Scots military historian Gordon Lang explains how the threat of war has shifted from full-scale conflicts between the strongest powers to muscle-flexing by developing nations. With an eye-catching cover and an intriguing title, this work will be of interest to every serious student of military and world affairs. What the author calls the ‘Carnoustie effect’ is a phenomenon which he has observed by close study of military campaigns from antiquity to the present day. This is the shock sustained on collision with reality by those undertaking war with a false set of preconceptions. The expression is of course taken from golf, having been suggested by the horrified reaction of the world’s best players, raised on manicured courses, when they encountered! | | | | the fearsome Angus links for the first time at the 1999 Open Championship. ‘Only a fool or a criminal actually wants war’. So begins this thoughtful – and thought-provoking – work. Yet, the author admits, ‘We shall not be asked whether we want a war; we shall simply find ourselves in one’. From this realistic starting-point, the author begins his search for ways to minimize the extent of suffering in future conflicts. This work’s topicality is underlined by the fact that several people advised us not to publish, since many of Lang’s predictions were ‘running ahead of events’. It is however the author’s view, and the publisher's, that nothing is to be gained by self-deception and that with the world once again facing possible military confrontations it is essential to look facts, and events, squarely in the face. Deliberately avoiding the pompous formulae of so many researchers, Lang has produced an easy-to-read book written in a light style with many touches of humour. A ready readership is available for a book like this, which has already attracted considerable attention, and speaks a language that people understand. | | | | Check prices at:
Blackwell's
Search for second hand copies on:
AbeBooks.co.uk |
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