Ordering CSRC Publications

Most archive CSRC publications are available to download free of charge, either from our website or the website of the UK Defence Academy. (link will open in a new window)

Some topical publications, however, are available for purchase or subscription only. For individual retail orders, we accept credit card payments via PayPal; for larger or institutional orders, please contact us to arrange delivery of publications by purchase order and invoice.

Our currently available publications are listed below:

The Elements of Impact, by Andrew Monaghan
(Second, revised edition)

In this essential guide to improving your communication skills, Andrew Monaghan distils the lessons of 20 years of speaking and writing for academic, policy and defence audiences.

This compact, pocket-sized booklet is a valuable resource for anyone aspiring to get their ideas across - and executed. From gauging your audience, to harnessing your writing potential, to avoiding death by PowerPoint, "Elements of Impact" is densely packed with essential advice based on practical experience. It answers the questions that anybody wanting to improve their written and oral communication skills should be asking.

According to Dr Dov Lynch, Office of the Director General, UNESCO: "This book is a powerful reminder that communicating doesn't just happen - it takes skill, practice and thought. It untangles accepted wisdom and provides practical advice, borrowing from the Greats and adding the author's own. This could very well become a new classic of the genre, recommended to every student and scholar in the land."

Click here to purchase from Amazon UK, or scroll down to buy direct.

About the Author

Dr Andrew Monaghan is a Senior Research Fellow at Chatham House and Visiting Fellow at the Oxford Programme on the Changing Character of War at Pembroke College. He is also an Academic Visitor at St Antony's College, Oxford.

NATO, the Defence Academy of the United Kingdom, and Kings College, London have all employed him at different times over the last decade. He is a regular speaker at international conferences and seminars. NATO and the EU have published his work, as have many prominent international think tanks and academic journals, most recently Carnegie Europe, Chatham House and International Affairs, and other periodicals such as the Times Literary Supplement.

He began his education as an historian at the University of Edinburgh, before graduating from the Department of War Studies, King's College, London, first with an MA, and then a PhD in 2005.

"The Elements of Impact" can be purchased directly by credit card via PayPal, at a cost of £8.95. Postage and packing within the UK costs £1.55, and for the rest of the world costs £3.55. For orders of multiple copies, please contact us at orders [at] conflictstudies.org.uk.

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Breaking the Nordic Defence Deadlock

Russian actions in Ukraine in 2014 have prompted an urgent reassessment of the defence posture of many European nations. The Nordic states in particular are grappling with a two-decade legacy of defence drawdowns and repositioning for expeditionary warfare.

The challenge for these nations is how to resurrect a credible military deterrent in the face of continuing Russian assertiveness. One attractive option is closer defence cooperation between the Nordic states, but moves in this direction are slow and faltering. Political complications include the deeply ambivalent attitude of Sweden and Finland to the prospect of NATO membership.

In this monograph, also published through the U.S. Army War College Strategic Studies Institute, two leading Nordic defence experts assess the progress of cooperation to date, both within the region and externally with the United States, and offer specific recommendations for urgently enhancing both.

Foreword to the U.S. Edition

The Nordic states, just as other regions of Europe which neighbor Russia, are engaged in an urgent re-examination of their security and defense posture. Events in Ukraine in early 2014 threw into sharp focus a local lack of capability following decades of drawdowns and focus on crisis management operations instead of territorial defense. After an unpleasant awakening, countries in the region have turned their attention to the heightened security risks they face and their lack of preparedness for them.

In an era of continuing austerity, the challenge for these states is how to design a working security and defense solution in the short and medium term which is both robust enough to survive in isolation, but also capable of being merged into a bigger framework such as the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) when the time is ripe. This would serve not just local, but also U.S. interests in safeguarding local allies and partners while limiting the need for permanent presence in the region. Deeper defense cooperation between the Nordic countries is an essential part of this solution.

This monograph, by two highly experienced Finnish defense researchers with unparalleled expertise in assessing the problems posed by Russia as a neighbor, evaluates the options open to the Nordic region. It reviews both the opportunities available for regional cooperation (as well as ones from the past which have been missed), and the scope for enhanced engagement with the United States both within the framework of NATO and beyond.

As such, it provides a valuable assessment from a local perspective of how regional security challenges can best be addressed, and an important review of opportunities for the United States to increase the effectiveness of defense cooperation with Northern Europe. It makes an important contribution to our understanding of the possibilities and constraints of Nordic defense, and is highly recommended to planners and policymakers working on European and NATO problem sets.

DOUGLAS C. LOVELACE, JR.
Director, Strategic Studies Institute and U.S. Army War College Press

About the Authors

Dr. Stefan Forss is a senior scientist and highly experienced defense researcher. Professor Forss joined the Finnish Technical Research Centre (VTT), where he eventually became Chief Scientist. In 2005, he moved to the Finnish Ministry of Foreign Affairs Policy and Research Unit, attached to the National Defence University, where he advised on arms control and the security policy implications of new weapons and weapon systems. After retirement from government service in 2012, he has continued to publish on defense and security topics, including a series of high-profile reports on the implications for the Nordic States of a newly resurgent Russia. His title of Professor was awarded by the President of Finland in May 2014 in recognition of a distinguished career spanning 4 decades. Professor Forss holds a Ph.D. in physics from Helsinki University.

Colonel (Retired) Pekka Holopainen served with the Uusimaa Jaeger (Light Mechanised Infantry) Battalion. In 1997, he took command of the Infantry Battalion in the Karelia Brigade, and 1 year later was appointed Chief of Staff of the brigade. He returned to Helsinki in 2001 and became Director of the Department of Education in the National Defence College. After a series of staff posts, he was nominated Director of the Department of Strategic and Defence Studies, Finnish National Defence University. Colonel (Ret.) Holopainen's overseas assignments included Chief J9 at the HQ Kosovo Force, Chief of the Force Capability Unit, European Union Military Staff, and Deputy Chief Military Observer and the Deputy Head of Mission in the United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan. Colonel Holopainen graduated from the Military Academy (The Finnish Cadet School), completed the General Staff Officer Course at the U.S. Army War College, National Defense Course, and the Senior Command Course, National Defense College. He holds an MA in defence and security analysis from Lancaster University, UK, and an M.Sc. in social science (recent political history) from Helsinki University. His awards include Commander of the Order of the Lion of Finland, Freedom Cross 2nd Class, and the Medal of Military Merit as well as Commander of the Order of the Eagle of Estonia.

• Click here to order from Amazon.co.uk (PRINT EDITION)
• Click here to order from Amazon.com (PRINT EDITION)
• Click here for the U.S. edition of this publication in PDF format (links will open in a new window)

Alternatively, purchase direct from CSRC using the PayPal button on the right (cost £24.95, postage worldwide is free of charge).

 

 

The State of the NATO-Russia Reset

Published in September 2011, this CSRC publication looked ahead to the next round of confrontation with Russia.

Relations between Russia and NATO develop according to a familiar and predictable cycle. High hopes and ambitious declarations are followed by a plateau of expectations; a period of stagnation follows, as cooperation founders on incompatible strategic priorities; Russia becomes increasingly frustrated and alarmed at NATO behaviour; a crisis emerges, the relationship is set back; and then after a decent interval a reset takes place, partnership is declared anew, and the cycle begins again.

The most recent low point involved arguably the most dramatic crisis to date: armed conflict in Georgia in 2008. At the time of writing NATO is maintaining high hopes for renewed partnership following the optimistic Lisbon Summit in November 2010, but Russia is already entering the frustration and alarm phase  frustration over inability to influence plans for missile defence in Europe, and alarm at NATOs readiness to intervene in internal conflict in Libya.

This paper considers the nature of the relationship between Russia and NATO with particular reference to the view from Moscow, and assesses key areas where the two sides have failed to establish meaningful dialogue on significant challenges  in particular, plans for European missile defence, and NATO operations in Libya. Its aim is to assist in comprehension of the Russian view of NATO and its relationship with Russia, with the ultimate hope that the familiar cycle might at some point be broken. NATO can take steps to avoid repeating the cycle of a thaw with Russia followed by a new confrontation; but if there is an opportunity to do so, it may be brief.

• Click here for a preview of this publication in PDF format (links will open in a new window)
• Click here to order from Amazon.co.uk (KINDLE EDITION)
• Click here to order from Amazon.co.uk (PRINT EDITION)
• Click here to order from Amazon.com (PRINT EDITION)

Alternatively, purchase direct from CSRC using the PayPal button on the right (postage worldwide is free of charge).

 

Moscow Defense Brief

CSRC handles subscriptions for Moscow Defense Brief, for subscribers outside Russia.

For more information, see Moscow Defense Brief's separate subscription page, here.