The Bazaar of War

The School of Strategy, the Art of Amateurs

No two heads of state could be more dissimilar in ambitions or temperament than Abraham Lincoln and Louis XIV.

Mar 9

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February 2026

The Contest for the Indian Ocean, Part 1: The Struggle for Influence

From 1746 to 1783, France, Britain, and their Indian allies engaged in a massive struggle for control of the Indian Ocean.

Feb 27

12

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Against Abstraction: Military Theory and Clarity of Thought

It is difficult to appreciate just how much Western—especially American—military thinking is pervaded with abstraction.

Feb 13

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Interview on Saladin with Memory Medieval

I was recently a guest on the Memory Medieval podcast, talking about Saladin as part of his ongoing series on Richard the Lionheart.

Feb 9

8

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Triumph of the Byzantine System: The Arab-Byzantine Frontier Pt. 3

By the time of Byzantium's triumph in the 10th century, it had developed a systematic approach to campaigning which formalized methods from earlier…

Feb 1

21

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January 2026

Swarms, Packs, and Stigmergy: Animal Analogs for Drone Behavior

“Drone swarm” is a phrase that has come to be used indiscriminately to refer to the high number of drones on the modern battlefield.

Jan 22

29

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Looking for Lessons in Venezuela: The Future Combat Role of Helicopters

The 3 January operation to capture Nicolás Maduro is striking for its use of manned helicopters to execute a high-risk mission, despite the presence of…

Jan 15

34

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December 2025

Book Discussion on The Spartan Regime: Its Character, Origins, and Grand Strategy

Paul Rahe’s The Spartan Regime: Its Character, Origins, and Grand Strategy takes a unique angle on grand strategy.

Dec 31, 2025

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The Patterns of Operational Dynamics: A Brief Typology

One of my favorite themes with The Bazaar of War is how certain operational dynamics recur across vastly different times and places: comparing the…

Dec 21, 2025

46

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Economics vs. Decision: The Two Logics of Warfare

There is plenty of overlap between economics and warfare.

Dec 11, 2025

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The Birth of Byzantine Operational Art: The Arab-Byzantine Frontier, Part 2

The last piece on Arab-Byzantine warfare looked at strategy along the Anatolian frontier in the first century of the Islamic conquests. But as Byzantium…

Dec 3, 2025

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November 2025

Cyber Monday for Books

December is your last chance to get Saladin the Strategist and The Art of War in Italy, 1494-1529 at current prices.

Nov 30, 2025

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