It has become somewhat par for the course, in any discussion of professional reading in a military context, to quote United States Marine Corps General James Mattis (retired). Mattis commands much respect, both within the US military and in the Australian Army. He is often viewed as the modern-day soldier-scholar par excellence . His books frequently appear on Professional Military Education (PME) Reading Lists, and his quotes on the importance on military literacy are often thrown about. This is because …

William Westerman  is a historian at the Australian War Memorial writing the Official History of Australian Operations in Iraq, 2003-2011. A Fellow of the Royal Historical Society, he has research expertise in the First World War and is also the co-author of the Official History of Australian Peacekeeping Operations in Timor-Leste, 2000-2012. Among his other work, he has written a history of the Fitzroy Lions’ 1996 merger with the Brisbane Bears in the Australian Football League. … William …

Chris Roberts graduated from RMC Duntroon in 1967 and saw operational service in South Vietnam with 3 SAS Squadron. More senior appointments included Commanding Officer The SAS Regiment, Commander Special Forces, Director General Corporate Planning - Army and Commander Northern Command. Retiring in 1999 he spent 7 years in executive appointments with the Multiplex Group. He is the author of Chinese Strategy and the Spratley islands Dispute and the seminal and highly acclaimed The Landing at Anzac, 1915 ; …

by Mike Martin Hurst Publishers , 2023, 272 pp Hardback ISBN: 9781787389304 Paperback ISBN: 9781911723875 Reviewed by: Anthony Duus Mike Martin is a former British Army officer with extensive experience in Afghanistan, and he is currently a Senior Visiting Research Fellow in the Department of War Studies at King’s College London. In How to Fight a War , his fourth book, Martin has written a ‘reference guide for the Commander in Chief of a nation’s military’, as he believes that ‘our leaders must have the …

How the Australian Army Can Harness the Firepower Advantages of the Fourth Industrial Revolution Introduction Since 2011, the world has undergone a Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) which has heralded worldwide advances in artificial intelligence (AI), automation, and robotic technologies. [1] These disruptive technologies are gradually altering the character of warfare towards what AI entrepreneur Amir Husain describes as ‘hyper war’, where battles are waged entirely at machine speed. [2] The question of …

Colonel Anthony Duus is an Armoured Corps officer and has served in a variety of regimental and staff appointments. He is currently the Director of the Australian Army Research Centre and leads an eclectic group of skilled public servants, committed reservists and talented contractors. … Anthony …

AAJ Vol XXI, Number 3 Timeline Deadline for article submissions: Monday, 24 March 2025 Planned Publication Date: November 2025 Submission form at the bottom of this page Description Have you ever wanted to write on issues important to Army? Is there something that Army could ’do’ better? Or is there something you wish people understood about Army now and in the future? The Australian Army Research Centre (AARC) invites submissions for the third edition of the Australian Army Journal (AAJ) for 2025. The AAJ …

The Social Identity Foundations of Military Leadership Group affiliation and identity are key themes in Anthony King’s rich and extensive analysis of military cohesion and performance The Combat Soldier . [1] King argues that understanding operational performance depends crucially on understanding the nature of ‘collectives’. He shows how longstanding practices in military doctrine and training aim to enhance group cohesion by shaping affiliation and identity, so that the execution of orders by soldiers …

Land Power’s Contribution   Australia stands at a pivotal moment in its military strategic policy with the National Defence Strategy 2024 (NDS) adopting deterrence by denial and calling for the evolution of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) into a truly integrated force. The aim is to maximise the ADF’s deterrence, denial, and response options in the Indo-Pacific region. However, the NDS lacks specificity on crucial aspects, such as the who, where, when, why, and how the ADF will harness military power …

Lieutenant Colonel McLeod Wood (RAAC) is the Deputy Director of Indo-Pacific Operations at Headquarters Joint Operations Command. He has completed command appointments at the 2nd Cavalry and 2nd/14th Lighthorse Regiment’s and served in a wide range staff appointments at the tactical, operational, and strategic levels. He is a distinguished graduate of the United States Army Command and General Staff College and their School of Advanced Military Studies (SAMS). He has a particular interest in mobilisation …