Theo Farrell is Professor and Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Education) at the University of Wollongong, Australia. He is Visiting Professor of War Studies at King’s College London, Senior Associate Fellow of the Royal United Services Institute (UK), Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences (UK), and former President of the British International Studies Association.
Professor Farrell is an expert on military transformation and contemporary warfare. He was previously Professor of War in the Modern World and Head of the Department of War Studies at King’s College London. His current research on human-machine teaming and future military operations is funded by the Australian Army. He is also an expert on the conflict in Afghanistan. Professor Farrell acted as advisor to ISAF Command in Kabul and to the UK government on the British campaign in southern Afghanistan. His most recent book, Unwinnable: Britain’s War in Afghanistan, 2001-2014 (Vintage, 2018), was shortlisted for three national awards and is a Sunday Times book of the year. Address: Department of War Studies
King's College London
Strand
London WC2R 2LS
Security Studies traces its origins to work on the causes of war. It remains the most significant... more Security Studies traces its origins to work on the causes of war. It remains the most significant subdiscipline of International Relations and, at the beginning of the twenty-first century, its concerns with the security of the international system and the individual, as well as the state, remain as pertinent and urgent as ever. While—especially since the events of 11 September 2001 and the remilitarization of US foreign policy—the focus on states and military power remains central to Security Studies, the subject also embraces economic, societal, and environmental security. Furthermore, Security Studies has spawned a dizzying range of competing theoretical approaches—liberal, constructivist, critical, postmodernist, and feminist among them—to challenge the dominant ‘realist’ take on security.
Addressing the need for an authoritative reference work to make sense of this rapidly growing and ever more complex corpus of scholarly literature, Security Studies is a new title in the Routledge series, Critical Concepts in International Relations. Edited by Theo Farrell of King’s College London and chair of the International Security Studies section of the International Studies Association, it is a five-volume collection of the foundational and the very best cutting-edge scholarship.
Security Studies is fully indexed and includes a comprehensive introduction, newly written by the editor, which places the collected material in its historical and intellectual context. It is an essential reference work and is destined to be valued by scholars and students—as well as policy-makers and practitioners—as a vital one-stop research and pedagogic resource.
In this fully updated and revised edition, the authors explore the evolution, nature and function... more In this fully updated and revised edition, the authors explore the evolution, nature and function of international law in world politics and situate international law in its historical and political context. They pro- pose three interdisciplinary ‘lenses’ (realist, liberal and constructivist) through which to view the role of international law in world politics, and suggest that the concept of an international society provides the overall context within which international legal developments occur. These theoretical perspectives offer different ways of looking at inter- national law in terms of what it is, how it works and how it changes. Topics covered include the use of force, international crimes, human rights, international trade and the environment. The new edition also contains more material on non-western perspectives, international insti- tutions, non-state actors, and a new bibliography. Each chapter features discussion questions and guides to further reading.
NATO member states are all undergoing some form of military transformation. Despite a shared visi... more NATO member states are all undergoing some form of military transformation. Despite a shared vision, transformation has been primarily a US-led process centered on the exploitation of new information technologies in combination with new concepts for "networked organizations" and "effects-based operations." Simply put, European states have been unable to match the level of US investment in new military technologies, leading to the identification of a growing "transformation gap" between the US and the European allies.
This book assesses the extent and trajectory of military transformation across a range of European NATO member states, setting their transformation progress against that of the US, and examining the complex mix of factors driving military transformation in each country. It reveals not only the nature and extent of the transatlantic gap, but also identifies an enormous variation in the extent and pace of transformation among the European allies,
Although the horrors of war are manifest, academic debate is dominated by accounts that reinforce... more Although the horrors of war are manifest, academic debate is dominated by accounts that reinforce the concept of warfare as a rational project. Seeking to explain this paradox—to uncover the motivations at the core of warring communities—Theo Farrell explores the cultural forces that have shaped modern Western conflict.
Farrell finds that the norms of war—shared beliefs about what is right and what works—are created and embraced not only by polities and military organizations, but also by constituencies throughout civil society. Culture, he demonstrates, accounts for all core areas of military activity and at every level, sometimes with puzzling results.
Tracing the lineage of the modern military and ranging from historical examples to charged contemporary issues, this provocative book goes to the heart of the relationship between society and war.
Following the 9/11 attacks, the Afghan Taliban were obliterated in a lightning war prosecuted by ... more Following the 9/11 attacks, the Afghan Taliban were obliterated in a lightning war prosecuted by the United States. Their Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan ceased to exist as a physical entity, and the Taliban leader, Mullah Mohammed Omar, fled to Pakistan. Within five years, however, the Taliban had regrouped and returned in large numbers to southern and eastern Afghanistan. By 2016, they had overrun at least a third of the country. How did the Taliban come back so successfully from utter defeat? This article draws on the literatures on civil wars and on military adaptation to identify and unpack two sets of factors that explain the relative success of insurgencies: the availability of social resources and the elements that drive and enable military adaptation. Using a large number of original interviews with Taliban leaders, cadre, and field commanders, I demonstrate how these factors combined to make the Taliban essentially unbeatable.
Security Studies traces its origins to work on the causes of war. It remains the most significant... more Security Studies traces its origins to work on the causes of war. It remains the most significant subdiscipline of International Relations and, at the beginning of the twenty-first century, its concerns with the security of the international system and the individual, as well as the state, remain as pertinent and urgent as ever. While—especially since the events of 11 September 2001 and the remilitarization of US foreign policy—the focus on states and military power remains central to Security Studies, the subject also embraces economic, societal, and environmental security. Furthermore, Security Studies has spawned a dizzying range of competing theoretical approaches—liberal, constructivist, critical, postmodernist, and feminist among them—to challenge the dominant ‘realist’ take on security.
Addressing the need for an authoritative reference work to make sense of this rapidly growing and ever more complex corpus of scholarly literature, Security Studies is a new title in the Routledge series, Critical Concepts in International Relations. Edited by Theo Farrell of King’s College London and chair of the International Security Studies section of the International Studies Association, it is a five-volume collection of the foundational and the very best cutting-edge scholarship.
Security Studies is fully indexed and includes a comprehensive introduction, newly written by the editor, which places the collected material in its historical and intellectual context. It is an essential reference work and is destined to be valued by scholars and students—as well as policy-makers and practitioners—as a vital one-stop research and pedagogic resource.
In this fully updated and revised edition, the authors explore the evolution, nature and function... more In this fully updated and revised edition, the authors explore the evolution, nature and function of international law in world politics and situate international law in its historical and political context. They pro- pose three interdisciplinary ‘lenses’ (realist, liberal and constructivist) through which to view the role of international law in world politics, and suggest that the concept of an international society provides the overall context within which international legal developments occur. These theoretical perspectives offer different ways of looking at inter- national law in terms of what it is, how it works and how it changes. Topics covered include the use of force, international crimes, human rights, international trade and the environment. The new edition also contains more material on non-western perspectives, international insti- tutions, non-state actors, and a new bibliography. Each chapter features discussion questions and guides to further reading.
NATO member states are all undergoing some form of military transformation. Despite a shared visi... more NATO member states are all undergoing some form of military transformation. Despite a shared vision, transformation has been primarily a US-led process centered on the exploitation of new information technologies in combination with new concepts for "networked organizations" and "effects-based operations." Simply put, European states have been unable to match the level of US investment in new military technologies, leading to the identification of a growing "transformation gap" between the US and the European allies.
This book assesses the extent and trajectory of military transformation across a range of European NATO member states, setting their transformation progress against that of the US, and examining the complex mix of factors driving military transformation in each country. It reveals not only the nature and extent of the transatlantic gap, but also identifies an enormous variation in the extent and pace of transformation among the European allies,
Although the horrors of war are manifest, academic debate is dominated by accounts that reinforce... more Although the horrors of war are manifest, academic debate is dominated by accounts that reinforce the concept of warfare as a rational project. Seeking to explain this paradox—to uncover the motivations at the core of warring communities—Theo Farrell explores the cultural forces that have shaped modern Western conflict.
Farrell finds that the norms of war—shared beliefs about what is right and what works—are created and embraced not only by polities and military organizations, but also by constituencies throughout civil society. Culture, he demonstrates, accounts for all core areas of military activity and at every level, sometimes with puzzling results.
Tracing the lineage of the modern military and ranging from historical examples to charged contemporary issues, this provocative book goes to the heart of the relationship between society and war.
Following the 9/11 attacks, the Afghan Taliban were obliterated in a lightning war prosecuted by ... more Following the 9/11 attacks, the Afghan Taliban were obliterated in a lightning war prosecuted by the United States. Their Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan ceased to exist as a physical entity, and the Taliban leader, Mullah Mohammed Omar, fled to Pakistan. Within five years, however, the Taliban had regrouped and returned in large numbers to southern and eastern Afghanistan. By 2016, they had overrun at least a third of the country. How did the Taliban come back so successfully from utter defeat? This article draws on the literatures on civil wars and on military adaptation to identify and unpack two sets of factors that explain the relative success of insurgencies: the availability of social resources and the elements that drive and enable military adaptation. Using a large number of original interviews with Taliban leaders, cadre, and field commanders, I demonstrate how these factors combined to make the Taliban essentially unbeatable.
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Books by Theo Farrell
Addressing the need for an authoritative reference work to make sense of this rapidly growing and ever more complex corpus of scholarly literature, Security Studies is a new title in the Routledge series, Critical Concepts in International Relations. Edited by Theo Farrell of King’s College London and chair of the International Security Studies section of the International Studies Association, it is a five-volume collection of the foundational and the very best cutting-edge scholarship.
Security Studies is fully indexed and includes a comprehensive introduction, newly written by the editor, which places the collected material in its historical and intellectual context. It is an essential reference work and is destined to be valued by scholars and students—as well as policy-makers and practitioners—as a vital one-stop research and pedagogic resource.
This book assesses the extent and trajectory of military transformation across a range of European NATO member states, setting their transformation progress against that of the US, and examining the complex mix of factors driving military transformation in each country. It reveals not only the nature and extent of the transatlantic gap, but also identifies an enormous variation in the extent and pace of transformation among the European allies,
conflict.
Farrell finds that the norms of war—shared beliefs about what is right and what works—are created and embraced not only by polities and military organizations, but also by constituencies throughout civil society. Culture, he demonstrates, accounts for all core areas of military activity and at every level, sometimes with puzzling results.
Tracing the lineage of the modern military and ranging from historical examples to charged contemporary issues, this provocative book goes to the heart of the relationship between society and war.
Papers by Theo Farrell
Addressing the need for an authoritative reference work to make sense of this rapidly growing and ever more complex corpus of scholarly literature, Security Studies is a new title in the Routledge series, Critical Concepts in International Relations. Edited by Theo Farrell of King’s College London and chair of the International Security Studies section of the International Studies Association, it is a five-volume collection of the foundational and the very best cutting-edge scholarship.
Security Studies is fully indexed and includes a comprehensive introduction, newly written by the editor, which places the collected material in its historical and intellectual context. It is an essential reference work and is destined to be valued by scholars and students—as well as policy-makers and practitioners—as a vital one-stop research and pedagogic resource.
This book assesses the extent and trajectory of military transformation across a range of European NATO member states, setting their transformation progress against that of the US, and examining the complex mix of factors driving military transformation in each country. It reveals not only the nature and extent of the transatlantic gap, but also identifies an enormous variation in the extent and pace of transformation among the European allies,
conflict.
Farrell finds that the norms of war—shared beliefs about what is right and what works—are created and embraced not only by polities and military organizations, but also by constituencies throughout civil society. Culture, he demonstrates, accounts for all core areas of military activity and at every level, sometimes with puzzling results.
Tracing the lineage of the modern military and ranging from historical examples to charged contemporary issues, this provocative book goes to the heart of the relationship between society and war.