October 30, 2013

In this, our second instalment in the PMSCs series, Jill Russell will be taking a look at the practical ramifications of logistical contracting in the US armed forces and will argue that contractors are not sufficient for the critical roles they are often assigned. Birthe Anders Department of War Studies, King’s College London PMSCs Series Editor … Continue reading “Overpriced or Out of Sight: What subsistence history teaches us about contractors and tactical logistics at war”

October 25, 2013

Contracting for military and security services is an extremely old phenomenon, emerging many centuries previous to the latest generation of contemporary Private Military and Security Companies (PMSCs). However, the modern phenomenon has reached unprecedented breadth, given the extent to which contracting for military and security services has grown, covering combat and security training, armed guard, … Continue reading “The politics of condottieri arms in Renaissance Italy, or why Machiavelli loathed mercenaries”

October 2, 2013

By Thomas Colley (@ThomasColley) Much has been made of the recently revealed MOD report on how to ‘sell’ war to the British public. Critics have lambasted the MOD for attempting to manipulate the public to support war, evoking memories of Iraq in 2003. Anger was particularly generated by the suggestion that the profile of repatriation … Continue reading “The lost art of propaganda”