The Grand Strategy of Gertrude Bell: From the Arab Bureau to the Creation of Iraq
The remarkable life of early-twentieth-century British adventurer Gertrude Bell has been well documented through her biographies and numerous travel books. Bell’s role as a grand strategist for the British government in the Middle East during World War I and the postwar period, however, is surprisingly understudied. Investigating Gertrude Bell as both a military strategist and a grand strategist offers important insights into how Great Britain devised its military strategy in the Middle East during World War I—particularly, Britain’s efforts to work through saboteurs and secret societies to undermine the Ottoman Empire during the war and the country’s attempts to stabilize the region after the war through the creation of the modern state of Iraq. As importantly, studying the life and work of Bell offers a glimpse into how this unique woman was able to become one of the principal architects of British strategy at this time and the extraordinary set of skills and perspectives she brought to these efforts—particularly, her ability to make and maintain relationships with key individuals. Bell’s life and work offer insights into the roles women have played and continue to play as influencers of grand strategy.
To Boldly Go: Leadership, Strategy, and Conflict in the 21st Century and Beyond
“To Boldly Go assembles more than thirty writers from around the world—experts in leadership and strategy, senior policy advisors and analysts, professional educators and innovators, experienced storytellers, and ground-level military leaders—to help us better understand ourselves through the lens of science fiction.”
“Each chapter of To Boldly Go draws out the lessons that we can learn from science fiction, drawing on classic examples of the genre in ways that are equally relatable and entertaining.”
Religious Terrorism
How can the world’s religions, which propagate peace and love, promote violence and the killing of innocent civilians through terrorist acts? This Element aims to provide insights into this puzzle by beginning with a brief overview of debates on terrorism, a discussion on religion and the various resources it provides groups engaging in terrorist acts, four arguments for what causes religious terrorism, brief examples of religious terrorism across faith traditions, and a synopsis of deradicalization programs. This discussion shows that, when combined with certain political and social circumstances, religions provide powerful resources for justifying and motivating terrorist acts against civilians.
Building the Nation
“Fresh and exciting. In a time when the United States increasingly recognizes how inadequate simple theories of state stabilization and state building are, Heather Gregg offers a powerful new model for what to do after the shooting has stopped. . . . Dr. Gregg lays out in very concrete ways how such an approach would transform current strategies for post-conflict stabilization and reconstruction. We who live and work in the center of the storm can only hope that her book gets studied carefully by the next generation of policy makers.” —Scott Guggenheim, senior adviser, Office of the President, Islamic Republic of Afghanistan
“A robust examination and defense of nation building and its more nuanced form—national unity building. Had this dimension been appropriately addressed, we would likely not have seen the emergence of Daesh, the collapse of the Iraqi state, and the perils of the new Afghan government.”—Clare Lockhart, director and co-founder of the Institute for State Effectiveness and senior fellow at the Yale Jackson Institute for Global Affairs
“A highly informed and sophisticated analysis of what it take to engage in state building and in nation building. If it can be done at all, this book shows the ways.”—Amitai Etzioni, author of Security First and From Empire to Community
The Path to Salvation
“Professor Gregg has produced a highly accessible contribution to an important and contentious area of study. Highlighting the interpretive enterprise, she explores the complex variables at play in the relationship between religion and violence on a global scale, while giving special attention to notions of salvation (both otherworldly and worldly) in five major religious traditions. Her nuanced and even-handed approach to this charged topic must be commended.” —Jeffry R. Halverson, author of Searching for a King: Muslim Nonviolence and the Future of Islam“
Anyone wishing to understand the phenomenon of Al-Qa’ida and other Muslim extremist groups will definitely profit from Dr. Gregg’s deeply reasoned comparisons of violence and extremist views common to all religions which she assures us are the exception, not the norm.” —Robert Brenton Betts, author of The Druze and The Southern Portals of Byzantium
“The dark attraction between religion and violence is probed in this intriguing analysis that sees violence justified as a means of salvation by religious activists defending their faith and communities. It examines case studies from the Christian crusades to Jewish Zionist extremism, from Islamic Jihad movements to the Hindu far right. This penetrating and comprehensive study is a significant contribution to the growing literature on religion and violence.” —Mark Juergensmeyer, author of Terror in the Mind of God: The Global Rise of Religious Violence
The Three Circles of War
“Throughout history, withdrawals from the battlefield have proved complex and fraught with danger. Time and again, nations have ensured future warfare by misunderstanding conflicts just ended. As the American drawdown in Iraq proceeds, Gregg, Rothstein, and Arquilla put us on the path toward wisdom—and what may pass for peace—by properly defining the dynamics of the Iraq War.” —Robert Andrews, former special assistant to secretary of the Army, former assistant secretary of defense for special operations and low-intensity conflict, & former Special Forces officer in Vietnam
“The Three Circles of War is a much-needed assessment of the evolving character of the Iraq War. The editors have assembled a first-rate team of contributors who illuminate the complex nature of the war. In so doing, they highlight the challenges inherent in understanding contemporary conflicts.” —Thomas Mahnken, professor of strategy, U.S. Naval War College and former deputy assistant secretary of defense for policy planning
“The Three Circles of War offers not only a thoughtful analysis on a wide range of critical issues that affected the war in Iraq, but issues that will continue to affect the wars we fight in Afghanistan and beyond. In short, this important volume should be read by anyone who wants to understand the complexities of modern-day armed conflicts, and particularly by those in the U.S. national security system with responsibility for meeting these irregular warfare challenges.” —Richard Schultz, professor of international politics, Fletcher School of International Law and Diplomacy & coauthor of Insurgents, Terrorists, and Militias: The Warriors of Contemporary Combat
Heather S. Gregg 