Wars throughout history have been fought in the name of ideology, religion and the pursuit of peace. Our thinking about war when it is justified, how it should be fought and how it is perceived has changed dramatically over time. Whereas in the past war has been seen as a battle of wills, this provocative and illuminating new book shows how war has evolved into an exercise in risk management. In a rare blend of political science, sociology, history and cultural thought, Christopher Coker peels away the layers of meaning shrouding our current understanding of war and warfare. Using the ideas of writers such as Zygmunt Bauman, Ulrich Beck and Frank Furedi, he shows that risk has become the language of business, politics and public policy and so we should not be surprised that it has now become the language of war. The book highlights the increasing difference between homeland security and national security in the modern world, arguing that the defense of the citizen is often now more challenging than the defense of the state. By demonstrating the changing character and complexity of conflict from World War I to the current the current fight against terrorism, the book provides a powerful and highly distinctive account of the re-branding of war in an age of risk. This book is set to ignite debate amongst students and scholars of international politics as well as appealing to anyone interested in war and its place in contemporary society.

Wars throughout history have been fought in the name of ideologyreligion and the pursuit of peace. Our thinking about warwhen it is justified, how it should be fought and how it isperceived - has changed dramatically over time. Whereas inthe past war has been seen as a battle of wills, this provocativeand illuminating new book shows how war has evolved into anexercise in risk management.In a rare blend of political science, sociology, history andcultural thought, Christopher Coker peels away the layers ofmeaning shrouding our current understanding of war and warfare.Using the ideas of writers such as Zygmunt Bauman, Ulrich Beck andFrank Furedi, he shows that risk has become the language ofbusiness, politics and public policy and so we should not besurprised that it has now become the language of war. The bookhighlights the increasing difference between homeland security andnational security in the modern world, arguing that the defense ofthe citizen is often now more challenging than the defense of thestate. By demonstrating the changing character and complexity ofconflict from World War I to the current the current fight againstterrorism, the book provides a powerful and highly distinctiveaccount of the re-branding of war in an age of risk.This book is set to ignite debate amongst students and scholarsof international politics as well as appealing to anyone interestedin war and its place in contemporary society.

Preface vii1 The Risk Society at War 12 Complexity and War 283 War in an Age of Risk 624 Consequence Management 1035 The Geopolitics of Risk Management 1316 The Risk Age and its Discontents 173Bibliography 185Index 199