Future War: Non-Lethal Weapons in Twenty-First-Century Warfare

by John B. Alexander

Book Overview

The nature of warfare has changed Like it or not, terrorism has established a firm foothold worldwide. Economics and environmental issues are inextricably entwined on a global basis and tied directly to national regional security. Although traditional threats remain, new, shadowy, and mercurial adversaries are emerging, and identifying and locating them is difficult. Future War, based on the hard-learned lessons of Bosnia, Haiti, Somalia, Panama,...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0312267398
• ISBN13: 9780312267391
• Release Date: November 2000
• Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
• Length: 272 Pages
• Weight: 0.80 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 6.1" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

The emerging planetary conflicts and the non-lethal response

John Alexander is an insider who knows combat and its many modern forms. He also has deliberately decided to advance the ethical response to these new forms of conflict and presents us a convincing array of non-lethal weapons that will reshape not only the defense industry but the law enforcement community.This book takes the reader to each of the situations imagined in a convincing set of scenarios. Then each of the new non-lethal approaches to the neutralization of the conflict is introduced at its point of greatest impact. The writing is straightforward and at the sametime paints a real picture of the situations visualized.Ample testimony is attached to this work by respected military thinkers and Alexander does not stretch his case beyond reason to make his point. The documentation is also done in a scholarly fashion.Tom Clancy sets the stage by raising the edgy spectre of decision-making in the emerging scenarios of conflict. At the same time he accurately describes the new moral center required of soldiers and nations to provide an appropriate response to this now publicly watched phenomenon.This is a book needed by professionals but not out of the reach of others who want to evaluate how our world will bring itself into the twenty-first century. A good read. Without this work you will be blind-sided by whats just around the corner.

Great Book, a must for education

John Alexander's book is written with concise, clear descriptions of future weapons. These include laser/taser. Chemical systems, computer viruses, non-lethal electromagnetic pulse-power weapons and others. Each citizen reader will find this book informational and vital reading. It helps an individual understand weapons that may be used in the 21st Century.This reader finds the "issues section" pertaining to future wars especially informative. In the "Strategic Implications" section, a subsection entitled education is of particular note. In this section three national security issues are identified as arising from a substandard education system. One is the limited pool of young men and women from which to recruit as weapons systems are getting more sophisticated to operate. The second education factor of strategic importance is the education of the civilian population. Many citizens are not sufficiently educated to understand the current issues of national security as they are becoming more complex. The third education factor is in weapons development as many of these systems need brainpower to help design or improve them. This reader agrees with the author. The author is giving education a roadmap on areas the future citizen needs in their portfolio of education.This review is to encourage teachers in classrooms teaching citizenship to add this book to their reading list. For responsible citizens this book is a must read.Dr. B. Feist-Fite, Educator

A must read for technology, military and law enforcement.

John Alexander really knows his stuff. His though provoking book is must reading for anyone interested in where technology is taking us in the military or law enforcement. Non-lethal weapons are essential to the nation's future and John's book conveys the "why".John has been a pioneer in the area of non-lethal weapons, if not the actual inventor of the concept. Having worked with him in this area of technology, I know his expertise is phenomenal. Clearly written and acually prophetic in many ways, John's text paints an eerie picture of the future. Significant in its detailing of technology, the book also deals with the policy issues and circumstances requiring non-lethal weapons.This book is a "must read" for anyone seriously dealing with future weaponry, military and law enforcement trends, or the directions of technology. Highly recommended.

Progress in an imperfect world, whether we like it or not

One of my first introductions to John Alexander was running across his name on the World Wide Web, and he was depicted as a rather sinister, if not evil figure - because he was involved in developing non-lethal weapons.... I didn't get it. Yes, in an ideal world we would need no weapons of any sort, but meanwhile, back in our less-than-perfect reality, the idea of weapons that temporarily incapacitated someone, even if they had a small chance of permanently injuring or killing them, compared to a bullet, which had a very large chance of permanently injuring or killing them, seemed like practical and humanitarian progress to me. Future War is a detailed and sophisticated treatment of the vital subject of non-lethal (or at least usually non-lethal) weapons and the need we will increasingly have for them in our imperfect world that makes me wish there were more "sinister" people like Alexander around! This is not a simplistic, good guys versus bad guys book, but it does give us the information we and our leaders must have to deal with the future.

Outstanding book - first of its kind

This book is the first attempt at identifying and describing issues related to the employment of nonlethal alternatives in peace keeping, peace making and peace enforcement operations as well as local law enforcement. It is an "easy read" with many illustrations and anecdotes. The information is well-documented and the bibliography provides a strong foundation for further research.