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War & Strategy Rebooting Clausewitz: On War in the 21st Century By Christopher Coker New York: Oxford University Press, 2017 176 pages $24.95
Carl von Clausewitz's On War may look more impressive on our bookshelves, but Christopher Coker's Rebooting Clausewitg 'On War' in the 21st Century will be more useful. Coker argues forcefully that Clausewitz is not only relevant in the twenty-first century but still the world's greatest war theorist, and those interested in the study of war still need to understand his work. Coker believes that by "rebooting" Clausewitz, his greatness as a theorist can be better recognized and more fully understood. Just as modern physicists do not read Sir Isaac Newton but also still know and understand his laws and principles, military professionals and civilian members of the defense community, need not wade through On War but must also understand Clausewitz's theory of war.
To be clear, Coker is not advocating ignoring On War. He believes On War is the most complete text on the phenomenon of war. And despite the criticisms of Basil Liddell Hart, Martin van Creveld, John Keegan, and others, Coker argues Clausewitz is still unsurpassed. Admittedly On War is a "dense philosophical forest that few of us have the ability or inclination to navigate alone" (prologue). Herein lies the contribution of Coker's work. Military professionals, and war theory instructors, now have a guide and do not need to navigate the Clausewitzian forest.
Coker's work brings...