This article by the AARC's Academic Team showcases a selection of recent publications and presentations relevant to contemporary military thought, professional development, and Army research. Featured readings include selections from Parameters, Joint Force Quarterly, War on the Rocks, which examine topics such as the air littoral, AI and military decision-making, tactical-edge manufacturing, Russian force expansion, and ethical leadership. Also included is a Senior Leaders recommended reading from Major General Chris Smith DSC AM CSC, Deputy Chief of Army.

Reviewer Tom Rogers considers why the study of Clausewitz remains relevant today and commends Howard's book on the topic as a clear and concise overview for anyone interested in military history or strategic studies.

This book places professional ethics at the core of military expertise in the 21st century. As reviewer Benjamin Gray observes, it provides a strong scaffold for understanding the profession of arms provided that its US-centric cases are viewed through the an Australian lens.

Does AI make military decisions more ethical? New ADF-backed research tested Vision AI in battlefield shoot/no-shoot scenarios and found a surprising result: often, human judgement still dominates. Read the findings in Occasional Paper 40.

Reviewer Jordan Beavis commends Wilcox’s book as scholarly, insightful, and essential reading. Focussed on the Italian Army, it provides an excellent case study in how military institutions should not manage morale.

According to reviewer Paul Mostafa, this book takes a disciplined approach to summarising one of recent history's most complex strategic periods making the subject accessible to anyone who needs historical insight without overwhelming detail.

Revisiting the military-strategic aspects of WWII is important given the continuous transformation of war planning and its conduct on contemporary battlefields around the world. Reviewer Alexey Muraviev explains why this book is a good entry-point to the topic.

Stephan Frühling considers the role of land forces in Defence of Australia. He discusses how current plans to re-orient forces to the North will only deliver defence objectives in limited conflict, not in major war.

For reviewer Chris Wooding, this book is well-researched, thorough, and makes a strong contribution to busting some of the myths concerning the German military during the period of two World Wars.

Reviewer Matthew Hall commends 'Boots on the Ground' asa strong professional primer on contemporary land warfare: readable, structured for rapid uptake, and anchored in the realities of adaptation under modern targeting and electronic contest.

Because there is more than one battlefield.

Covering a wide sweep of topics, Chris Roberts commends the essays presented in this book as fine studies of the topics they consider. But it lacks a central theme and is targeted to an academic rather than generalist reader.

OP 40 examines how remote autonomous systems enhance military situational awareness, highlighting global developments and key challenges in data, networks, and processing, and outlining pathways for the ADF to scale capabilities and maintain a strategic edge.

This book offers much to readers tasked with ensuring that the ADF future force is capable of adapting to the wars of the 21st Century. Recommended by reviewer and logistician Rebecca Marlow.

This Occasional Paper examines strategies for reducing the ADF’s reliance on conventional, centralised power systems and achieving greater energy independence. It provides the ADF with a comprehensive framework for enhancing energy security through the adoption of decentralised, intelligent and resilient energy systems.

For reviewer John Nash, the CIA Book Club delivers a fascinating insight into Western efforts, led by the CIA, to aid resistance groups in Cold War era Eastern Europe through the provision of 'subversive' literature.

Andrew Stewart finds in this book an honest, albeit at times disheartening, account of the British Army's evolution. A concise history, it provides aa strong foundation for anyone seeking to better understand this organisation.

This book queries whether the existence of a permanent military is justifiable. Reviewer Matthew Malcolm considers the strengths and weaknesses of the arguments raised.

This post is the second to discuss the recently-released Occasional Paper 39 on Total Defence. Collectively, this series aims to support the AARC’s ‘Defence of Australia’ 2025-26 Research Priority and the wider National Defence agenda.

As reviewer Mark Mankowski observes, the CA Study Guide emphasises the importance of moral character as a foundation of leadership. Conrad’s novella provides a stark illustration of what happens when character is neglected.