Confrontation, Strategy and War Termination

Christopher Tuck, Defence Studies Department, King’s College London at the Joint Services Command and Staff College, Shrivenham, UK.

• Contents: Introduction; Fighting Indonesia: British strategy and the emergence of confrontation; Theories of war termination; ’Bristling with difficulties’: British objectives; ’Soldiering on’: British options and assessment; British planning: the paradox of preparation; Britain’s war termination problem: the external dimension; Britain’s war termination problem: the internal dimension; Conclusions; Bibliography; Index.

’This is an important book. It moves our study of Confrontation with Indonesia to the next level, insightfully combining thorough empirical research with clear-eyed theoretical analysis. Tuck presents a well-argued historical example of the difference between respectable strategic coping and aimless muddling through. He demonstrates why we should see British strategy towards Indonesia as both skillful and flawed, analyzing problems facing a middle power with much that resonates today.’ Brian P. Farrell, National University of Singapore, Singapore ’An academically rigorous but very accessible analysis that sheds vital new light on the nature of British success in its major campaign during the era of East of Suez.’ Eric Grove, University of Salford, UK