The Battle Beyond

Fundamentally, Paul Szymanski and Jerry Drew remind us that—more than just simply a clash of weapons—all warfare manifests as a competition between human minds. The same holds true in the battle beyond in outer space. The contests of space warfare will test the knowledge, experience, fears, beliefs, stamina, and will of the people, their military commanders, and their political leadership like never before. It is thus essential to prepare for the military implications of wars that extend into space, to root space warfare in the military thought of the past, to adapt it to the needs of the future, and to complete its integration as an essential part of the Western way of war. Beginning with the word “war” itself, Szymanski and Drew guide the reader through a comprehensive consideration of the levels of warfare as viewed through the eyes of experienced space warfare practitioners. They make relevant centuries-old terms of art, linking the Napoleonic thought of the past to the network-dependent wars of the future and explaining esoteric disciplines like orbital warfare and electromagnetic operations in a way that will appeal to both novices and veterans of the discipline. In so doing, they expand upon the existing lexicon of war, instructing the reader on how to fight and win the coming war in space. Rich in symbology, illustrations, and historical examples, this book could not come at a more critical time for the security of the United States and its Allies.