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Conflict cover art

Conflict

By: David Petraeus, Andrew Roberts
Narrated by: Robert Fass
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Summary

Two leading authorities – a bestselling historian and the outstanding battlefield commander and strategist of our time – collaborate on a landmark examination of war since 1945.

Conflict is both a sweeping history of the evolution of warfare up to Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, and a penetrating analysis of what we must learn from the past, and anticipate in the future, in order to navigate an increasingly perilous world.

In this deep and incisive study, General David Petraeus, the former CIA director who commanded the US-led coalitions in both Iraq and Afghanistan, and the prize-winning historian Andrew Roberts, explore over seventy years of conflict, drawing significant lessons and insights from their fresh analysis of the past. Petraeus and Roberts show how often critical mistakes have been repeated time and again, and explore the challenge, for statesmen and generals alike, of learning to adapt to various new weapon systems, theories and strategies. Among the conflicts examined are the Arab – Israeli wars, the Korean and Vietnam wars, the two Gulf wars, the Balkan wars in the former Yugoslavia, and both the Soviet and Coalition wars in Afghanistan, as well as guerrilla conflicts in Africa and South America.

Conflict culminates with a bracing look at Putin’s disastrous invasion of Ukraine, yet another case study in the tragic results that occur when leaders refuse to learn from history, and an assessment of the nature of future warfare. Filled with sharp insight and the wisdom of experience, Conflict is not only a critical assessment of our recent past, but also an essential primer of modern warfare that provides crucial knowledge for waging battle today as well as for understanding what the decades ahead will bring.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2023 David Petraeus and Andrew Roberts (P)2023 HarperCollins Publishers Limited
  • Unabridged Audiobook
  • Categories: History

Critic reviews

‘A major book that will enlighten the layman and guide the statesman or geopolitical student’ DR. HENRY KISSINGER, former Secretary of State and National Security Advisor; Nobel Prize laureate

‘Authoritative, compelling, highly readable. An exceptional book written by two absolute masters of their profession. Penetrating historical analysis, incisive operational and strategic judgements. It’s an unbeatable combination. Erstwhile statesmen should not be allowed to take office until they pass a test on what this book contains!’ GENERAL SIR DAVID RICHARDS GCB CBE DSO; former UK Chief of Defence Staff

‘There is much to learn from this book. Not only will it be studied by military officers for generations to come, it will also be enjoyed by those who simply appreciate military history. I can’t think of two people better qualified to identify the key lessons from conflict in the modern era – I just hope that our leadership will take the time to read this book and follow its advice’ GENERAL SIR NICK CARTER GCB CBE DSO, former UK Chief of Defence Staff

What listeners say about Conflict

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    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Interesting but needs more editing to balance

General David Patraeus has a unique wealth of knowledge and experience when it comes to warfare and conflict resolution. The first parts of the book are very interesting, explaining the history of the Vietnam and several other conflicts. However from the Iraq war, given Patraeus' personal involvement, the book goes into too much detail that is largely irrelevant to the reader seeking to understand the overarching narrative of warfare.

This book requires a greater degree of editing with the chapters on Iraq brought down to less than half their current length.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Brilliantly written. Concise overview of the many post WW2 conflicts.

I really enjoyed this book. The chapters work through the various wars and do a lovely job of linking them back to the core theme of conflict evolution.
Nice summary to finish with informed predictions for the future.

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Excellent appraisal

Interesting points picked up and clear analysis of post world war conflict . Some interesting new points

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

A very important treatise.

Excellent coverage of modern conflict yet a difficult listen. Andrew Roberts solo work has more impact whilst not withholding man’s inhumanity. The narration is technically sound yet seems harsh & emphasizes the horror of the modern conflict.

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A review of modern and future warfare

The authors cover international warfare from 1945 to the date of publication. I read the book as the Israeli Hamas war was being waged. The book covers all aspects of modern warfare and summarizes future prospects. An excellent, informative and enjoyable read

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Factual interesting despite struggles to get over inbuilt biases

an interesting factual walkthrough of the major conflicts but when it came to areas of opinion or moral representation, was heavily influencing in a particular direction. Unfortunately this impacted how much i listened to our interesting and thought-provoking chapters. I did listen the whole way through

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