Jeffrey H. Michaels – författare

In the decades following the USSR’s collapse, the United States has shifted from unrivalled hegemon to a position of relative decline. Although America appeared dominant after 1991, its culture—like its diplomatic, military, and economic power—faced little competition. Such favourable conditions reduced the perceived need for cultural diplomacy; the government saw little reason to promote a cultural product that seemed to sell itself. After 9/11, however, it became clear that global attitudes toward the United States were less positive than assumed, prompting a renewed emphasis on cultural diplomacy. Despite internal and external challenges, officials supported a range of cultural initiatives to strengthen the American brand abroad. Cultural diplomacy has since adopted new forms of expression to build positive foreign relations. The arrival of the second Trump administration in 2025 has signalled a retreat from using cultural diplomacy to promote empowerment and diversity, leaving its future uncertain.

Russia's large-scale invasion of Ukraine has sparked a major shift in thinking about the future of war. This book offers a comprehensive examination of its impact on visions of conflict.War in the 21st century will remain a chameleon that takes on different forms and guises. This book offers the first comprehensive update and revision of ideas about the future of war since Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine. It argues that the war has fundamentally shifted our perspective on the nature and character of future war, but also cautions against marginalising many other parallel trends, types of war, and ways of waging them.World-renowned international experts from the War Studies field consider the impact of the war in Ukraine on the broader social phenomenon of war: they analyse visions of future war; examine the impact of technological innovation on its conduct; assess our ability to anticipate its future; and consider lessons learned for leaders, soldiers, strategists, scholars and concerned citizens.Beyond Ukraine features contributions from Azar Gat, Beatrice Heuser, Antulio Echevarria, Audrey Cronin, T.X. Hammes, Kenneth Payne, Frank Hoffman, David Betz, Jan Willem Honig, and many other pre-eminent thinkers on the past, present and future of war--including an afterword by the late Christopher Coker.