This book comprises a selection of Prof. Gray's more important contributions to strategic debate over the past thirty years. The essays have been selected both because they had significant messages for contemporary controversies, and because they have some continuing relevance for today and the future. Each essay in the book is really about strategy in the modern world, and reflects the many dimensions of that complex subject.

The book, by its nature, covers a wide range of subjects and historical events, but there are certain enduring issues covered throughout the book. These common, underlying themes can be summarized as follows:

- Being strategic - concerned with the consequences of actions;
- A respect for Clausewitz's theory of war;
- History-dependent;
- The importance of geography;
- Being critical of enthusiasm for technology over human factors