British Grand Strategy in the Age of American Hegemony

Dr William D. James is a Research Fellow in the Centre for Grand Strategy at King's College London and a Senior Associate of the Oxford Changing Character of War Centre. He has previously held fellowships at MIT, Harvard, and the University of Notre Dame. William earned a DPhil in International Relations from the University of Oxford. Beyond his academic publishing, he writes for outlets such as War on the Rocks and Engelsberg Ideas. William has also contributed evidence to three parliamentary inquiries on British foreign policy. In 2020, he won RUSI's Trench Gascoigne Prize for original writing on defence and security.

• 1: Introduction2: In search of the holy grail: the meaning of grand strategy3: 'An underall strategic concept': British grand strategy and the 'second front' decision4: 'The most momentous shift in our foreign policy for a century and a half': British grand strategy and the 'East of Suez' decision(s)5: Paying 'the blood price': British grand strategy and the decision to join the US-led war in Iraq6: ConclusionAppendicesBibliography

Dr James has succeeded in producing a lucidly written and erudite study of the good, the bad, and the ugly in British grand strategy from 1940 to 2003. This absorbing book makes a major contribution to debates on the concept of grand strategy and busts some of the myths associated with this important period in recent British history. It will be essential reading for anyone interested in the UK's place in the world. On the evidence of this authoritative and insightful study, James has established himself as one of the brightest rising stars in strategic studies.