What we're reading: February 2026
This month at the Defence Research Network, we’ve been examining how industrial innovation and private-public partnerships shape modern deterrence, and how the evolution of warfare across the ancient Mediterranean reveals enduring patterns in the rise and fall of great powers.
The American Edge: The Military Tech Nexus and the Sources of Great Power Dominance by Seth G. Jones examines how the United States can regain its capacity to deter China by revitalising its defence industrial base and forging deeper partnerships with innovative technology firms, arguing that outdated procurement systems risk strategic decline. Meanwhile, Ancient Warfare: The Basics by Conor Whately explores warfare in the ancient Mediterranean from the Trojan War to the Arab conquests, tracing how Greek, Persian, Macedonian and Roman ways of war evolved through shifting tactics, technologies and imperial ambitions. Together, these books show how military power depends on adaptation, whether through industrial mobilisation or battlefield transformation, across radically different eras.
The American Edge: The Military Tech Nexus and the Sources of Great Power Dominance
By Seth G. Jones
This new book examines how the United States can regain its military edge and effectively deter China by revitalising its defence industrial base and deepening cooperation with innovative private technology firms. The book traces the historical evolution of great-power industrial capacity, from the World Wars to the Cold War and China’s rise, arguing that outdated procurement systems leave the US ill-prepared for great-power conflict and in urgent need of reform.
Ancient Warfare: The Basics
By Conor Whately
This new book explores warfare in the ancient Mediterranean world, from the mythical Trojan War to the Arab conquests of western Asia. Drawing on art, literature, and archaeological evidence, it traces the evolution of Greek, Persian, Macedonian, and Roman ways of war. Covering shifting tactics, technologies, and empires, it highlights how military practice adapted over centuries, culminating in Late Antique transformations and Rome’s final great conflict with Persia.
