Quarterly Essay 62 Firing Line James Brown by James Brown 9781863958417, 186395841X, B01AHKCMXA instant download after payment.

Going to war may be the gravest decision a nation and its leaders make. At the moment, Australia is at war with the Islamic State. We also live in a region that has become much more volatile, as China asserts itself and America seeks to hold the line.

"[James Brown] is a fine writer, clear and persuasive and capable of adroit tactical moves."  -  Weekend Australian

What is it like to go to war? How do we decide to go to war? Where might we go to war in the future? Will we get that decision right? In this vivid, urgent essay, James Brown looks to history, strategy and his own experience to explore these questions. He examines the legacy of the Iraq War and argues that it has prevented a clear view of Australia’s future conflicts. He looks at how we plug into the US war machine, now that American troops are based in Darwin. And he sheds fascinating light on the extraordinary concentration of war powers in the hands of the Prime Minister – and how this might go wrong. This powerful essay argues that we have not yet begun to think through the choices that may confront us in years ahead.

"Brown’s survey of this complicated landscape yields some striking phrases and arresting moments. He is a natural and precise writer with a vivid sense of place."  -  Australian Book Review

James Brown is a former Australian Army officer, who commanded a cavalry troop in southern Iraq, served on the Australian taskforce headquarters in Baghdad and was attached to Special Forces in Afghanistan. He is the Research Director and an Adjunct Associate Professor at the US Studies Centre, University of Sydney. He is the author of the acclaimed book Anzac’s Long Shadow.